Miscellaneous UI Issues/Enhancements

[gregsohl]

Here's a few little GUI things that someone can be a hero and fix/enhance. Tested with v4.0.239.19.

1. In the Pending Changes window/tab, add a splitter bar between the comments and the listview below. 2 visible lines of comment area is insufficient. When the splitter bar is dragged down, increase the size of the comment area and shrink the size of the listview.
   
   1. 
      
   2. Option 2 would be to autosize the comment box, allowing it to grow to some max size as the comment gets longer.
      

[*]The Branches window/tab allows application of Attributes to a branch. The Branch Explorer does not. Please add Attributes to the properties pane in the Branch Explorer when a branch is selected.

[*]In the Branch Explorer window/tab, make the option to show/hide the properties pane consistent with that on other windows/tabs, or the other way around. On Branch Explorer it is "Options". Elsewhere a small symbolic button.

[*]In the Branch Properties window/tab, add a splitter bar between the comments box (below the Apply button) and the Branch History listview. When the splitter bar is dragged down, increase the size of the comment area and shrink the size of the listview.

[*]In the Branch Explorer, with vertical layout turned on, the only way to move up and down is to grab with the mouse and move it. Keyboard does nothing. Hint: Your users are programmers - we use the keyboard. Always have a keyboard option.

1. Same is true for horizontal layout and moving left/right.
   
2. As long as I'm on Branch Explorer and keyboard, how about Ctrl+, Ctrl-, Ctrl+0 for zoom too, just like many programs today. Try it now, in your browser.
   

[*]On the New Branch dialog, the three "Starting Point" options have issues:

1. As radio buttons in a group, the user should be able to use the up and down arrows to select among them. They cannot today.
   
2. There are no accelerator keys defined - anywhere on the dialog. Can I get an "&" please (joke)?
   

[*]The Branch Explorer is cutting off the right side of the most recent branch name at some zoom levels. Image below:

1. 
   

You've got the best looking UI in SCCM. Hope you can also make it the easiest to use. I'm a fan! Keep up the great work PlasticSCM team!.

Greg

[manu]

Here's a few little GUI things that someone can be a hero and fix/enhance. Tested with v4.0.239.19.

1. In the Pending Changes window/tab, add a splitter bar between the comments and the listview below. 2 visible lines of comment area is insufficient. When the splitter bar is dragged down, increase the size of the comment area and shrink the size of the listview.
   


1. Option 2 would be to autosize the comment box, allowing it to grow to some max size as the comment gets longer.
   

Done in 4.1!

1. The Branches window/tab allows application of Attributes to a branch. The Branch Explorer does not. Please add Attributes to the properties pane in the Branch Explorer when a branch is selected.
   

Can you please add this into the user voice system?

1. In the Branch Explorer window/tab, make the option to show/hide the properties pane consistent with that on other windows/tabs, or the other way around. On Branch Explorer it is "Options". Elsewhere a small symbolic button.
   

Totally agree. Can you please add this into the user voice system?

1. In the Branch Properties window/tab, add a splitter bar between the comments box (below the Apply button) and the Branch History listview. When the splitter bar is dragged down, increase the size of the comment area and shrink the size of the listview.
   

Indeed we have to do it, Can you please add this into the user voice system?

1. In the Branch Explorer, with vertical layout turned on, the only way to move up and down is to grab with the mouse and move it. Keyboard does nothing. Hint: Your users are programmers - we use the keyboard. Always have a keyboard option.
   

   Not sure about this one. If you click in a changeset you are able to move to the parent cahngeset, child, last cset in branch, first cset in branch all using the keyboard.

   Regarding the zoom shortcuts, Can you please add this into the user voice system?

   1. On the New Branch dialog, the three "Starting Point" options have issues:
      

      We are thinking in a new "Create branch" dialog. We will keep this in mind.

      1. The Branch Explorer is cutting off the right side of the most recent branch name at some zoom levels. Image below:
         

         Yep! This is an old friend of us. hehehe.

         You've got the best looking UI in SCCM. Hope you can also make it the easiest to use. I'm a fan! Keep up the great work PlasticSCM team!.

         Thanks! We really appreciate your time reporting this things!

         
         
      2. 
         

      
      
   2. As radio buttons in a group, the user should be able to use the up and down arrows to select among them. They cannot today.
      
   3. There are no accelerator keys defined - anywhere on the dialog. Can I get an "&" please (joke)?
      

   
   
2. Same is true for horizontal layout and moving left/right.
   
3. As long as I'm on Branch Explorer and keyboard, how about Ctrl+, Ctrl-, Ctrl+0 for zoom too, just like many programs today. Try it now, in your browser.
   

[Uvaavu]

In the same vein can I suggest the following:

Branch Explorer: Add 'Changed Items' to Options Pane

I'm our PSC admin and very often spend alot of time flicking between tabs just to check what has been done in various branches, as much of our work cannot be merged (waiting patiently for fixed Exclusive checkouts in 4.1!). Also we've embraced branch-per-task, which works much better for us, however we're finding we frequently want to check what other developers have been making changes to in their branches - Branch-per-Task really does make Branch Explorer central, almost a 'hub', for checking what has been worked on.

Each of these leads to much flicking between:

Branch Explorer

Items in Workspace

Pending Changes

Opening default Diff's to see which files changed, not the actual changes performed.

I'd like to see an additional section on the options pane:

"Changed Items" would display much like the lower section of the Pending Changes tab, but read only and reduced columns (Item/Extension/Status), all items that have been changed in the current selection.

Obviously selections are context sensitive:

Changeset: Show changed items in that changeset

Main-Branch: Show nothing, or a read only list like 'Items in Workspace'

Sub-Branches: Show all changed items in that branch.

Merge Links: Show files that were added/changed/merged in that merge.

[Uvaavu]

Would also be nice to have editable & clickable URL's in most properties boxes - I often have an external reference link to one of a few web systems or network drive locations.

For those of us that don't have a complete Jira/CI type setup integrated with Plastic but do have other system's it has been mandated that we use.

[manu]

Please Uvaavu add this really good ideas into the user voice system. You know that the top ideas will be implemented in incoming sprints.