Categories Menu in Backend as Checkboxes?

[ma74]

Hi
does anyone know, how i can get around the not very user friendly Category Menu in the Backend (when writing a new entry).
As it is now, being hidden and nothing selected when you don't click the '+' to open the menu, it is not very usefull, as nobody uses the categories this way. it would be better, if it was checkboxes, or if at least the categories select box would be open and not be hidden when writing a new comment.

any hints for that?
thanks in advance
M.

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

Usually the "+" button is only required if you want to assign multiple categories to an entry. You can assign single entries to the entry by just using the dropdown menu with the usual way you use it on all webpages.

Opening it by default would waste a lot of screenspace, as well would checkboxes. In fact, our users always were happy about the way the category selector was compact and could easily be unfolded.

If you want your category selector to be always expanded, you could very simple patch your include/functions_entries_admin.inc.php file and in the first function look for:

Code: Select all

    $categoryselector_expanded = false;

That you can change to:

Code: Select all

    $categoryselector_expanded = true;

Regards,
Garvin

[ma74]

ok, thanks.
that would be a way.
you are right. it would be annoying, if it was open all the time, because it would use a lot of space. but as it is now, even if i want to select a single category, i have to open the menu first, which is the main hurdle nobody bothers to take. could be, that it is because of the placement. i might try to place it below the textarea, so that it is more obvios for writers to select a category once they finished writing their entry.

[garvinhicking]

Could you make a screenshot of your admin screen? I do not need to click on the "+" to use the dropdown as normal, and I know of no other installation where this is required.

Which Browser and OS are you using? Maybe it's a javascript/browser issue!

Best regards,
Garvin

[ma74]

i can use it for a single selectin drop down, but nobody does it, which is the point. maybe because the default choice is 'No Category' instead of 'General'. anyway, heres the screenshot:

[garvinhicking]

You might want to install the "entrycheck" plugin from spartacus/our repository; this can enforce that no entry can be saved without a category association!

Even if we renamed "No Category" to "General", I think this would then animate people even less to choose a category?

"Nobody does it" doesn't actually apply to the Serendipity Users I know. We even are using Serendipty for a German Krankenkasse (AOK) with somewhat unskilled authors who work pretty well with the single category selector

But of course I'm open to workable solutions for your problem, or some thoughts of how the system could be improved.

Best regards,
Garvin

[ma74]

Hi Garvin

Thanks for taking this serious. Of course I can only speak for the not very huge number of users on my blog. They are a lazy pack and for them i can truly say they dont bother to use it, as it is now. Every user will have his own opinion, but I think, that i might help to encourage users to use the category feature more regularly, if it was placed below the textarea. if it really would help, no one knows.

[garvinhicking]

I'm afraid that placing it below the textarea would be a huge break in terms of backwards compatibility for the user interface of Long-term Serendipity users; the place of the selector has been there for about 3 years and many releases, and it would annoy most of the current users.

I also doubt it would change that much for your users; but you might want to just try it out on your installation and tell me if users like it better? You can also change that easily in the PHP file I mentioned, I hope.

Another idea would be to create a plugin that goes to the "Advanced Options" section below the textareas...but I think even fewer people would look there for a thing like category assignment...

In fact for your case it would be best to install the entrycheck plugin to force users into recognizing the category selector?

Regards,
Garvin

[ma74]

right, a change would annoy all the users, who are used to it.

ok. i will try various solutions in my installation and let you know.
thanks for your suggestions.