[drupal-devel] two minor usability issues, introduced recently

[Larry Garfield]

I fully agree that the split and un-standardized configuration screens are a 
major usability pain.  Also along the same lines is that I routinely go to 
settings when I should be going to modules, and vice versa.  I'm not sure 
which I do more often but I think it's going to modules first when I want to 
get to "a module's settings" (as opposed to "the settings for a module").

Currently it's possible to put the extra config screens for a module under the 
settings/modulename location, as a LOCAL_TASK.  It's not documented as such, 
but I believe it's a good idea in many cases.  They don't get the settings 
form magic, but who cares?  It makes more sense than having some 
configuration under admin/settings/mymodule/ and some under admin/mymodule 
and some under admin/content/content_types/mymodule o_O.

Random thought that I've not done any proper usability testing on yet: What 
about renaming "settings" to "system settings", and moving the various module 
settings pages under the "modules" menu, with the recommendation that extra 
pages go there as well as LOCAL_TASKs?  That way the naming structure maps 
better onto "a module's settings".  

Thoughts?  Flames?  Reasons why it's dumb? :-)

On Sunday 25 September 2005 05:53 am, Richard Archer wrote:

> > Users should definately not have to think about the
> >diff. between modules and core, and then find out where modules
> >have settins and where core has its settings.
>
> Out of interest, why is it that module settings show up under the
> Settings admin menu option and not in a pane within the module's
> own menu option?
>
> For example... using HEAD, I go to administer >> contact form.
> Up near the top of the window I see:
>
> [list] [add category]
>
> Why isn't there a [settings] option up there. I'm already in the
> section of the site for adminstering the contact form.
> Why can't I alter the settings from there?
>
> Or is this the "scattered settings" mis-feature you're talking about?
> It happens with a few different modules (aggregator is another).
>
>  ...R.

-- 
Larry Garfield			AIM: LOLG42
larry at garfieldtech.com		ICQ: 6817012

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