Index: app/qgsattributetable.cpp
===================================================================
--- app/qgsattributetable.cpp	(revision 9293)
+++ app/qgsattributetable.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -24,12 +24,15 @@
 #include "qgslogger.h"
 #include "qgsvectordataprovider.h"
 #include "qgsvectorlayer.h"
+#include "qgisapp.h"
+#include "qgsmapcanvas.h"
 
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QClipboard>
 #include <QHeaderView>
 #include <QKeyEvent>
 #include <QMenu>
+#include <QSettings>
 
 
 QgsAttributeTableItemDelegate::QgsAttributeTableItemDelegate( QgsAttributeTable *table, QObject *parent )
@@ -464,18 +467,30 @@
   }
 
   QgsFeatureList features;
-  if ( layer->selectedFeatureCount() == 0 )
+
+  QSettings settings;
+  int behaviour = settings.value( "/qgis/attributeTableBehaviour", 0 ).toInt();
+
+  if ( behaviour == 1 )
   {
-    layer->select( layer->pendingAllAttributesList(), QgsRect(), false );
+    // selected features
+    features = layer->selectedFeatures();
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    QgsRect rect;
+    if ( behaviour == 2 )
+    {
+      // current canvas
+      rect = QgisApp::instance()->mapCanvas()->extent();
+    }
 
+    layer->select( layer->pendingAllAttributesList(), rect, false );
+
     QgsFeature f;
     while ( layer->getNextFeature( f ) )
       features << f;
   }
-  else
-  {
-    features = layer->selectedFeatures();
-  }
 
   setRowCount( features.size() );
 
@@ -559,7 +574,7 @@
   for ( QList<QTableWidgetSelectionRange>::iterator iter = selections.begin();iter != selections.end();++iter )
   {
     removeselection = true;
-    while ( swaptorow<rowCount() && item( swaptorow, 0 )->isSelected() )//selections are not necessary stored in ascending order
+    while ( swaptorow < rowCount() && item( swaptorow, 0 )->isSelected() )//selections are not necessary stored in ascending order
     {
       ++swaptorow;
     }
Index: app/qgsoptions.cpp
===================================================================
--- app/qgsoptions.cpp	(revision 9293)
+++ app/qgsoptions.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@
   leProxyPassword->setText( settings.value( "proxy/proxyPassword", "" ).toString() );
   // set the current theme
   cmbTheme->setItemText( cmbTheme->currentIndex(), settings.value( "/Themes" ).toString() );
+
+  // set the attribute table behaviour
+  cmbAttrTableBehaviour->clear();
+  cmbAttrTableBehaviour->addItem( tr( "Show all features" ) );
+  cmbAttrTableBehaviour->addItem( tr( "Show selected features" ) );
+  cmbAttrTableBehaviour->addItem( tr( "Show features in current canvas" ) );
+  cmbAttrTableBehaviour->setCurrentIndex( settings.value( "/qgis/attributeTableBehaviour", 0 ).toInt() );
+
   // set the display update threshold
   spinBoxUpdateThreshold->setValue( settings.value( "/Map/updateThreshold" ).toInt() );
   //set the default projection behaviour radio buttongs
@@ -257,6 +265,7 @@
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/showLegendClassifiers", cbxLegendClassifiers->isChecked() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/hideSplash", cbxHideSplash->isChecked() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/dockAttributeTable", cbxAttributeTableDocked->isChecked() );
+  settings.setValue( "/qgis/attributeTableBehaviour", cmbAttrTableBehaviour->currentIndex() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/new_layers_visible", chkAddedVisibility->isChecked() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/enable_anti_aliasing", chkAntiAliasing->isChecked() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/use_qimage_to_render", !( chkUseQPixmap->isChecked() ) );
Index: gui/qgsmapcanvas.h
===================================================================
--- gui/qgsmapcanvas.h	(revision 9293)
+++ gui/qgsmapcanvas.h	(working copy)
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
     //! Returns the mapUnitsPerPixel (map units per pixel) for the canvas
     double mapUnitsPerPixel() const;
 
-    //! Returns the current zoom exent of the map canvas
+    //! Returns the current zoom extent of the map canvas
     QgsRect extent() const;
     //! Returns the combined exent for all layers on the map canvas
     QgsRect fullExtent() const;
Index: ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui
===================================================================
--- ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui	(revision 9293)
+++ ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui	(working copy)
@@ -220,6 +220,34 @@
             </property>
            </widget>
           </item>
+          <item row="6" column="0" >
+           <widget class="QLabel" name="textLabel1_6" >
+            <property name="sizePolicy" >
+             <sizepolicy vsizetype="Fixed" hsizetype="Fixed" >
+              <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+              <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+             </sizepolicy>
+            </property>
+            <property name="text" >
+             <string>Attribute table behaviour</string>
+            </property>
+            <property name="buddy" >
+             <cstring>cmbAttrTableBehaviour</cstring>
+            </property>
+           </widget>
+          </item>
+          <item row="6" column="1" >
+           <widget class="QComboBox" name="cmbAttrTableBehaviour" >
+            <property name="duplicatesEnabled" >
+             <bool>false</bool>
+            </property>
+            <item>
+             <property name="text" >
+              <string/>
+             </property>
+            </item>
+           </widget>
+          </item>
          </layout>
         </widget>
        </item>