Redesign 'Recent comments' block for use on dashboard.

+1 for "rework the already existing 'recent comments' one"

So I assume that its actually better to reuse the code of recent content block, because that has gone trough much more rigorous review process then the recent comments block. As we learned we usually require quite some refactoring.

I think in general the rule should be to make them separate blocks. See comments by @catch and I on the original Dashboard issues, for example, starting around:
http://drupal.org/node/544360#comment-2124036
http://drupal.org/node/569190#comment-2124026

In this case, though, if it's really the exact same block just with edit/delete links added based on permissions, then it could make sense to use the same one. However, if there's only one block, it means that sites which do not have a separate admin theme have to choose where they want it (either on the dashboard, or on the main site, but not both).

Subscribing... I hope to work on this tomorrow.

@yoroy So do we need two seperate blocks?

initial patch (needs tests).

Forgot patch

Hm. I don't like this idea, I don't think. Existing D6 sites are using that block and are going to expect it to work the same, not all of a sudden become a huge table with edit/delete links that breaks the sidebar in their theme.

Since this is intended to be used in a different context than the former recent comments block, it should be its own thing, preferably with "Dashboard" somewhere in the name to differentiate it from the other.

Where do we define that block? comment.module or dashboard.module? And what title should it have?

I would say comment.module. Dashboard is intended to be merely a framework for displaying these blocks. Also, contributed modules won't have the opportunity to add their own blocks to dashboard module, so core modules shouldn't cheat. :)

On the title, I defer to the UX team. It's a little tricky. We want this and the new Recent Content block to be clear that they form a "pair". We also do not want this block and the old "Recent comments" to be confused.

Fixing #601932: Allow dashboard to limit available blocks would allow us to exclude the original recent comments block. I'm not sure though. If you wanted to put some big huge graphs in the center, it might actually make sense to use the "minimal" recent comments block in the smaller area to the side.

Can we get some activity on this?

Not critical. Please read and understand Priority levels of Issues, thanks.

Recent content block already looks ugly for anonymous users within new default theme. Blank cells are useless and eats a page area

Possibly related with regard to style issues: #849670: Recent content block usability

Also proposed markup for theming "time ago" #807744: Use microformat for theme_comment_block()

Maybe better to add check for dashboard in theme_comment_block() like #849670-8: Recent content block usability

This new block for recent comments help me in reduction of spam on my blog.

Dashboard module is no longer in core, see #950956: Remove Dashboard from core . Moving to 7.x for consideration.

At least the implementation should be cleaned-up, having dumb theme function makes no sense.
So needs to check:
- need in current custom theme function - move to current build method - #2054993: Remove (untested, unused, broken) comment_get_recent()
- implementation and defaults of views shipped block
- usability of having 2 implementations of "recent comments block"

class RecentCommentsBlock extends BlockBase {
  public function build() {
    return array(
      '#theme' => 'comment_block',
      '#number' => $this->configuration['block_count'],
    );
  }