This has been an ongoing confusion of mine, and I feel this may illustrate why:


 
Which track is selected? 24 or 26?

If you click 24 first--the Track #, the highlighted Track "Name" field selection follows, as does the Track selection (whole track is selected). However, if you click only the track Name on track 26, you get this condition where one track # is highlighted, but a separate track is actually selected.
 
This means that, if you Copy something from Track 24, set the Now Time, then do an Ctrl+V, the Pasted selection/clip is dropped into Track 26. I didn't see where this condition was addressed in the online docs, and I couldn't find it in forum searches. I can't really ascertain what use it might have. Would anyone mind enlightening me here?
 
This, coupled with this thread (here), both happening since X1, may be somewhat related. In other words, if this were fixed where a single track selection can't split like this without holding a Ctrl or Shift key, it may take care of the other thread's issue.

It's a good question you're asking here . . . and I've always found you have to click on the track number twice for the track to actually be fully selected, such that when you paste information, it actually gets pasted to that track. In other words - - -> both the track number, and the track name have to both be showing as highlighted before it's the active track to paste to.
 
Why it's this way, I also can't fathom, perhaps there's a higher reasoning someone here can explain ?
I'm thinking it would be better if you merely click the track number, and it totally selects that track to be active ?

26 is focused, but 24 has an active selection of the midi data, if any exists in the current time selection.
 
It can be easy to get mixed up about how selections work, but the constant is, if the Track Name is highlighted, then it is the currently focused track.
 
Regards,
Dan

dcumpian
26 is focused, but 24 has an active selection of the midi data, if any exists in the current time selection.
 
It can be easy to get mixed up about how selections work, but the constant is, if the Track Name is highlighted, then it is the currently focused track.
 
Regards,
Dan

I think you're right. When I click or unclick Track 24's #, the clip (MIDI or audio) lights up. I agree with noynekker, in that, there's probably some logic to this, but I don't see it yet. It's not obvious to me, and I'd like to either disable it, or figure out a way in my editing workflow to prevent it from happening. It feels like something's broken there.

The logic has been hinted at by dcumpain. Track 24 is selected while track 26 is active/has focus. The difference is between selected and active. You can have multiple tracks selected at once but only one can be active at any one time. I think your confusion is because you are seeing them as both being selected in different ways when only one is actually selected.

35mm
The logic has been hinted at by dcumpain. Track 24 is selected while track 26 is active/has focus. The difference is between selected and active. You can have multiple tracks selected at once but only one can be active at any one time. I think your confusion is because you are seeing them as both being selected in different ways when only one is actually selected.

Yeah, I do see that. The remaining question I have, and I'm sure there's a good answer, but what is the practical use of separating these two other than when using Quick Groups? In other words, if you're only single-clicking each track (in different places), what would be the practical use of divorcing the selected track and focused/active track?

In any case, that's been a real thorn in my side working in the editor because these can become disconnected, affecting Paste.

Some operations can only be done to one track at a time. Hence the need for "track focus" which ignores multiple selections. I don't think that the manual explains it very well though.