WebIssues 1.0-beta4 - my findings

Submitted by jeans on 2011-12-05

Hello Michal,

I just overwrote my existing 1.0-beta3 installation with 1.0-beta4 by just copying all files over and replacing them. If this was not correct way to do this, please let me know.

So I have installed WebIssues 1.0-beta4 server and I am using WebIssues Desktop client, x64 version.

My findings:

Delay

  1. After creating personal view and clicking "Clone View" on Web Client, it takes long time to perform this activity. It will eventually come up. All other activities are coming instantly - I am running WebIssues server on XAMPP under Windows 7 x64.

Design flaw

  1. If I have selected "Task X" on WebIssues Desktop Client and another user makes changes in the web version, after I refresh, it will quickly turn to unread and then to read. Maybe it should be unread (green icon) until I manually mark it as read, double-click it to open or click somewhere and back to Task X? Now if I have auto-refresh on, issue selected there might be changes and I am not aware of them.
  2. Adding comment does not display allowed length, only has "OK". This was available in beta 3 and gave good visibility. Allowed length is not displayed on Web Client either.
  3. WebIssues Desktop Client does not open items by pressing Enter, I must double-click them to open.
  4. If I want to search inside of the item, I must click on it first and then press F3 or CTRL+F. How about CTRL+F always opens up "inline" search for currently selected item (lower screen) and F3 goes to actual search (upper screen)?

    Now F3 will toggle search based on my selection; If I have focus on issue list, it will use "main search". If I have clicked actual issue (lower screen), it will start with inline search. However, if I have an issue selected (upper screen) and I press CTRL+F, nothing happens.

Idea

I know you said you wouldn't add any more features, but I will suggest this... ;)

    Adding easy options for search, like in Windows ALT+Downarrow brings up a list in dropdown. This could be timesaver rather than using a mouse. So basically user could...
  1. press F3 - focus would be on main search
  2. ALT+DownArrow to bring up list all possible fields available for search
  3. navigate options with Up-Down arrow keys, confirm with Enter
  4. User can start searching.

Thanks for your feedback :).

The procedure of updating the server is described in the manual. It's best to first delete everything except the 'data' folder and then copy new files.

Although I won't add more features, there's still some time for small usability fixes. And even if something doesn't make it into version 1.0, there will still be patch releases in the future.

The Clone View function should work just like Add View or Modify View, so I don't know what causes the delay, I cannot reproduce it :).

Marking the selected issue as read is indeed a design flaw and I will have to fix it before version 1.0.

Allowed length of comment is not displayed any more, but there is an exclamation mark if you exceed it (at least in the Desktop Client).

Also thanks for your suggestions regarding key shortcuts. I will take them into account, if not now, then in the next patch release.

Regards,
Michał