Using the current WYSIWYG settings UI, it was not initially clear to me how to select a different editor for use with an input format. This was exacerbated because I had only used a previous module version that had slightly different behaviour.

After installing the module and one editor for the first time, it was clear to me how to choose which editor to use with an input format for the first time — using the selection box and clicking the "save" button.

The confusion arose as follows:

Not understanding that WYSIWYG profiles represent a fixed association between editor and input format that cannot be changed without first removing the association, I expected (partly based on experience with a previous module version) to just be able to select another editor using the selection box and clicking "save". When I saw the selection box was disabled because I initially thought it was because I only had one editor installed but after installing another editor and seeing the selection box was still disabled I thought it was a bug. I did later understand after chatting in the #drupal-wysiwyg IRC channel that the "remove" link must be used to delete the profile before an editor can be associated with a new profile but I did not immediately associate this link with its correct function because it was unclear what exactly I would be removing; the link text and the description at the top of this page being ambiguous about this fact (my first impression was that clicking remove would remove the input format from use on this screen as the input format type is the first text appearing on this line).

I would like to suggest a few changes to the settings screen UI that could make this page a bit clearer:

1) (Based on suggestion by "tha_sun" in the #drupal-wysiwyg IRC channel) When an editor is associated with a profile after clicking the save button, rather than just presenting a disabled selection box, present plain text displaying the name of the chosen editor. This removes the connotation in the user's mind that he/she can change the editor using the selection box and makes it more obvious that the association needs to be deleted before it can be changed (he/she might not know why the selection box is disabled and, like me, think it was a bug)

2) Change the help text at the top of the page to make the concepts and process clearer (suggested additions blow in italics, including some minor readability enhancements):

"A Wysiwyg profile is associated with an input format. A Wysiwyg profile defines which client-side editor is loaded with a particular input format, as well as defining what buttons or themes are enabled for that editor, how the editor is displayed, and a few other editor-specific functions.

Once an editor has been associated with an input format and WYSIWYG profile, the editor association cannot be changed without first deleting the profile and then creating a new one. Delete profile by clicking on the "remove" link and then set up a new profile as usual."

3) Above the settings table, add a heading "WYSIWYG Profiles" to emphasis that each row in the table represents a WYSIWYG profile, and that clicking the remove will remove the profile. Actually, I think the word "delete" works better here as "remove" has a connotation (to me, at least) that something might be possibly recovered later. "Delete" is more final and makes it more clear what you are doing is permanently deleting something (although I appreciate the next screen confirms this).

These are just some of my impressions and suggestions based on my experience; which may or may not be the best approach. It does appear, though, from some conversations that others have found the settings screen a bit confusing too.

CommentFileSizeAuthor
#2 wysiwyg-HEAD.ux-profiles.patch4.03 KBsun
#2 ux-profiles.png20.23 KBsun
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Comments

authentictech’s picture

Sorry for the garbled English in the fourth paragraph. It is meant to say:

"When I saw the selection box was disabled, I initially thought it was because I only had one editor installed but after installing another editor and seeing the selection box was still disabled I thought it was a bug" (i.e. that the module was not recognizing the new editor and displaying it in the selection box).

sun’s picture

Status: Active » Needs review
FileSize
20.23 KB
4.03 KB

Awesome write-up! Thank you!

sun’s picture

Status: Needs review » Fixed

I like this change a lot, so I went ahead and committed this patch.

Not sure whether using a fieldset is adequate here and whether the additional help text should really be a fieldset description (the idea was to provide it in context). So feel free to discuss and potentially re-open this issue.

Thanks for reporting, reviewing, and testing! Committed to all branches.

A new development snapshot will be available within the next 12 hours. This improvement will be available in the next official release.

Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)
Issue tags: -Usability

Automatically closed -- issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.