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Roadmap - Questionaire Responses for AA CAMP 2004 |
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1. Main problems and annoyances you encounter when using ActionApps
- Long and inconsistent syntax.
- too many ways to do the same thing
- in efficient navigation
- no search (and replace) functions
- HTMLarea has bugs, and does not work at all with Mac browsers
2. Features suggested for future development versions of ActionApps
AA suggestions
Must haves
- HTMLarea working in Mac browsers
- button to view uploaded files from item manager
- more templates e.g. FAQ, organizational directory, library.
- Make 'Propagate changes into current items' checked as default
- an internal search (and replace)within and accross views and content
- list input ids in design view references
- select box inputs automatically have a "select..." whith no value option in generated forms (e.g. add item)
- option to set cond[] to input constants pulled from a slice
- include direct help links to related FAQ
- new input with radio buttons + "other" field
- more detailed confirmation messages after every change.
- fly-out dynamic menu of all slices and views (with icons)
- option to turn a slice off, i.e. not visible on web, just shows comment "NoT AVAILABLE",
-an admin comment field for every slice, view, constant and user.
- There needs to be a way to show orphaned category terms in the item edit interface.
- Constant propogation should be more explicit and include more options
- Rename "slice" to be a "content module"
Should have
-new SSI syntax much easier to remember and read.
- An update/submit/cancel buttons at the top AND bottom of every long form (e.g. 'design Fulltext view' 'Add Item')
- new field parameter: limit check box selection to n of x options (e.g select 3 of 10)
- consistent use of CSS and SMARTY templates for admin interface
- link back to field settings from Constants - Hiearchical editor
- "back" to previous pages in general
- drop down list of constants on Admin menu
- larger text area for edit views
- solidify slice & views export
- a way to only retrieve one level of hierarchical constants
- add postal_code preset field ID
- all views reference page: can use conditions and sorting to orgnaize; Show name, owning slice, Sort, Group and Conds
- "; " as default parameter for f_h
- separate DD menus for slices, constants, views, alerts, (Still need jumps?)
- rename "Transformation" function to "Switch"
- rename "Reader Management" to "Subscribers List" or..?
- option to include {user:} in reader management welcome message
- easy way to modify backend templates and Item Manager interfaces (e.g. logo, colours, instructions on key pages
- visually separate Slice name from mode (e.g. Slice Admin ) in header
- a second or third Item manager view with option for set/unlimited # of items listed in a pop-up window
- use mod_rewrite to make URLs short and clear and easily searched and copied etc.
- more status options: Holding, Pending, Active, Expired, Private (only visible to set user groups), test content (same as active but easily turned off)
- combine Related Items for different slices into a single input with parameters to set slice options. Also add a field to specify relationship type.
- more views of fields to see and set settings e.g. feeding options, input types, aliases
NICE
- one alias for f_v - view in related items to AND from
- icons for each slice (selected from a clip-art library or upload)
- a module for bar graphs of calcualted slice statistics
- tailor and save anonymous form options
- search system based on all used fields and contstants
- ability to customize login screen (e.g. add a picture or title text)
- make deafult css file with relative to browser setting fonts e.g. font-size: small;
- improve data mining capabilities; possibly using PostgreSQL to do more complex queries; possibly create complex query wizard
- options to create more folders (i.e. beyond Active, Pending, etc) each sorting according to their own query. Items can exist in multiple folders, but are flaged as such.
- mod rewrite for aa url to look like static page
- deletion confirmation messages should be detailed (e.g. field delete should say field name, ID and alias)
DISCUSSION ITEMS
*How could the menus be better optimized?
- maybe use more drop-down menus?
- where is cookie/session expirary set? Could we make that in the admin menu?
3. Comments About Usablility
We should clean-up, update and add more FAQs. FAQs should be linked from the editor and admin interface.
4. General future development suggestions
Create simpler ways to produde public submit, search, browse and filter forms that are generated by AA and stay synced with the data structure.
Hire some usability folks to redo the admin/editor interface.
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Thanks a lot to Honza, Marek, Jiri and other folks for making AA so useful. Rock on!
- JD --
Submited by:
Jason Diceman
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ActionApps is a free software content management system initiated by
the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) APC - Internet and ICTs for social justice and development |