Feature Request: record sorting for iphone

7 posts by 2 authors in: Forums > CMS Builder
Last Post: March 4, 2010   (RSS)

By rez - February 16, 2010 - edited: February 16, 2010


You can read more about "Create Record Here" and download it (free) here:
http://www.interactivetools.com/add-ons/detail.php?Create-Record-Here-1015


Where are new features requested at? The create record here helps me a lot, especially for telling people they can update their site with their phone/iphone but...

A simple addition to make this even better and have more control would be to ad an editable field next to the drag and drop arrows that shows the record number/order number. If i change record 150 to 10, it would instantly make the change (and reorder everything like "create here"). Entering a number larger than the total would put it at the end. 0 would put it first. (although zero doesnt make sense to average people updating their site. I could explain zero is the first position to clients but i wonder if it makes more usability sense to have them see "1" here.)

Dragging and dropping is obviously cool but this old number field feature cant be beat for instant changes with one step and works on phones. Unless I'm missing something ( which i wouldn't doubt) how else can you move record 1,200 to 100? This simple task is a pain and is also worse according to the editors screen size when dragging (the drag does scroll but is weird). Even with less records a number field makes lot's of situations easier, precise, quick etc to me.

By the way, I loved the video. Since you are already getting into creating the video, you could make these videos so they could double as updated feature videos for everyone with new releases.... although since its beta, things might change but you might be able to work it out somehow, i dont know. I just know a video of release updates like this would be very helpful.

Re: [rez] Feature Request: record sorting for iphone

By Dave - February 16, 2010

Hi rez,

I've detached and renamed your thread. Feel free to post feature requests to the forum and to re-post them every couple months if we haven't got to them yet.

The simplest and most efficient method for us to track what's needed is just to see what people are asking for most at any given time.

Some questions about your request:

- Are you websites optimized for mobile/iphones or just being viewed in them?

- Is CMSB working otherwise in the iphone? (That's not something we've spent too much time testing)

- How would be toggle this functionality? Should it just detect iphone in the user-agent string and then show text fields instead of drag graphics?

It looks like there is some support for making traditional javascript drag and drop work, but it would take some work. I found this demo online: http://ajaxian.com/archives/iphone-web-goodies-drag-and-drop-with-touch-resize-and-rotate-with-gestures
Dave Edis - Senior Developer
interactivetools.com

Re: [Dave] Feature Request: record sorting for iphone

By rez - February 17, 2010 - edited: February 17, 2010

"- Are you websites optimized for mobile/iphones or just being viewed in them?"

I'll be making mobile phone versions of most of my sites using CSS3. Mostly for the iPhone but I had someone look at things with a blackberry and there were minor glitches. I should have a couple of sites launched for more specific testing in a couple months.

"- Is CMSB working otherwise in the iphone? (That's not something we've spent too much time testing) "

For the small tests i did in CMSB, the biggest problem is 1. you cant use uploads (i want pictures). 2. In tinyMCE I discovered you can only type if you use 'Paste In Text'. I'll be ok with explaining how to type an entry into tinyMCE with a mobile phone for now or i could also put a mobile phone section below the normal fields in an editor. A text field labeled "mobile entry" and maybe an optional link to a flickr mobile slideshow or facebook that will show on the front in the entry.

I have a client who has hundreds of bottled beers and around a hundred on tap. Each time they change one, they want to update lists. They could do this in the basement on their phone when they change a keg. Simple text entry that updates their lists, rss feed etc all at once the moment they change one. Yeah, most of the time if its 1, it will just go to the top of the list but there are circumstances when you need a specific order or position changed of multiple entries.


"- How would be toggle this functionality? Should it just detect iphone in the user-agent string and then show text fields instead of drag graphics? "

Well I would say give the option to toggle it per editor (advanced section?) to show it with the drag drop arrows all the time. Or just show it all the time. But yeah, toggle off drag and drop on iPhone detection would be nice (but what about other phones? i dont know if any work yet). What's not to like about it always there on your computer? Moving something a little bit, then you drag. I have a client who HATES the way he has to drag a menu food item from the top of the list down past what he can't see on his screen on his computer. He can't always get his screen to scroll. He will definitely love the new "create here" option but I think the # fields are pretty powerful as well for when the item is already created. How do you suggest moving an item from 10 to 500 on a smaller screen now? Does your screen scroll work easily while dragging? On my FF3, I have to constantly jiggle the mouse to force scroll.

"I found this demo online:"

I'll definitely check out the ajax link you provided. i dont have any plans of messing with the CMSB features myself though.

Re: [rez] Feature Request: record sorting for iphone

By Dave - February 17, 2010

Hi rez,

Thanks for the feedback. There's a lot of features there, so this would probably be best addresses as a future version released focused on mobile use. I've added this our development plan for a future version and added a link to this thread.

Would you be able to help beta test when we get to that point? We all have iphones but we like to have a live test case to develop for.

Also, there's some inherit limitations of the iphone (file based uploading doesn't work because there's no file system as such) but we could certainly do whatever is possible to do with it.

Also, it would be ideal if there was a CMSB based mobile site that you could share the link to. That way other CMSB developers could get a better idea of what was possible while testing the beta.

We've thought about making a mobile version of our site... Not sure when we'll find the time for that though! :)

Thanks for all your suggestions!
Dave Edis - Senior Developer
interactivetools.com

Re: [Dave] Feature Request: record sorting for iphone

By rez - February 18, 2010

Sounds good. I don't know how far into the future you mean but maybe you could at least consider the number field ASAP? [blush][angelic]

Either way, id test for sure. Let me know. I have perfect sites for testing on the way.

Let me know when you need a mobile site for testing. I had planned on launching those last, after the sites due early April were complete and launched. They were just a bonus for my clients to show off to others. If you mean sooner, i may change plans and do things in phases. Heck, if that speeds something up, I need a fire under my butt right now. Let me know, motivation is good.

High pace information, Google phone, iPhone, some of the verizon ones. Things are getting interesting fast because of the competition. :) We should definitely be offering some more robust mobile site update functions for our clients ASAP! :)

Re: [rez] Feature Request: record sorting for iphone

By Dave - February 19, 2010

Hi rez,

We can build you a plugin for the text-field based sorting. Can you email chris@interactivetools.com and cc me at dave@interactivetools.com with the cms site you want to use it on (and a link to this thread).

We'll set it up for you once complete and you can beta test.

Hope that helps!
Dave Edis - Senior Developer
interactivetools.com