Item1482: Improve attach dialogue usability in wysiwyg editor

From (tm)wiki JeremyLeipzigSandbox

The TinyMCEPlugin seems very unintuitive when it comes to image attachments A typical user will go through these steps: Click on tree icon to insert image -> oh I didn't remember to "attach" it, can I do that here? no? -> cancel -> click on paperclip, see "insert link to attachment" -> I DON'T HAVE AN ATTACHMENT YET! -> click on "upload attachment" tab -> select file and comment -> now do I go to the "insert link to attachment tab" or back to the tree icon? -> let's try this "insert link" tab -> drop down starts with list of older attachments -> I have to drop down to find the one I just uploaded? GOOD GRIEF! let's try the tree icon next time-> "enter a url or a simple name" -> "I DON'T REMEMBER THE DAMN NAME I JUST WANT TO UPLOAD A PHOTO AND BE DONE WITH IT!"

Isn't there a way one dialog can handle uploading images, insertion, and captions?

Had exactly the same problem today. I ended up using the standard upload and add link feature of attach instead. I just couldn't figure out how it is supposed to work with TMCE.

Actually, this is a really urgent not just normal priority. I mean if current functionality is not understandable and thus not useable then the implementation can be viewed as broken, right?

-- CarloSchulz - 21 Apr 2009

set to "Confirmed" on behalf of Carlo

-- WillNorris - 21 Apr 2009

Agree with all of the above and want to add. If only one image is attached, the TinyMCE image select does list the image, but clicking it appears to do nothing. I have to type the image name in by hand to make it "stick". As suspected, after attaching a second image to the topic, the select now works and fills the image name box. Not sure of the best fix, but possibly a default first option of "Select..." or similar so that it'll work even if you only have one image attached. In BugSpeak (or approximation thereof):

• Condition: one image attached to topic.
• What should happen: selecting an attached image should fill the image name box.
• What does happen: if one image attached selecting it does not fill the image name box.
• Workaround: type in the image filename; submit Foswiki task.

Barring a more serious rewrite (i.e. attach image at the same time as using TinyMCE), some help text about attaching images first in the "Edit help" section at page top would probably do.

-- MarcusLeonard - 14 Nov 2009

Marcus,

Thank you for the excellent bug report. I have created Item2412, so that we can still address the usability concerns separately after the attachment selection bug is fixed.

-- PaulHarvey - 25 Nov 2009

Can we do this:

• Insert/Edit image:
  1. Show thumbnails of the images with names
  2. Filter out non-image files, such as PDF
  3. Make the preview fit inside the popup window (with large images the image extends to the right with the scrollbar hidden from sight)
  4. Explain the difference between a description and a title
  5. Add the possibility to upload images as well. Or at least to point to the attach dialog.

• Manage Attachments
  1. Give feedback that the file has been attached in text, not a supersized large text in a small scroll box
  2. Provide the options: "Upload another", "Finish" and "Create a link to this attachment", where the latter reloads the first tab, so the image appears in the list (preferably with the file preselected).
  3. Also in tab "Insert link to attachment" it would be useful to have previews. Non-image files can have a (large) file icon.

Perhaps we are better off if we create our own dialog, that is where we are heading anyway towards a unified experience.

-- ArthurClemens - 23 Dec 2009

Yes, these dialogues need work. I seem to spend most of the time I have for wysiwyg development chasing bugs, Eg. Tasks.Item2254 is a big one. Beyond that I have been re-writing TinyMCEUsabilityUpgradePlugin. I am of the opinion that we need JQuery to do this work; so I anticipate creating or helping to create smarter dialogues written with JQuery for 1.1/trunk. Perhaps we can begin this work in the TinyMCEUsabilityUpgradePlugin so that we don't have to wait for 1.1.

I will update the WysiwygTaskTeam topic with a prioritised list of concerns, I suppose you could call it a plan..

-- PaulHarvey - 24 Dec 2009

Support.Question555 has a patch that improves some of the attach dialogue issues. Adjusted the title of this task, which is really talking about two different things:

• Image attach workflow
• Attach dialogue usability defect (must close & reopen dialogue to be able to select a newly uploaded file)

-- PaulHarvey - 15 Jun 2010

Will checkin the proposed fix

-- PaulHarvey - 24 Jun 2010

Continue discussion at Item9200

-- PaulHarvey - 25 Jun 2010