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Vanilla 2 - Comment box layout suggestion

StashStash ✭
edited March 2010 in Vanilla 1.0 Help
Duped from Vanilla2.com where I mistakenly posted it first :P

Vanilla 2's comment box currently looks like this
Current Vanilla 2 comment box
I keep finding myself hunting for the "post" button, so I had a little play in PS and came up with a suggestion...
Suggested Vanilla 2 comment box
Just a thought :) As a fringe benefit it take up less space :)

1. Preview is always in the same place now, as it currently moves depending on whether you're writing a new comment/discussion or if you're editing an existing one.
2. Back to Discussions is very unlikely to be pressed by accident instead of "post comment", or any other button now.
3.Cancel appears in a slightly more obvious place. You could almost replace it with an "X/red blob"...

P.S. we really can't use OL and LI tags?! Need that list of allowable HTML tags ASAP!
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Comments

  • sirlancelotsirlancelot New
    edited May 2009
    I think this idea belongs on the Vanilla2 site though as it relates to that version of the software ;) Nevertheless, here's my thoughts:
    This makes sense and follows OS semantics. A window that contains a button to "Apply" changes usually places the button on the bottom right. See Display Properties on Windows, or any installer app on Macs.

    I would even go as far to remove the "Back to Discussions" link in favor of having the "Cancel" link mimic the same behavior. This would make it consistent with the Cancel link on the "Start a New Discussion" page.
  • TomTesterTomTester New
    Disagree. I like the new location. Minimal mouse movement required. New "lightbox" preview prevents stupid mistake of thinking a post was submitted while you only performed a preview . Do agree that "back to discussions" is awkwardly positioned. Why not above "Add Comment" (top-left is back), and/or I second Sir's "cancel" suggestion. On a related noted, my main issue with FBook is that the backspace key is dangerous, e.g. if you mistakenly move the focus off the box and on the page, and then hit "backspace" you lose everything you've posted. Just tried it on Vanilla 2, and see contents remained, but I was not sure if this is a FF feature or a forum feature. In other words, does "backspacing" off the page result in some sort of auto-save-draft behavior?
  • StashStash ✭
    I like the new location. Minimal mouse movement required.
    That's just what I don't like about the new version. Bunch too many buttons that look similar (style, colour) together and you end up having to actually read what the buttons say instead of just knowing what they are. Especially when buttons get added and removed from that block depending where you are on the site/what you are doing. Also, how is it any further to hit post whether it's on the left or the right? Not sure you what you mean there...

    sirlancelot's comment about "Apply/OK" and OS semantics was exactly what I was trying to say but failed, thank you sir!

    I think if you want to make the "Cancel" link work as a "Back to discussions" link, then I think it should say "Cancel and back to discussions" like it does in Vanilla 1 in the admin section. Just saying "Cancel" could be misinterpreted. If it's clear then I think it's a great idea.

    Tom's suggestion about Backspace triggering a draft save is a brilliant - I think it's a fantastic idea. Vanilla 2 already regularly saves drafts while you're typing, but I love the idea of it triggering a save when you hit Backspace BEFORE it takes you back in your browser's history. Perhaps it would also require a notice somewhere indicating that this has happened as well though? "A draft of the comment you were typing has been automatically saved | delete draft" just in case you didn't want a draft to be saved - like gmail.
  • StashStash ✭
    Also, sirlancelot, I refer you to paragraph 3 of Mark's Vanilla 2 Public Beta Announcement - Feature Suggestions "Please use the Vanilla category at the community forum as a place for your suggestions." ;) That's why I added this discussion here - plus, there's more traffic here right now!
  • sirlancelotsirlancelot New
    @Stash, oops! I'll eat my words on that one ;)
  • WallPhoneWallPhone
    I like how you moved the 'back to discussions' ... but disagree on moving the post button to the right. The default option should be the leftmost. Like the 'OK' button in dialogs is always leftmost.

    And if you ever see anybody clicking 'Apply' before they click 'OK', they really don't understand how the dialog really works (pet peeve of mine).

    I'd just remove 'Back to Discussions' all together... I always scroll up and click the Discussions tab anyway. But the preview window does need a post button on it.
  • StashStash ✭
    I suppose it's just a LTR thing for me as I type. I finish the sentence at the right (even if it's over of the left!) and my eye continues on right wards...

    If the decision was taken to keep the post button on the left, I'd support moving the other buttons over to the right, mainly because I think it would be a good thing to separate the "Post comment" button from the others. I think it's more important and should be given a bit more emphasis and would prevent any "Oh bugger I wanted to save a draft not post!" issues!

    I definitely agree that the preview should have an "I'm happy with this, post it" option in it - perhaps it should also have an "I'm not happy yet, take me back for some more editing." as well? Perhaps a red/green, cross/tick style could be used here to help people see at a glance as well? I'm sure something tasteful can be created ;)
  • Mike.XIIIMike.XIII New




    I moved the "Back to Discussions" link back to the bottom because guests or other people who aren't allowed to post won't have the comment box, so it makes things easier to be in a separate area for them.

    Also changed "Cancel" to be a bit less plain, taking a similar style to Vanilla1's "big input" box.

    And lastly, I've added the "Top of Page" link which I noticed was missing.
  • mattmatt ✭✭
    @WallPhone The "OK", or default, button is always on the left on a PC only. On a Mac it's always on the right.

    My opinion is that I don't like the split buttons, I prefer how it is right now.
  • StashStash ✭
    I'm just saying...
    http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2010/03/the-opposite-of-fitts-law.html

    I'm not the only one who thinks this...
  • bobthemanbobtheman ✭
    edited March 2010
    im almost certain there will be support for including media in comments "images/sound clips/ videos" in core. If not in core it would be a commonly used plugin. Just thought it would be a good idea to keep this in mind since there will be another button/menu on the add comment box.

    I second @matt
    I dont prefer the buttons to be split, I dont like the cancel link//button it sounds unappealing. What does cancel do beside erase? I do like the "back to discussions" is moved and less likely to be accidentally hit.
  • StashStash ✭
    Actually, looking at it again with fresh eyes, I want to get rid of the "Cancel" link as well. Though I'd probably just replace it with the "Back to Discussions", maybe calling it "Cancel and Go Back"...

    Mostly I still just really hate having "post", right next to "save". Like the link I posted says, you don't want to hit the ejector seat too easily!
  • bobthemanbobtheman ✭
    what about

    Post Preview Save
  • MarkMark Vanilla Staff
    Saving a draft doesn't cause you to leave the page, though. It just saves a draft. The one big problem down there is the "Back to Discussions" - agree with you 100% there.

    The other question is: do we need the cancel button at all? Would be nice to remove it and the associated js, I think...
  • StashStash ✭
    Hang on, does "Cancel" delete any saved drafts?

    Also, my points wasn't so much about the positioning of "Save Draft", I know that doesn't make you leave the page, but "Post Comment" kinda does. At least it makes the page a new page, with new content. What if all I really wanted to do was preview how the comment would look?

    That's why I separated out the "Post Comment" away from the "Save Draft" and "Preview" buttons. It doesn't *really* matter whether you hit preview or save draft, neither of them "change anything". They are both "undoable". "Post Comment", on the other hand, is not "undoable". Sure, you can edit it to be blank, but that's about it, and that looks kinda silly.
  • garymardellgarymardell ✭
    I don't think a cancel or back link is needed. Can't say i have ever used it, if i start writing a reply and stop i tend to just scroll up again or do something different.
  • StashStash ✭
    But then you'd (potentially, depending on how long you've taken) be left with a draft knocking about wouldn't you?

    Another option on the "Back to Discussions" link would be to ask you "are you sure" but only if you have changed the content in the comment box (this would work for edits as well).
  • bobthemanbobtheman ✭
    please no double confirmations. Clicking on edit is one thing, but asking you again if you want to edit is repetitive.

    @Mark
    have you made any lead way on the list of missing features that are commonly requested. Im wondering about inserting media and if this would be in core.
  • MarkMark Vanilla Staff
    @bobtheman - My wife is going out of town tomorrow until Monday. I'll have some time to get further on that stuff while she's gone :)
  • JaySJayS
    instead of cancel - "Nevermind" ;-)
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