Tie the package together

[Ikadon]

Greetings folks!

So first let me say thank you once again for this great package of software! I haven't regretted my purchase and move to IPS so far.
Still there are always things to be improved and I wanna take some time and write down my ideas regarding the whole package of applications.

I do understand that IP.Board is the core-app as you started with that and that for every other addon is revolving around it.
Still I'd like to have more of a "package-feel" when I log in the backend.

It's just a rather unimportant decision and tied to personal taste, but maybe others would like this feeling too.

Currently when you log in you only see stuff regarding the forums and the community as a whole, which is great. But if you wanna write an article from the backend or change some settings of the apps you often have to go to the "My Apps"-Tab and often not every setting is to be found there.

(I found this thread and think it's a huge step in the right direction: )

I would like to go a step further and away from this "everything besides the forum is just an addition" attitude. I mean I use IP.Content to power my site, I use the blogs to communicate with my members, I may use the gallery in the future, as well as I'll probably need the shop (IP. Nexus). This is what makes my project, everything tied together.

That for I'd prefer some different menu for the ACP upon login, something like:

---- IP. Blog ---- IP. Board ---- IP. Content ---- IP. Gallery ---- IP. Nexus ----

and beneath it some info about what's going on in the whole project. What and when was the last comment on the homepage, what was the last blog-entry, the last purchase, the last picture submitted or the last thread created.



If you click on "IP. Blog" for example, every setting regarding this application should be loaded to the "area" below and there should be a submenu.



So, instead of having the feeling that every application, as powerful as they are, is just an addition to the forum (what it is technically) in the backend it should be more clear and tied together.

I've added two rough sketches of what my idea is.

Thanks for reading,
Ikadon

[bfarber]

We did that originally (the tabs part) but what do you suggest we do when a user has 15 applications installed? :) You can't fit 15 tabs across the top aesthetically.

[Andrej]

We did that originally (the tabs part) but what do you suggest we do when a user has 15 applications installed? :) You can't fit 15 tabs across the top aesthetically.

Yeah, but it could be made this way: Only have the official IPS applications as tabs, other 3rd-Party Applications in a "Applications" menu.

Just my 0.05 cents.

[Ikadon]

Yeah, but it could be made this way: Only have the official IPS applications as tabs, other 3rd-Party Applications in a "Applications" menu.

Just my 0.05 cents.

Exactly that was my idea behind it, or a "scroll"-menu, so if you have, let's say, 5+ apps installed there is a "->" at the right side and you slide to the other menus, or something.

There are many ways ;)

[Rheddy]

Brandon, the tabbed thing is a great idea but only have the tabbed thing attached to applications that the IPS Development Team create such as IPB, IPC, IP.Blog, IP.Gallery and that. Add-ons and Add-on applications that are created by the community should not be tied into it.

[Ikadon]

We did that originally (the tabs part) but what do you suggest we do when a user has 15 applications installed? :) You can't fit 15 tabs across the top aesthetically.

Currently we have no more there than I suggest ;) "System", "Forums", "Members", "Look & Feel", "Support" and "My Apps".

I count six, while with my setup it's only five :)

As said, you could add one tab for "unofficial apps" or do whatever else you find appopriate but currently it's all revolved around the forums.

[bfarber]

Even if we only put up default applications...

System, Members, Forums, Look & Feel, Support, Gallery, Blog, Downloads, Content, Chat, Nexus, Calendar, Portal, Subscriptions, Others (for 3rd party)

And that's assuming we don't introduce any new software packages in the immediate future.

The auto-scrolling idea (showing what you can and then having a tab like "->" that will allow you to scroll to see the rest of the tabs) is something on the cards, however (although that is unrelated to expanding the tabs in the ACP - it's just a general necessity we're looking into for a future version).

[Ikadon]

Hey bfarber,

thanks you take your time to answer.

But why go an even more complicated route instead of making it easy?

Members are related to every application, that's right, but as IP.Board is the core why not classify it under the board?

You would only need "Board", "Blog", "Content", "Downloads", "Gallery" and "Nexus".

The "Support"-Tab could be on a fixed place, maybe on the right top side (like the admin-login on the forums) etc.

Don't think like a developer here, think like a user, think easy! ;) (I know it's hard, yes it really is...)

[stoo2000]

Hey bfarber,

thanks you take your time to answer.

But why go an even [u]more[/u] complicated route instead of making it easy?

Members are related to every application, that's right, but as IP.Board is the core why not classify it under the board?

You would only need "Board", "Blog", "Content", "Downloads", "Gallery" and "Nexus".

The "Support"-Tab could be on a fixed place, maybe on the right top side (like the admin-login on the forums) etc.

Don't think like a developer here, think like a user, think easy! ;) (I know it's hard, yes it really is...)

IP.Board(forums) isn't the core, you can install the framework without having the IP.Board(forums) application installed.

[Ikadon]

IP.Board(forums) isn't the core, you can install the framework without having the IP.Board(forums) application installed.

Really? So I can only buy IP. Content or IP. Blog if I don't need a forum at all? Didn't know that, is that really possible? (no sarcasm here!)

[stoo2000]

No IP.Board is the defsult app, yoi need to buy that to get the core. You just dont need to install it

[Ikadon]

But do I need to upload it? So it's just not installed in the backend? So for me this means that's the core (altogether) but we don't need to discuss this, it's just a semantic/philosopical approach ;)

[bfarber]

Hey bfarber,

thanks you take your time to answer.

But why go an even [u]more[/u] complicated route instead of making it easy?

Members are related to every application, that's right, but as IP.Board is the core why not classify it under the board?

You would only need "Board", "Blog", "Content", "Downloads", "Gallery" and "Nexus".

The "Support"-Tab could be on a fixed place, maybe on the right top side (like the admin-login on the forums) etc.

Don't think like a developer here, think like a user, think easy! ;) (I know it's hard, yes it really is...)

In whose opinion is that easier?

Support tab is a highly used tab - one of the more important tabs, in fact, and I don't think relegating it to a button shoved off in the right corner and not near any of the other tabs makes sense. Members is not part of "Board", nor is Core. Effectively what you are saying is "Combine every tab you have right now under "Board", and then add a tab for each application". Do you have any idea how big that "Board" tab would then be? And why....so you can get to the Gallery tab in one click instead of 2?

IP.Board(forums) isn't the core, you can install the framework without having the IP.Board(forums) application installed.

Actually, this isn't isn't entirely true. While you can change the default application, at this time there are some hardcoded bits that rely/expect the forums to be present. At some point in the future we may alter the core so that you can truly not install the Forums application, but at present there is no way to not install or uninstall the forums application.

[Ikadon]

In whose opinion is that easier?

In mine! That's what I said in the beginning, it's a question of taste, a subjective question... there is nothing objective about it.

Support tab is a highly used tab - one of the more important tabs, in fact, and I don't think relegating it to a button shoved off in the right corner and not near any of the other tabs makes sense. Members is not part of "Board", nor is Core. Effectively what you are saying is "Combine every tab you have right now under "Board", and then add a tab for each application". Do you have any idea how big that "Board" tab would then be? And why....so you can get to the Gallery tab in one click instead of 2?

There wouldn't be more tabs than there are now, or would the amount of links suddenly multiply?

And no, it's not about the clicks, as I said, it's about the feeling. Currently it seems like everything is revolving around the board, that's my feeling when I log into the ACP.

It seems you're a bit pissed. I'm sorry if my thread was the reason, I didn't intend to start a battle.

[bfarber]

No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off hostile. :) I'm not mad at all, even if I'm not seeing the merit in what you are suggesting.

Right now we have

System, Members, Forums, Look & Feel, Support, "My Apps" (which has the links to everything else).

As I explained previously, if we pulled the links out of the My Apps tab and put them on the tab bar directly, you would potentially lead to a situation where there are many many tabs that break the general layout.

I read your last suggestion as moving all of the current tabs under a "Board" tab. That means all the left hand sidebar links under every current tab would be under one tab - making the left hand sidebar a good couple feet long on your screen. I would think that would make it very very difficult for most users. If I open a tab and there's 100 links on the sidebar, it would feel daunting to me.

[Ikadon]

No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off hostile. :) I'm not mad at all, even if I'm not seeing the merit in what you are suggesting.

Hmm, it's okay. English isn't my mothertongue, so the fault may well be mine.

Right now we have

As I explained previously, if we pulled the links out of the My Apps tab and put them on the tab bar directly, you would potentially lead to a situation where there are many many tabs that break the general layout.

I read your last suggestion as moving all of the current tabs under a "Board" tab. That means all the left hand sidebar links under every current tab would be under one tab - making the left hand sidebar a good couple feet long on your screen. I would think that would make it very very difficult for most users. If I open a tab and there's 100 links on the sidebar, it would feel daunting to me.

Hmm, I don't see a "100 links-sidebar" in my rough drafts. It's a new concept, no long menu/navbars. Just select the app you wanna configure and every option is loaded beneath.

But okay, are there any plans to have different APC-styles? I would prefer another approach, you don't... it's subjective, as said. I would love to have more of a "package-feeling", as IP.Content is the main-app to me, much more important than the forums...

[Rikki]

Improving the ACP is something that I will focus on for 3.2, including improving the tabs. I have some ideas in mind, but I'm not ready to elaborate on them just yet. But we are listening :)

[.Peter]

Improving the ACP is something that I will focus on for 3.2, including improving the tabs. I have some ideas in mind, but I'm not ready to elaborate on them just yet. But we are listening :)

Thank you Optimus Prime:

But we are listening

[/QUOTE]

Also if I can throw in my thoughts.. having the scroll bar thing is basically what they had in the ACP in the IPB 1.3 series.. it wasn't all that appealing. No scrolling bars for me.