Filing Cabinet

From ComPADRE Wiki

Contents 1 Filing Cabinet Update 1.1 Concerns 1.2 A. Look and Feel 1.3 B. User Interface 1.4 C. New Tools and Options

Filing Cabinet Update

The ComPADRE Personal File Cabinet was initially designed as a simple interface for storing personal favorites. We're now thinking of using it for more and very different uses, such as building and sharing curricula, textbook table of contents, and mentoring.

This will require new tools, a new interface, and very careful design work.

This page is going to be the place where we collect suggestions. These suggestions will then be sorted into those that can be done fairly quickly, those that will take more time, and those that probably won't happen any time soon.

Please use the "discussion" tab above for general comments and discussion. Let's try to keep this page as clean of a list of requests as possible.

Concerns

Our biggest concern is that the user interface will become overwhelming and unusable (both for those creating a their folders and others who are viewing shared folders) as we add more features. As it currently stands, we're pretty close to that problem.

This means that there will be some requests that will take a while to fulfill, and other requests that probably just won't be possible.

A. Look and Feel

1. Readability - Make the "Folder View" a bit more interesting and readable. The current rather flat list of folder titles (in small fonts) is not overly inviting. When looking at bookmarks in the folders, the annotations can be stressed more, and the "details", "website", etc. links more obvious and perhaps graphical. Notes: Need comp for front page, personal folder view, and shared folder view (owner and others). Need to consider the length of some filing cabinet, and usability of controls.
2. Thumbnails - For Compadre items that have thumbnail images, have these show up with item when listed in a folder. Problem with pictures with individual items because of the number of items
3. Annotations - If a sub-folder has an annotation (for the entire folder) have that annotation show up when viewing the parent folder. Because of the need to make these annotations in folder view short to keep the folder list from becoming huge, we will need to either truncate the annotation to the first N characters (N = 100?) or have both "short" and "long" annotations. Mock up views of annotations with each folder with individual fold-outs
4. Folder Images - Allow images as information/decoration for folders. These will be uploaded by the users.
5. Content Images - Allow images as information/decoration for content. These can be different from the thumbnails and personalized (uploaded) by users. Thumbnails 50 x 50 for items. Allow updates
6. Folder Content Numbers - Currently the number of items in folders are shown next to the folder. This is confusing because a "(0)" is shown next to folders with no items in it but containing content in sub-folders. These should either be removed, removed if the number is (0), or add up the number of items listed in all sub-folders. Notes: Do number of subfolders and number of items in folder. Never show (0) for any number.

B. User Interface

1. Content Sorting - Currently items in a folder can be sorted using the "down arrows" available. Allow content sorting by index number, or at least up and down arrows. Allow folder reordering as well.
2. Image Upload - Allow image upload (restricted to perhaps 50 x 50 and a maximum size) for display with folders or items. This is okay
3. Content and Folder Management - The links to do things with the items (copy, move, and folder options) are hidden down at the bottom of the folder and may not be seen.
4. Annotation Box - The current box for adding annotations is only two lines high. This needs to be larger.
5. Back and Forward Tabs - Create tabs at the bottom that allow users to "Continue to Next Section in (name of main folder) or "Back to Beginning of (name of main folder) Arrow icons would be great for this. Caroline 08:24, 19 August 2009 (EDT) These are not generalizable in most cases. Look at the possibility of a floating table of contents.
6. Collapsible Folders - Similar to our current interface for Units, allow users to either collapse or expand folders to quickly sort through items Caroline 08:24, 19 August 2009 (EDT)

C. New Tools and Options

1. Non-Compadre Content - Allow users to add non-Compadre content. This could be either adding a link (URL) or uploading personal content.
2. Restricted Sharing - Allow users to allow only certain people (such as students) so see their shared folders. This is going to be much too difficult for now
3. Shared Editing - Allow certain users to have editing rights to your shared folders. This is going to have to wait.
4. Folder Copy - Allow the copying of all of the content, and annotations, from one user's shared folder to another user's file cabinet. Concerns about moving all of a user's hard work. Is there a way to keep attributions? Bruce needs to write up terms for this.
5. Folder Templates - Allow a user to create a template folder (with specific sub-folders) and use this to create other similar folders. An example is to have a curriculum folder with sub-folders named "Lessons", "Homework", "Labs", "Assessments", etc.
6. Automatic Descriptions - Allow users to copy the default description of an item, or the description from one of the collections, into the annotation box when they add the item into their filing cabinet. They will then be able to edit this description as desired. This will be possible. Need to make sure it makes sense.
7. Watched Folders - There is a list/display of shared folders from other users that I'm watching that appears in my filing cabinet. As described by Wolfgang: In my file cabinet there are three categories of folders: (1) Shared Folders, (2) Private Folders, and (3) Watched Folders. The watched folders are shared folders owned by other users. A user can keep up to date with what someone else is collecting. Question for Wolfgang what the connection is between "My Folders" and "Watched Folders"