Feature request

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Mark Wilsdorf
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Feature request

Unread post by Mark Wilsdorf »

I would have posted this in the Wishlist area, but felt this request is specific to the PP skins (I'm using 3.15), so I"m posting here...

I'd like an option to display a topicnavmenu item that invokes the' expand/collapse all toggles' function. In my opinion the existing one, buried in the More menu, is not accessible enough for casual/transient viewers of a WebHelp page (those who spend little time in the project's pages or visit only a couple pages, and infrequently). I've noticed this kind of a menu item is present in H&M's online Webhelp.

Similar to the ATOC menu item, this one would be present or absent depending on whether the page contained any toggles. And because of how the skins present pages on mobile devices (the topicnavmenu is hidden altogether), it would of course be absent on mobile device pages, as it should be--to prevent the slow response that can result if someone on a smartphone chooses to 'expand all topics'.
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Tim Green
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Mark,

I'll consider this. It's a difficult decision, however. The problem is always weighing the value and use frequency of a function like that against the need to keep the user interface uncluttered. :?
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Mark Wilsdorf
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by Mark Wilsdorf »

Tim,

A bit more explanation to clarify my perspective on this...

I certainly agree that clutter (too many controls) is always a UI problem.

But equally problematic is having controls hidden in a menu which most users/viewers of a page or window are unlikely to investigate and thus may not know that those controls exist. (You may recall that I'm building a public Web site with H&M, so this idea holds more weight when you consider that some site visitors may be there just once in their lifetime.:o I'd bet that a limited subset of the site's visitors will take time to investigate the contents of the More menu--though I think it is a great place to put all less-often-accessed commands.)

I'd vote for most of those top-level menu items being optional, as the ATOC is. That would allow use to scuttle those menu Items we really don't need.

For instance, I could do without the Top item--I would prefer having a menu item for toggling the toggles. In fact, I could even do without the Prev and Next items. (With the TOC panel showing on a desktop PC browser, Prev, Top, and Next are less necessary. Prev and Next are mostly useful, of course, when pages contain information which should usually be accessed in sequence--such as a tutorial. For me, that will be the case in only a few places. And the Home item in my HM_HEADERMENU.html takes care of the Top functionality in most cases.)
Mark Wilsdorf
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by Mark Wilsdorf »

Tim,

A followup on this...

It worked out for me to create a button set with an Expand/Collapse All topics button (the white-on-brown buttons at http://www.qbagcenter.com). The button calls Javascript whil toggles the expand/collapse state:

Code: Select all

javascript:hmWebHelp.extFuncs('hmDoToggle',{method: 'hmToggleToggles', obj: {speed: 80}});
But are there separate calls I can make to only Expand, or only Contract topics? (I want two different buttons.)
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Tim Green
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Mark,

This is already available. You just need to add a mode switch with collapse or expand to the settings object, like this:

Code: Select all

javascript:hmWebHelp.extFuncs('hmDoToggle',{method: 'hmToggleToggles', obj: {speed: 80, mode: 'collapse'}})
javascript:hmWebHelp.extFuncs('hmDoToggle',{method: 'hmToggleToggles', obj: {speed: 80, mode: 'expand'}})
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Mark Wilsdorf
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by Mark Wilsdorf »

I had figured there was a way, since I know it existed earlier (without using the skins, if I recall).

As always, thanks for your excellent support of H&M.
DeWayne Rosene
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by DeWayne Rosene »

I'm would like to default the dropdown toggle to "expand" rather than having to click to expand each item or hope the user discovers the option on the hamburger menu. This looks like what I am looking for but I don't know where to place the bit of code below in my V4 Modern Standard webhelp skin.

How about a hint or a current recommendation since this was from some time back and the skins have changed over time.

javascript:hmWebHelp.extFuncs('hmDoToggle',{method: 'hmToggleToggles', obj: {speed: 80, mode: 'expand'}})
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Tim Green
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by Tim Green »

DeWayne Rosene wrote: Tue Dec 06, 2022 7:40 am I'm would like to default the dropdown toggle to "expand" rather than having to click to expand each item or hope the user discovers the option on the hamburger menu.
Every toggle has the option to be expanded by default. Just set that for Help as well as Print in the top left part of the toggle dialog (double-click on a toggle link to edit). :)
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DeWayne Rosene
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by DeWayne Rosene »

:oops:

Thanks Tim,

I missed that entirely... however what I would really like to do is default to expanded on desktop but not on phone. That would require something in the skin.

Looks like I need to take your recommendation and reach out to a friend or colleague to help with the placement of the conditional tag <IF_TOGGLES> along with the desk/phone class.
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Tim Green
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by Tim Green »

DeWayne Rosene wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 10:37 pm however what I would really like to do is default to expanded on desktop but not on phone. That would require something in the skin.
That's an interesting idea. I'm putting it on the list for possible skin enhancements. 8)
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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DeWayne Rosene
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by DeWayne Rosene »

I hope you will also reconsider adding a skin option to include the "next", "previous", "top" navigation buttons in the Cool Max screen which otherwise does look "cool".

Since I have not had time to do too much with that skin I also don't know what it looks like on the phone where those Nav buttons at the bottom are, in my opinion at least, absolutely required.

In the mean time take a look at my interpretation using the V4 PP and V4 Mod Std skin https://docs.precisely.com/docs/sftw/sq ... index.html
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Tim Green
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Re: Feature request

Unread post by Tim Green »

DeWayne Rosene wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 5:00 pm I hope you will also reconsider adding a skin option to include the "next", "previous", "top" navigation buttons in the Cool Max screen

Sorry, but the fact that those buttons are not there is an essential element of that design. There are plenty of other skins that have them.
Since I have not had time to do too much with that skin I also don't know what it looks like on the phone where those Nav buttons at the bottom are, in my opinion at least, absolutely required.
It works differently, but the navigation still works fine.
In the mean time take a look at my interpretation using the V4 PP and V4 Mod Std skin https://docs.precisely.com/docs/sftw/sq ... index.html
Nice, but you need to make the menus stand out from the background a little more. :)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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