Enhancement on Category List Window

Hi

I think it would be a bit more user friendly if a new category will be added/name of category will be changed when the user click on the “Add” button at the bottom of the Category List Windows. E.g. by entering a color code in that box would be nice.

I have tested it, i do not think it can save the custom colour on the custom colour option.

Another feature that would be good is to allow user to click on the Color column to edit/change the colour that the user prefer in the Category List windows would be good. At the moment the user can only change the colour of the category in the “Category Properties Windows”

And also If the user is allowed to add a new or remove the existing category in the “Category Properties Windows” by clicking on a Add/Remove button would make it more convenient as well.

Please let me know if you want me to explain more.

Many thanks

Chi

Hello,

I think it would be a bit more user friendly if a new category will be added/name of category will be changed when the user click on the "Add" button at the bottom of the Category List Windows. E.g. by entering a color code in that box would be nice. I have tested it, i do not think it can save the custom colour on the custom colour option.

I'm not sure if I understand well. Nevertheless, you can edit the items clicking the Edit button or via the Inplace editor in grid (F2).
Concerning saving the custom color, it's an issue of Windows or Delphi. We will try to solve it in the future, however not in the near future. (This task has not high priority.)

..allow user to click on the Color column to edit/change the colour that the user prefer in the Category List windows would be good. At the moment the user can only change the colour of the category in the "Category Properties Windows"

Thanks for this suggestion. CR # 36 303.

And also If the user is allowed to add a new or remove the existing category in the "Category Properties Windows" by clicking on a Add/Remove button would make it more convenient as well.

Well, if you open the Category List, you can delete the items you need. And thanks to the modeless dialogs, you can have the Category Properties dialog open and delete the item in the Category List (provided that you confirmed changes and the status allows you to delete the item). The same works for the Add button. You can freely work with the two dialogs concurrently and simply switch between them.

Moreover, you can use Model Explorer where you can add, delete items very easily (right-click the appropriate item).
You can also work with categories without opening the Category List dialog.
Example:

  1. Double-click selected category in Model Explorer to edit it.
  2. Make changes and confirm Apply. -> The Properties dialog remains open.
  3. Add another category in the Model Explorer.
  4. From the Object Navigator box of the still opened Category Properties dialog, select the new item and define its properties.

To sum up, I see no use in adding buttons Add, Delete to Properties dialog.

If you have any remarks, please write me back. Thanks.

Vladka

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

Sorry about confusing you at

I think it would be a bit more user friendly if a new category will be added/name of category will be changed when the user click on the "Add" button at the bottom of the Category List Windows. E.g. by entering a color code in that box would be nice. I have tested it, i do not think it can save the custom colour on the custom colour option.

Actually, I did play the message into a wrong place, should belong to

[..allow user to click on the Color column to edit/change the colour that the user prefer in the Category List windows would be good. At the moment the user can only change the colour of the category in the "Category Properties Windows" ]
<<E.g. by entering a color code in that box would be nice. I have tested it, i do not think it can save the custom colour on the custom colour option. >>

What I trying to said on

I think it would be a bit more user friendly if a new category will be added/name of category will be changed when the user click on the "Add" button at the bottom of the Category List Windows.

is, At the moment, I get used to some other software application, in which you can add a new column/data by clicking on at add button, after you entered the text into a proper field. In Category Lis Windows, after you edited the name of the category, if you click on add button it will restore the original value of that textbox, unless after you edited the text of the name of the category and you click on somewhere else, it will that keep the text you changed. I hope that explain it a bit clearer.

Please let me know if you want me to explain more. I can do some screen shot to demostrate the issue above.

Many thanks

Chi

Hello Chi,

Thanks for your explanation. Now I can see what you mean (at least the first part, I think ).

Let's create examples on what you require:
Ex.1 - ADDING A NEW ITEM:

add a new column/data by clicking on at add button, after you entered the text into a proper field.

  1. I open Category List.
  2. I write name of a new item to the Name column and then click Add.
    Current behaviour: I click add and write a new name in the Name column via the Inplace Editor.
  • Isn't it the same, however in a different order?

(Note: At the moment, it's not possible to use the Inplace Editor for color selection, however it will be.)

If you imagine e.g. attributes, procedures, functions etc., in TDM 3, you always click Add and then can edit the items in columns directly in the grid. Finally, you confirm Apply or OK.

Ex. 2 - EDITING AN ITEM:

after you edited the name of the category, if you click on add button it will restore the original value of that textbox, unless after you edited the text of the name of the category and you click on somewhere else, it will that keep the text you changed.

  1. Category name is XXX. I change it to YYY.
  2. If I click Add, the original name will restore, so it will change back to XXX.
    or
  3. If I click somewhere else, new name will be kept, so the category name will be YYY.
  • Do I understand well?

Current behaviour: In the Category List, I simply click the category name (click twice with a small pause, or press F2), write a new name and then click anywhere in the grid. I take the same steps for other items in the grid. Finally, I can click Cancel or Apply (OK). This is all.

Well, I'm just trying to compare your suggestion with current behaviour and find out the best solution.

Thanks for your comments.

Vladka

Hi

Thanks, I see what you means. I still prefer after you edit a field name then click on add would save the existing name of the field, instead of because I guess the name that you added to the field would be the name you really want to use. The need to clicking some where else in the grid to would introduce extra user interaction that user may not really prefer to do.(In my point of view, i would prefer whenever the user click on add or edit it would save the name of the field that have been edited temperary, once the user click on apply, it will then save to the workspace or something, rather than the need of clicking on somewhere else to make the changes, as the user can click on cancel to undo the changes if they have made mistake [ before they click on apply, which will apply the changes directly]) I think it is slightly differ to attributes windows, as it has extra button and textbox for the user to add the name of the field, i think the attribute windows works ok = ).

Many thanks

Chi

I still prefer after you edit a field name then click on add would save the existing name of the field, instead of <write a new name and then click anywhere in the grid.

In TDM, if I edit a name in the grid, I can click Apply to confirm (e.g. for an attribute).
If I need to change more items, I click the Name column, write a new name, then click Caption, write the caption name, click data type, select data type etc...
I can confirm Apply (your Add button) after each step or after the last step.
(I don't have to click anywhere in the grid at all.)
If I confirm Apply or OK, the change is applied in all other places - Properties dialog, WS, Model Explorer etc.

In my point of view, i would prefer whenever the user click on add or edit it would save the name of the field that have been edited temperary, once the user click on apply, it will then save to the workspace or something, rather than the need of clicking on somewhere else to make the changes, as the user can click on cancel to undo the changes if they have made mistake.

I can understand what you mean. - You miss an option to save fields while editing them ("save the name of the field that have been edited temperary") and be able to Cancel all the changes at one jump if you decide for it (cancel all temporary changes made in the Properties dialog).

Unfortunately, this is not possible. Only Undo is available (or manual changes.)

Nevertheless, back to your suggestion. We'd like to ask you a few more questions to have a better idea on this issue:

  1. You write about temporary editing. What do you mean by this? Could you please give us an example?
  2. If you like to save the temporary edit, where should it be saved?
  3. During saving the temporary changes, where should they be applied (WS, model explorer, e.g. Entity Properties tab while editing attributes...?) or nowhere (just in the e.g. Attribute Property dialog)?
  4. If you save the temporary changes and find you need to close the dialog (or close it by mistake, or just select another item from Object Navigator box for edit), should it be available after you open it again?

Well, any practical example will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your ideas.

Regards,

Vladka & TDM Team

<<Nevertheless, back to your suggestion. We’d like to ask you a few more questions to have a better idea on this issue:

  1. You write about temporary editing. What do you mean by this? Could you please give us an example?>>
  2. If you like to save the temporary edit, where should it be saved?
  3. During saving the temporary changes, where should they beapplied (WS, model explorer, e.g. Entity Properties tab while editingattributes…?) or nowhere (just in the e.g. Attribute Propertydialog)?
  4. If you save the temporary changes and find you need to closethe dialog (or close it by mistake, or just select another item fromObject Navigator box for edit), should it be available after you openit again?>>

1)Temporary edit could save in memory, and free the memory after user click on apply or cancel. they should apply to those properties windows.
<close it by mistake, or just select another item fromObject Navigator box for edit>
Well it that case, i would introduce an confirm dialog, if they click on close (cross button at the top of the windows) otherwise, the user should take the responsibility on the mistake they made. because that the moment the user need to click on apply to confirm the changes, ( I agree it is a good idea), which could let the user to confirm these are all the changes that they want to made.

2)What I really want to explain is below:
what i think it would make life easier is to enhance would be whenever the user click on the add button, it should not restore the original value of the textbox, instead it should assume the user want to save the fields and add a new field in a step.

Many thanks

Chi

Thanks for the details. We will further discuss it.
If we have more questions, I’ll write to you.

Thanks!

Vladka