* Inconsistent use of cog-wheel

[AdrianBruce]

The cog wheel is used extensively to configure options such as appearances. In at least one case, it is used for something entirely different but still very valuable. The Property Box for a Source Record has a Cogwheel icon at the top. It gives access to various options such as Text Size and Customize Property Box, which are perfectly sensible.

One option under the Cog Wheel is "Show Source Record's Citations in Result Window". See below:

Screenshot 2022-10-16 170739.jpg (71.72 KiB) Viewed 3101 times

This particular option is immensely valuable as it gives access to a list of "places" where the source record is used. However, because it is under the Cog Wheel, which I associate with configuration, not with data listing, I keep forgetting this option exists.

The alternative is menu option View / Citations to Source Record, which I only get 50% of the time as I'm just as likely to choose View / Record Links. Not the same thing at all.

Proposal:
Take the Source Record / Cog Wheel / "Show Source Record's Citations in Result Window" function; create a new icon at the top of the Source Record property box for it, and remove it from under the Cog Wheel.

Advantages:

• More consistent use of Cog Wheel in the User Interface;
• More obvious access to a very valuable function to show the citations for a source record;
• Faster and more successful access to that option.

[davidf]

Likewise for (V6) take:

• "Witnesses" out from under the Fact listing (property Box) Cog Wheel and give it its own Icon.
• "Open Media in Player" out from under the Source listing (property Box) Cog Wheel
• Others?

[ColeValleyGirl]

Likewise for (V6)...

Nothing will get done to V6 now, surely.

[davidf]

The "for V6" was simply allowing for the fact that in V7 things may be different - but if V7 users say it is unchanged I would add to Adrian's list (for V7)

[tatewise]

David, FH V7 already has a dedicated Witnesses icon in the Facts tab toolbar.
It also has active Witnesses icons against each Fact that has Witnesses.
See the FH Help page Property Box: Facts tab, which makes all that clear (as suggested in the Media (21035) thread).

Please check your facts before requesting changes that have already been implemented.

[davidf]

Please check your facts before requesting changes that have already been implemented.

Which is why I qualified my remark with "for V6" because it may or may not still apply for V7. Not being on V7 I cannot experiment to see what is there (and there is nothing like confirming what you think on an actual system)

So the witness icon has moved to beside the Fact, for V7

• "Witnesses" out from under the Fact listing (property Box) Cog Wheel and give it its own Icon.
• "Open Media in Player" out from under the Source listing (property Box) Cog Wheel
• Others?

Adrian noted one "annoyance"; I suspect there are others?

[tatewise]

Not being on V7 I cannot experiment to see what is there

True, but you can inspect the FH V7 online Help pages such as Property Box: Facts tab.

"Open Media in Player" out from under the Source listing (property Box) Cog Wheel

It does get complicated if there are multiple Source Citations listed and they have multiple Media attached to either the Citation or the Source record ~ which one does an Open in Editor/Player button open?
In FH V7 the Source Citation GUI has a new Citation Window with a Media tab that has an Open in Editor/Player button which operates on the chosen Media item just like all other Media tabs.

[AdrianBruce]

See also provision of Find In This Note, "hidden" under the cog-wheel menu of the Rich Text Editor, instead of having its own icon on the RT Editor's toolbar. (I am prepared to be told that the toolbar is not accessible to CP's programmers while the cog-wheel is - but if I don't ask...)

[AdrianBruce]

Just responding to Mark Draper's classification, I would summarise now this proposal to be (in summary):

• "Proposal: Take the Source Record / Cog Wheel / "Show Source Record's Citations in Result Window" function; create a new icon at the top of the Source Record property box for it, and remove it from under the Cog Wheel." Taken from my first post.
• And from my previous post above: In the Rich Text Editor, the cog-wheel menu has an option Find In This Note. This is effectively hidden. It should be given its own icon on the RT Editor's toolbar.

Those are the two items that I would explicitly prioritise. Further detail for the first bullet is to be found in that first post.

Not sure if there's anything else I can do to refine this unless someone highlights something. I do not intend this to be a complete review of the uses of the cog-wheel in v.7!

[ColeValleyGirl]

Is there any support for Adrian's most recent version of this proposal, or any objections?

[fhtess65]

I definitely support Adrian's most recent version.

Is there any support for Adrian's most recent version of this proposal, or any objections?

[LornaCraig]

I think the two parts of Adrian’s proposal should be treated separately. The second part could be a wish list request in it own right.

The first part of his proposal (about “Show Source Record’s Citations in results Window”) would be better considered in the broader context of the discussion in Better ways to find where records are used (22561), which was itself a spin-off from Add new tab for citations in Source tab. (22326)

[AdrianBruce]

I think the two parts of Adrian’s proposal should be treated separately. The second part could be a wish list request in it own right.

The first part of his proposal (about “Show Source Record’s Citations in results Window”) would be better considered in the broader context of the discussion in Better ways to find where records are used (22561), which was itself a spin-off from Add new tab for citations in Source tab. (22326)

I think the first part is a simple step and there would be an immediate benefit from making it so, i.e. I think it's a quick win. The Better ways to find where records are used (22561) proposal requires more thought, time and effort. I think?

[LornaCraig]

The Better ways to find where records are used (22561) proposal requires more thought, time and effort. I think?

If the outcome of the discussion in Better ways to find where records are used (22561) is that the overall preference is for Mike’s suggestion a (Add a Where Used... button to each Property Box main toolbar &/or to each Records Window tab, so a single click produces a Result Set listing) then that request will encompass your specific requirement with regards to the Source Property Box, because it would apply to all Property Boxes.

Personally I favour suggestion a, but if the other discussion ends up favouring Mike’s suggestion b or suggestion c, would you want the Source Property Box to have its own separate "Show Source Record's Citations in Result Window" icon in addition? I think we should try to avoid competing/conflicting requests.

[AdrianBruce]

... I think we should try to avoid competing/conflicting requests.

Why don't we add to my (hopefully quick) proposal, something along the lines of

If Better ways to find where records are used (22561) progresses, then this proposal is de facto redundant. If that proposal does not progress, then this proposal ought to go forward. If that proposal takes some time, Calico Pie should consider progressing this proposal as an interim.

I am assuming, as I say, that this is a quick item and worry that the other ... may not be. If we use the phrasing above, we leave it to CP to consider.