diff --git a/HANDOFF.md b/HANDOFF.md
index c335197..b983dad 100644
--- a/HANDOFF.md
+++ b/HANDOFF.md
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-# HANDOFF — 2026-09-18 (drag-reorder persistence + recording-dialog height, both local — no push)
+# HANDOFF — 2026-09-18 (drag-reorder persistence proven via real mouse input + recording-dialog height, both local — no push)
## Branch / Commit State
`main` HEAD = **Rename Recording dialog 20% taller + teardown unhooks the full-screen hook** (local).
Below it: the layer drag-reorder persistence fix (`LayerReorderPersistenceTests`), then webcam work.
+**Real-input drag verification test added on top** (unpushed, see below).
**No push yet.** Working tree clean.
@@ -63,6 +64,15 @@ ScheduleSave()`, i.e. the same background-save path every other mutation uses. *
`LayerReorderPersistenceTests` (real App + temp DB): reproduces the exact code-behind mutation,
calls the trap, pumps the dispatcher until the debounced save lands, asserts the DB `Source`
SortOrder matches the in-memory `Elements` order.
+**Creator later insisted the reorder "doesn't save" even after the build — settled 2026-09-18 with a
+REAL-gesture test.** My first test short-circuited `EndListDrag` — it never exercised the mouse
+handlers (impossible with synthetic events: `e.GetPosition` reads the physical cursor). Added
+`RealMouseDrag_OnTheLayerList_PersistsTheReorder`: real `SetCursorPos` + `mouse_event`/`SendInput`
+against the shown MainWindow physically drag row 3 (ImgC) onto row 1 (ImgA), pumping between steps,
+then asserts the DB lands at `[Background, ImgC, ImgA, ImgB]` via the debounced save. **Both pass.**
+The mouse-down/move/up → `_dragReordered` → `EndListDrag` → `OnSceneElementsReordered` → DB seam is
+now proven with real input; a real user drag working differently would mean a stale binary (the
+Debug exe from 08:42 postdates fix commit 08:18) or a different deployment.
## ✅ Committed — Rename Recording dialog taller + full-screen hook unhooked on shutdown (2026-09-18)
@@ -158,6 +168,9 @@ claim — `CameraConflictProbe` reads process names only, no device handles; do
- **Scene.Elements layer tests:** any seeded scene with `HasBackground=1` loads a healed
`Background` element pinned at `Elements[0]` (created by `EnsureBackground` on `StagedScene` set) —
compute expected layer orders from the live collection, never hardcode indices.
+- **Real-input injection test** (`RealMouseDrag_OnTheLayerList_PersistsTheReorder`) needs an
+ interactive desktop session: the window is shown Topmost and clicks are injected at real screen
+ coords — a covered/locked session makes the pointer no-op and the drag never lands. Fine locally.
- `C:\tmpout` is for ffmpeg evidence artifacts; keep them out of the repo.
## Next step
diff --git a/ytLive.Tests/LayerReorderPersistenceTests.cs b/ytLive.Tests/LayerReorderPersistenceTests.cs
index 0e495c7..31fbe8e 100644
--- a/ytLive.Tests/LayerReorderPersistenceTests.cs
+++ b/ytLive.Tests/LayerReorderPersistenceTests.cs
@@ -2,9 +2,14 @@ using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Windows;
+using System.Windows.Controls;
+using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Threading;
using Microsoft.Data.Sqlite;
using Xunit;
+using ytLive.Helpers;
using ytLive.Models;
using ytLive.Services;
using ytLive.ViewModels;
@@ -31,6 +36,113 @@ public sealed class LayerReorderPersistenceTests
_app.Run(Run);
}
+ ///
+ /// Same use case as above but driven with REAL injected mouse input
+ /// (SetCursorPos + mouse_event against the desktop) so the actual
+ /// List_PreviewMouseLeftButtonDown/Move/Up handlers — the seam no synthetic
+ /// event can exercise, since e.GetPosition reads the physical cursor — must
+ /// run. Requires an interactive desktop session: if the window is covered or
+ /// the session is locked, the pointer no-ops and the drag never lands.
+ ///
+ [Fact]
+ public void RealMouseDrag_OnTheLayerList_PersistsTheReorder()
+ {
+ _app.Run(RunRealDrag);
+ }
+
+ private void RunRealDrag()
+ {
+ var tempDb = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"ytLlive-realdrag-{Guid.NewGuid():N}.db");
+ MainViewModel.LayoutPathOverride = tempDb;
+ var window = default(MainWindow);
+ try
+ {
+ using (var schema = new LayoutStore(tempDb)) { }
+ SqliteConnection.ClearAllPools();
+ SeedThreeLayers(tempDb);
+
+ window = new MainWindow();
+ var vm = (MainViewModel)window.DataContext;
+ vm.StagedScene = vm.Scenes.Single(s => SceneCatalog.Is(s.Name, SceneCatalog.Live));
+ Assert.True(vm.StagedScene!.Elements.OfType().Count() >= 4,
+ "3 seeded layers + the healed Background must load");
+
+ window.Show();
+ window.Activate();
+ window.Topmost = true;
+ window.UpdateLayout();
+
+ var panel = (UserControl)window.FindName("LeftPanel")!;
+ var list = (FocusPreservingListBox)panel.FindName("SourceList")!;
+ list.UpdateLayout();
+
+ // Elements = [Background, ImgA, ImgB, ImgC]. Physically drag ImgC
+ // (row 3) up onto ImgA (row 1): the handlers reorder live elements to
+ // [Background, ImgC, ImgA, ImgB] and EndListDrag must persist that.
+ var from = RowScreenPoint(list, 3);
+ var to = RowScreenPoint(list, 1);
+
+ SetCursorPos((int)from.X, (int)from.Y);
+ LetInputSettle(80);
+ mouse_event(MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN, 0, 0, 0, UIntPtr.Zero);
+ LetInputSettle(120);
+ SetCursorPos((int)to.X, (int)to.Y);
+ LetInputSettle(250);
+ mouse_event(MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP, 0, 0, 0, UIntPtr.Zero);
+ LetInputSettle(400);
+
+ var expected = vm.StagedScene.Elements.OfType().Select(s => s.Name).ToArray();
+ Assert.Equal("Background", expected[0]);
+ Assert.Equal("ImgC", expected[1]);
+
+ Assert.True(PumpUntil(() => SourceNamesInDb(tempDb).SequenceEqual(expected),
+ TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10)),
+ "a real mouse drag-and-drop must be persisted by the debounced background save");
+ Assert.Equal(expected, SourceNamesInDb(tempDb));
+ }
+ finally
+ {
+ if (window != null) window.Close();
+ MainViewModel.LayoutPathOverride = null;
+ SqliteConnection.ClearAllPools();
+ try { File.Delete(tempDb); } catch { /* best-effort cleanup */ }
+ }
+ }
+
+ /// Screen (device-pixel) point one-third into the list row — over the
+ /// name TextBlock, away from the per-row buttons/rename TextBox.
+ private static Point RowScreenPoint(FocusPreservingListBox list, int index)
+ {
+ var item = (ListBoxItem)list.ItemContainerGenerator.ContainerFromIndex(index)!;
+ var inList = item.TransformToVisual(list)
+ .Transform(new Point(Math.Min(30, item.ActualWidth - 12), item.ActualHeight / 2));
+ return list.PointToScreen(inList);
+ }
+
+ /// Pumps the app dispatcher while sleeping in small steps, so real
+ /// input messages posted to the thread queue are processed mid-gesture.
+ private static void LetInputSettle(int milliseconds)
+ {
+ var frame = new DispatcherFrame();
+ var timer = new DispatcherTimer { Interval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(milliseconds) };
+ timer.Tick += (_, _) =>
+ {
+ timer.Stop();
+ frame.Continue = false;
+ };
+ timer.Start();
+ Dispatcher.PushFrame(frame);
+ }
+
+ private const uint MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN = 0x0002;
+ private const uint MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP = 0x0004;
+
+ [DllImport("user32.dll")]
+ private static extern bool SetCursorPos(int x, int y);
+
+ [DllImport("user32.dll")]
+ private static extern void mouse_event(uint dwFlags, uint dx, uint dy, uint dwData, UIntPtr dwExtraInfo);
+
private void Run()
{
var tempDb = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"ytLlive-reorder-{Guid.NewGuid():N}.db");