Edit In Place Improvements

Form the authors' round table,

1. Adding/editing/deleting sections. We need to be able to create sections in EiP/EiS.  Sections can get munged during Word import and EIP provides no relieve.  Authors are forced in force source edit, either @ cnx.org or offline.  We need a capability to add new sections in EIP and a capability to move other adjacent elements inside the newly created section. This fix is now present on the eip-figure branch.

From Minmin's study,

2. Misleading modalities.  Once the user has clicked on an editable node in EiP, an editable form replaces the node.  The intent was for the form to act like a modal dialog box, forcing the author to save or cancel before moving on. There are not enough visable hints in the editable form.  The user sees the rest of the content and add buttons and may try to access these (which we programatically prevent).  A proposed solution is that the content outside of the editable form be made opaque (greyed out). This fix is now present on the eip-figure branch.

3. Jump aroundness. We used to not change the scroll position when editing a node in EIP, which could result in the edit form to only be partially on the page.  We made a change (and this is the current state) so that the edit form is at the top of the page and fully displayed.  Unfortunately the scroll position change is done in one step which can appear to be "jumpy".  An inflight fix in the eip-figure branch animates the scroll position change and leaves the edit form in the center of the page.

4. Add button confusing. - ticket:3812 - As currently displayed, add buttons are confusing to some authors.  They appear to be part of the content.  Maybe a different styling for the add buttons would separate them more distinctly from actual content and give a better visual cue to the author.  Targeting the add-button change (aka "insert..." change) from Max's mockup for next EIP release.

5. Missing id attributes.  Some CNXML nodes are required to have an id attribute.  Editing nodes in EIP or in full source edit, the author may forget to add the ids.  This currently causes a parse error.  A better solution may be to insert ids for the user as part of the validation process, instead of reporting errors. Currently not targeting any EIP release.

6. EIP on-page documentation. - ticket:3817 - None currently exists, leaving the author to guess how EIP works.  2/3 sentences at the top of the EIP page may suffice. Adding the text 'Click Within to Edit' in a small font may also be helpful. Targeting for next eip release.

7. Tags for the CNXML nodes are not self evident. - ticket:3814 - We currently for most editable nodes surround the node with a bounding box.  As a part of the bounding box we could add the tag. We decided to add a visual clue wrt the CNXML tag while the user hovers over the editable unit.  The popup text will includes hot text to edit the tag. (The user can still click anywhere in the tag's bounding box and get the edit form.) Targeting for next EIP release.

From the desk of Kathi Fletcher:

8. Editing name tags. - ticket:3813 - Change the edit UI to include the <name> value where it is missing like for <equation>, <example>, <exercise>, <list>, <para>, <rule>, and <section> tags. We also want to be able to edit a name tag directly when the user clicks on it or when the user selects the hover generated edit name hot text (for sections only).  There is a style component for this fix., especially for the name only edit UI form. Targeting for next EIP release.

9. Editing sections differently. - ticket:3815 - Sections will only be editable in their entirety by clicking on the hover generated hot text.  The section name can be edited via the hot text or by clicking on the name text.   Targeting for next EIP release.

10. Text area needs to be resize-able. Not targeted for the next EIP release.

11. Discourage user from accessing work area/group files. - ticket:3818 - Including a work space/group file in a module is problematic after publishing. Prevent the user from selecting an existing image file from work space/group from the edit form in eip. Request is problematic.  Targeting for next eip release.

12. Workflow change for when modules with work space/group files is published. Not targeted for the next EIP release.

13. Turn EIP proper off. - ticket:3819 - Leaves EIS as the only "EIP". Targeting for next EIP release.

14. Style sections differently. - ticket:3816 - Section since they are editable will need a bounding box to show all that they contain, giving the user the necessary visual clue.

Open issues:

16. Name or Title - ticket:3811 - Should our edit UI display "Name" or "Title" for editing <name> values (separately or within a container tag (like table of figure).  Targeting for next EIP release?