[RFC] Combine Related functionality (UI Cleanup)

These requests for comments/change have lead to an implemented feature that has been successfully merged into the 3.1/Ascraeus branch. Everything listed in this forum will be available in phpBB 3.1.
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PayBas
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Re: Combine all search related functionality

Post by PayBas »

Update:
hanakin wrote:I disagree with that assessment, as thats the main problem with prosilver now is that we focus on adding too much "quick access" rudimentary UI instead of actually thinking it through based on some or even any form of UI theory. Yes it will move locations and may take sometime to figure out but the benefits out-way the negative and its utilized similarly on other forums. http://esotalk.org/forum/
VSE wrote:As per the index page, what are the benefits of hiding these quick access links behind a Javascript-required menu? In this instance, it reduces accessibility, hides them from new users and will bother users trained to use those links.

As for the rest of the pages, this change is great! Just not on the board index, which has always been a special case where these quick access links were put in place for a reason.
PayBas wrote:I'm perfectly fine with this. I really like having these links available on (almost) every page. And of course the much better looking search-box in the topic-actions.

So like I said before: I can leave the index as-is, and only implement it for the other pages. There will be no possibility of confusion there, as nothing is removed. Everything will be in the normal place. Just with some extra functionality.

Depending on the feedback we get, we can choose to implement it differently in 3.2?
So I have reverted some changes. The index will remain untouched, but all other locations are updated. Perhaps in this form it can be included in 3.1

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hanakin
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Re: Combine all search related functionality

Post by hanakin »

What about view your posts? Can we/should we move it on the index then to the same location as the rest as it's currently the biggest outlier. Not to mention the fact that it's on all pages.
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Louis7777
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Re: Combine all search related functionality

Post by Louis7777 »

hanakin wrote:What about view your posts? Can we/should we move it on the index then to the same location as the rest as it's currently the biggest outlier. Not to mention the fact that it's on all pages.
In my opinion, having it in UCP and profiles is more than enough. Especially now that we have notifications to be reminded of our posts or the topics that we have subscribed to.

But others feel that they should have it one click away.

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PayBas
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Re: Combine all search related functionality

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hanakin wrote:What about view your posts? Can we/should we move it on the index then to the same location as the rest as it's currently the biggest outlier. Not to mention the fact that it's on all pages.
I tend to agree. It's current place just looks weird.
Louis7777 wrote:
hanakin wrote:What about view your posts? Can we/should we move it on the index then to the same location as the rest as it's currently the biggest outlier. Not to mention the fact that it's on all pages.
In my opinion, having it in UCP and profiles is more than enough. Especially now that we have notifications to be reminded of our posts or the topics that we have subscribed to.

But others feel that they should have it one click away.
They will disagree, yes ;). But if we move it to the other search-links on the index and have it in the new search-tools... I don't see how they could really object to it.

edit: moved the link

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Re: Combine all search related functionality

Post by keith10456 »

If "View Your Posts" is going to be in the new search tools. Why have it as an additional link on the index? That's taking-up space unnecessarily.

Unless I'm mistaken, the new search tools is going to be accessible on every page in the header... So no reason to have it both places.

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PayBas
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Re: Combine all search related functionality

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keith10456 wrote:If "View Your Posts" is going to be in the new search tools. Why have it as an additional link on the index? That's taking-up space unnecessarily.

Unless I'm mistaken, the new search tools is going to be accessible on every page in the header... So no reason to have it both places.
It's only on viewforum, viewtopic, and search_results

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Re: Combine all search related functionality

Post by MattF »

PayBas wrote:Perhaps in this form it can be included in 3.1
I for one would like to see it in 3.1 if it's ready. It certainly would look better, as the current search box now looks quite out of place next to all these other modernized buttons in 3.1
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Re: Combine all search related functionality

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PayBas wrote:
keith10456 wrote:If "View Your Posts" is going to be in the new search tools. Why have it as an additional link on the index? That's taking-up space unnecessarily.

Unless I'm mistaken, the new search tools is going to be accessible on every page in the header... So no reason to have it both places.
It's only on viewforum, viewtopic, and search_results
OK... Thanks for clarifying.

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PayBas
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Re: Combine all search related functionality

Post by PayBas »

Some food for thought.
<YuriyRusko> https://www.phpbb.com/community/downloa ... &mode=view
<YuriyRusko> I think it's easily a step in the right direction
<YuriyRusko> The wrench there doesn't make sense, however
<YuriyRusko> Wrench implies tools. It is easily confusable with the "quick-mod tools" that's there as well

<PayBas> what did you have in mind?
<PayBas> quick-mod is only for mods of course, so that particular item doesn't need to be "noob friendly"

<YuriyRusko> UI is UI
<YuriyRusko> We have that gear at the top for "Advanced search, etc."
<YuriyRusko> Why not add the "bookmark topic", "print view", "download all attachments" there instead?

<DavidIQ> I think it's fine where it is...putting it with advanced search I don't think makes sense especially since it sort of ceases to be a part of the topic

<PayBas> because it also includes subscribe, bump, email and "download all attachments"
<PayBas> (not visible on the screenshot)

<YuriyRusko> People don't associate "view new posts" with the search anyway
<YuriyRusko> So the idea that it's the "advanced search options" is lost on 99% of users, I would imagine

<PayBas> Everything you want to hide using a menu will be confusing for the first 5 minutes
<PayBas> icons only go so far as to indicate what it does

<YuriyRusko> My point is that it needs to make sense, so people learn an interface that makes sense, and then get used to it
<YuriyRusko> I don't want people getting used to an interface that places things into seemingly arbitrary dropdowns
<YuriyRusko> The things under the wrench are not "tools"
<YuriyRusko> So that is not good

<PayBas> If you change "view unread posts" to "search unread posts", it becomes logical like magic
<PayBas> but I get your point

<YuriyRusko> And the things under the gear are not options, but links to various views
<YuriyRusko> "search unread posts" implies that the search box to the left will now operate within the context of unread posts
<YuriyRusko> Which is not what it will do

<PayBas> if you have suggestions for more suitable icons, I'm all ears ;)

<YuriyRusko> I can certainly look at it, but I'm not a UI designer. I am simply saying that what is currently there is not clear and cant ship as such
<YuriyRusko> It needs to make sense
<YuriyRusko> I would split the gear off from the search box
<YuriyRusko> It has no relation to it
<YuriyRusko> Except that the options use search.php to render the page :)
<YuriyRusko> The Quick-mod tools is fine, I think. Much better than before
<YuriyRusko> As is the jumpbox

<PayBas> have a look here and see if there's anything you like: http://fortawesome.github.io/Font-Awesome/icons/ and http://fontello.com/

<YuriyRusko> Before we select icons, we should figure out what we want under which dropdown
<YuriyRusko> The bookmark topic, for example, could be its own icon
<YuriyRusko> Using the standard bookmark star
<YuriyRusko> And then people might actually use it

<PayBas> thats a chicken-egg problem
<PayBas> people dont use it now, so we hide it

<YuriyRusko> If people don't use it and we're making the decision to hide it, then we should remove it entirely so it doesn't clutter the interface :)
<YuriyRusko> Can't have this both ways
<YuriyRusko> Either we have the feature and it's usable, or we remove the feature
<YuriyRusko> Else we might as well just make a "*beep* feature" dropdown and stick everything in there

<PayBas> why not? hiding niche functionality is better than removing it altogether :S
<PayBas> it IS a *beep* feature dropdown

<YuriyRusko> So then why does it have the most prominent position on the page?
<YuriyRusko> in the navigation of the page*

<PayBas> because some people like *beep*
<PayBas> :P

<YuriyRusko> o_O

<PayBas> the idea is this: "subscribe, bookmark, bump, email, print, and download-all-attachemtns" are rarely used, but they are related to the TOPIC, not the forum in general. So we hide them, but keep them close to the topic content

<DavidIQ> just a reminder: adding this sort of thing to the "Advanced search" gear was not a very popular suggestion on Area 51

<PayBas> DavidIQ: yeah, but most agreed that it "could use improvement", but nobody had any suggestions apart from "lets add another menu somewhere"

<Nicofuma> it make sense to have a menu with topic's related tools

<PayBas> granted, they are not tools. They are "additional topic functionality links"

<DavidIQ> ok then change the icon
<DavidIQ> maybe a conversation bubble with the cog inside of it
<DavidIQ> or the conversation bubble with a "+" in it

<YuriyRusko> Again, "view your posts" is not a function of the search box
<YuriyRusko> So the search box gear is ridiculous

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Meis2M
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Re: Combine all search related functionality

Post by Meis2M »

Hi
who is YuriyRusko?

this is very awesome https://www.phpbb.com/community/downloa ... &mode=view.

finally , we can see it in 3.1?

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