Workflow and text for installing themes is confusing

Makes sense to me. Attached is a patch for the above issue.

I am not really sure about this, and we cant do it in 8.1

Applied this patch. Reviewed and Tested it. It looks fine as per the task.

So themes are installed, much like modules are. Is there a specific reason why we have to come up with a sort of different labeling. That sounds a bit like a local optimization rather than finding a good global optima of labels.

I think the proposed text change needs more review.

That said, though, I can see how the behavior described in the summary is confusing. I'd suggest adding some screenshots to the summary to illustrate the problem, and then tagging it "Needs usability review" to get more feedback on how we can improve the page.

Thank you @xjm

I would like to illustrate the problem clearly.

The Appearance page user interface text is confusing. The button says "Install new theme". And After I install New Theme it appears under the section Called "Uninstalled themes" which is confusing for me. This particular section is for the themes which are installed to our site but currently Inactive. So this text should be changed accordingly to avoid confusions.

And the Themes which are Active for the site comes under the section "Installed themes" this can be changed to "Active themes".

Adding Screenshot as well :-

I agree @anul to your point for this issue. I think this patch looks fine to avoid confusions on this "Appearance Page"

I still believe that lying to people by not telling that the themes are installed or uninstalled is kind of bad thing.

@dawehner
I also have another solution for the same if we just don't change the text to "Active Themes | Inactive Themes".
Instead we do something like this ---> Installed/Active Themes | Uninstalled/Inactive Themes

Isn't the problem that 'Install new theme' is allowing you to download a new theme rather than install one?

Or alternatively should the download process allow you to install as part of that workflow, rather than just a redirect back?

Could not apply the patch provided by @ameymudras to 8.7x-dev.

I have created patch for correction in theme names. Please review. Attaching screenshots as well

I have created patch for correction in installing theme names. Please review. Attaching screenshots as well

Rerolled patch #28 for 9.2.x support.Adding screenshots after applying this patch.

Please check and review it.

Applied patch #26 patch in drupal-9.3.x-dev applied successfully
and looks good for me
Thanks for the patch
For ref sharing screenshot ....

fixed failed commands on #28 and #31 against 9.5.x
Attached reroll patch against Drupal 9.5.x.
For ref sharing screenshots...

Patch in #36 works fine. Adding results as screenshots

Verified and tested patch #36 on Drupal 9.5.x-dev. Patch applied successfully and looks good to me.

Testing steps:
1. Goto admin/appearance
2. Notice that the text says Installed and Uninstalled Themes.
3. Apply the patch.
4. Now visit admin/appearance.
5. Observe that the text says Active and Inactive Themes.

Testing Result:
1. After applying the patch the text is changed to Active and Inactive themes which are not confusing.

Can be move to RTBC

@yashingole, welcome to Drupal. Thanks for the details of what you did to review this issue. The testing you have done is thorough and although the patch is functional there are other things to make sure are complete before setting an issue to RTBC. For this issue, the summary needs an update (see the issue tags) and a code review as well.

This issue summary is incomplete. An update was asked for in #7, 6 years ago! Setting back to NW for that. The steps to reproduce for the issue summary can be found in #39. Updating this issue summary is a suitable novice task, adding tags.

Also, I do not see any code reviews in the comments.

Pretty sure this needs a usability review as well, adding tag.

Issue summary updated as per comment #42.

@asad_ahmed, thanks for working on the issue summary.

The Issue summary still needs work, so leaving the tag. I added the standard template to make it easier for the next person to see what needs to be filled in.

I am also adjusting credit per How is credit granted for Drupal core issues.

i've quickly discussed the issue with @aaronmchale in the #ux channel today. he agreed to my suggestion to add the issue as a child issue to the meta #2860419: [Meta] Appearance page is too long and confusing currently in the ideas queue. the meta still needs an issue summary update but it is about the general revamp of the appearance page - the meta and its child issues were discussed over the course of several usability meetings. in the initial idea and write up in #23 i've also touched the naming issue but due to the fact i haven't had a good idea back then havent come up with a suggestion and child issue about it:

The Uninstalled themes section always triggers the association and thought it is a list of themes "removed" from the site as well as from the file system and it is some sort of history of previously installed themes. No real problem as soon as the basic concepts of Drupal are understood but a distraction and possible point of confusion (tbh I have no idea for alternative titles on the Appearance page yet)

therefor double thumbs up for the issue from my end and also thanks for its creation and all the work that already went into it! and also thanks to @quietone for already adding the needs usability review tag. I'll add the issue to the agenda for the next usability meeting. but due to the still high number of issues on it it probably won't be discussed next friday but for sure on one of the following.

Usability review

We reviewed this issue at #3336927: Drupal Usability Meeting 2023-02-03, that issue will have a link to the recording.

Those who attended the meeting were: @AaronMcHale, @iszabo, @rkoller, @shaal, and @simohell.

We noted that the issue summary needs updating, so leave that tag, as the described behaviour of installing a theme and it remaining in the "Uninstalled themes" section is not accurate on 10.1.x. When a theme is installed its card does move to be in the "Installed themes" section.

Despite that, the group recommends changing the heading "Uninstalled themes" to "Available themes", and leaving the "Installed themes" heading as is.

The group felt that changing the installed heading to "Active themes" was not a good idea because a theme may be installed but it does not mean that it is in active use. For instance, a site may have a theme installed but that theme may not be used as the default nor admin theme, therefor we felt it was clearer the leave the heading "Installed themes" as is.

The group felt that introducing the terminology "Available themes" was more user friendly, because it indicates that these themes are available to be used while still conveying that those themes are not currently installed. The presence of the "Install" action buttons serves the purpose of conveying that an available theme can be installed on the site.

During tonights Drupal Dojo Austin @rocketeerbkw guided me through the patch workflow and helped solve a few uncertainties on my end due to the fact that the last patch is against 9.5.x and the new one against 10.1.x. . aside that i've only worked with issue forks so far and the current issue was a good chance giving the patch workflow a try. unsure if it would have been acceptable opening a merge request instead.

Anyway I've made the changes we've agreed on during the ux meeting against 10.1.x. . I've created a patch plus an interdiff against the patch in #36.

One addition to the reasoning in #49 to avoid the terms active and inactive in the context of themes could be found #2888657: [meta] Less confusing and more consistent wording needed in module/theme add/install/update. there is an effort to make the wording for adding and installing modules and themes consistent in drupal.

The only detail that might require some more discussion is something @rocketeerbkw spotted when i've sent him over the result of the changes.

With the changes suggested in #2860419: [Meta] Appearance page is too long and confusing the issue in the screenshot wouldn't be a problem anymore. Updating the description of the select list might solve the issue until then? Changing the text from

Choose “Default theme” to always use the same theme as the rest of the site.

to something like:

Select an installed theme. By choosing “Default theme” you will always use the same theme as the rest of the site.

Verified the patch #50 on Drupal version 10.1.x. The patch applied cleanly and as per the usability review in #49, the title 'Uninstalled themes' is changed to 'Available themes' in Appearance page. The description of the select list field under Administration theme is not updated as of now. The suggestion given in #50 can be considered if it really needs to be changed. I have attached screenshots for reference regarding title change.

Can the issue summary be completed please also.