[TYPO3-dev] Usability of the Columns view

[Tapio Markula]

Martin Kutschker wrote:
> dan frost schrieb:
> 
>> I thought the columns view was dead, or getting
>> very nearly dead.
> 
> 
> Dunno. I still like the columns model better. All this fancy XML 
> overloaded stuff seems to me a big waste of CPU cycles. Most sites I do 
> are doing fine with the good'ol template selector.

Glad to read this this kind of message. I relly like
'rlmp_tmplselector' added with 'stfl_tmpl2columns',
which makes easier to get be columns to match with the quantity of used 
content areas in frontend.

I regard TemplaVoila too complex - but TO-mapping system might fit well 
for many designers. IMO it is even faster to create desired quantity of 
content are tempalates than mapping  TO objects. I have made for the 
columns model instead of four columsn ten columns (0-9) - certainly enough.

I have had feeling defending the columns model that I'm third level 
developer, who doesn't have skill to use the fancy TemplaVoila. I have 
done some experimental site using TemlaVoila 0.4. I know that it has 
improved but I can't test because 0.6 doesn't work with 3.8.1. and the 
content element wizard of TemplaVoila is incompatible with the standard 
page module. If I would install TemplaVoila the columns model doesn't 
work anymore - really annoying.

At the side of CPU TemplaVoila seems to need more CPU because in one 
experimental site worked slower with TemplaVoila than using the columns 
view - I didn't make measurements but I feel that download times were 
bigger.

I have spend really much time to get the columns view much more 
(end)user friendly. I feeled very bad of the opinions of Dan Frost,
who would like to dig a grave for the columns view. I thought that it 
would be pity, if most people in the core develop group has the same 
attitude.

But honestly the colums view is a default messy and partially even 
confusing. The new skin doesn't make it much clearer. I would be 
deligted I someone in the core team could be interested to develop as 
alternative model the columns view clearer - I have done a propoposal,
which can be download as an extension. It makes columns view both 
clearer taking off unnessary stuff and easier to use adding new features 
(many of them are in fact the same, which are in TemplaVoila).

I think everything both at the sight of delelopers and dymmu end users.
For dummy end users the BE of TemplaVoila 0.4 has some problems.

1) Changing DS and TO.
a) the language is for nerds - dummy end user doesn't understand 
(over)technical DS and TO anything. Changing them is just extremely 
confusing situation. Selecting main template and content are template is 
clearer because the language is not for nerds - it is close everyday 
language.
b) If you want to change both of them you must first save DS, wait 
reloading the view and then you can change TO. That is really slow, 
annoing and confusing. B. Kraft promised to make this using at the same 
time. If Berhard has done it yet then someone else should do that - and 
using language, which is not only for nerds.

2) Unused elements.
This confusing for some people because it was confusing me and there is 
certainly people, who regard this confusing. Unused elements are 
something between deleted and not deleted elements. In TemplaVoila 0.4 
title texts were only for nerds. At least title texts should be chaged 
and there would be an option to take off this system from newbees. Easy 
to implement using BE module setting. If there is not any, then by 
adding mod.TemlaVoila.

3) Make reference
This might be confusing for newbees - needs an option to take off this 
system from newbees.

4) Frontend - in TemplaVoila worked really bad. I made for TemplaVoila 
0.4 fair working frontend editing but the problem is that TemplaVoila 
would need *totally redesigned frontend editing with at least these 
functionalities:

a) into every content area a button to create a new element to the top 
of the content area
b) when creating a content using an edit panel the new element goes 
immediately after the existing element - like it does using the standard 
page module - it was extremely annoying are confusing that in 
TemplaVoila new elements went to unused elements - I was really 
confused! I wondered - what happed, where is the element.
c) Cut and  copy icons to edit panels

Without at least b) and c) TemplaVoila has very poor and bad working 
frontend editing, which is far from proper usability.

Because TemplaVoila has also serious usability problems, I hope that 
also other people than me would be interested to develop the old page 
module.