Feature Request: Duplicate shortcut checking

Scott Granneman scott at granneman.com
Sat Sep 17 14:33:54 CDT 2005


On Saturday 17 September 2005 4:38 am, you wrote:
> >On Friday 16 September 2005 4:28 pm, David A. Bayly wrote:
> >>  At 15:01 -0500 05/09/16, Scott Granneman wrote:
> >>  >Manila needs to throw up an alert when a new shortcut is being
> >>  >created that has the same name as an existing shortcut. Something
> >>  > like:
> >>  >
> >>  >"A shortcut already exists with the name "shortcutname". Do you wish
> >>  >to replace that shortcut?"
> >>  >
> >>  >Thoughts?
> >>
> >>  Bit of a problem when autoshortcuts are set; it might mean rejection
> >>  of a otherwise fine story/picture.
> >
> >I'm not quite clear what you mean about rejecting, David. Could you
> > explain a bit further where you're getting that?
>
> If the option to generate shortcuts automatically is enabled, when a
> story or picture is added, Mnai tries to use the subject to create a
> shortcut, 

This is true, & should continue under what I'm proposing.

> if it can't it doesn't reject the picture/story and I think 
> that's correct.  

I didn't say it should reject it. I said that it should give you a choice as 
to what happens next, along these lines:

<EXAMPLE>

A shortcut already exists with the name "shortcutname".

__ Replace the existing shortcut

__ Use a different shortcut name: ___________________

__ Cancel

</EXAMPLE>

> Currently its seems to handle duplicates by opting 
> to do nothing. 

No, actually, it appends a number after your subject. So if you already had a 
shortcut "foobar" & you create a new story with the title "foobar" & save it, 
Manila makes the shortcut for THAT story "foobar 2". Which, frankly, hardly 
ever gets noticed by users & so results in even more confusion. My new method 
would directly interact with users, helping to reduce confusion.

> Duplicates can easily occur because there's nothing 
> that forces subjects to be unique.

Which should also be error-checked by Manila, but that's a different feature 
request. :)

> So my feeling is that your solution is out of synch with how Manial
> works generally.

I disagree. :) I think I've hopefully straightened things out.

> I'd vote for a rethink of how shortcuts and  subjects  work

Agreed! Hopefully my suggestion will help that process along.

Thanks for replying, David. Now, how about someone from Userland. Any thoughts 
or reactions, Userlandies?

Scott

> >As I understand it, however, what I'm proposing wouldn't reject anything
> > (OK, I guess if you chose "Cancel" below). Manila would ask you if you
> > want to replace an already-existing shortcut. Or maybe - and this would
> > be even slicker - it would ask if you wanted to replace, OR give you a
> > textbox to change the one you were trying to add. Like this:
> >
> ><EXAMPLE>
> >
> >A shortcut already exists with the name "shortcutname".
> >
> >__ Replace the existing shortcut
> >
> >__ Use a different shortcut name: ___________________
> >
> >__ Cancel
> >
> ></EXAMPLE>
> >
> >So how 'bout it, Userland?
> >
> >Tks!
> >
> >Scott
> >
> >--
> >R. Scott Granneman
> >scott at granneman.com ~ www.granneman.com
> >Full list of publications: http://www.granneman.com/publications
> >   My new book on Firefox: Don't Click on the Blue E!
> >     Info at: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/bluee/
> >   Read the Open Source Blog: http://opensource.weblogsinc.com
> >   Join GranneNotes! Information at www.granneman.com
> >
> >"Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and
> > quoted." ---Fred Allen

-- 
R. Scott Granneman
scott at granneman.com ~ www.granneman.com
Full list of publications: http://www.granneman.com/publications
  My new book on Firefox: Don't Click on the Blue E!
    Info at: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/bluee/
  Read the Open Source Blog: http://opensource.weblogsinc.com
  Join GranneNotes! Information at www.granneman.com

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English 
is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on 
occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them 
unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
      ---James D. Nicoll



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