[TYPO3-core] Kickoff: TYPO3 4.1 (suggestions)

[Dmitry Dulepov]

Hi!

Kasper Skårhøj wrote:
> - A new backend frameset, featuring (see attached screenshot)
>     a) pull-down menus to access current modules / submodules / 
> function-menu items

I only hope that menu is loaded once, not with each click. I already got 
many complains about very slow popup menu in the page tree. If main menu 
becomes the same slow, no one will want to use such backend.

>     Target Group: Everyone, will make TYPO3 more modern, less 
> "confusing" and more like applications they already know. Will hide lots 
> of complexity in menus.

I don't know... I prefer current left menu bar more than popup menu. 
Popup menu require extra clicks and I am too lazy to do it :) I prefer 
click on Web>Template once and edit template. Then click once on 
Web>Templavoila and edit DS. And so on. So idea of Windows "Quich 
launch" bar immediately comes into my mind: there I can put icons for 
applications that I use most often.

Or even better: I see BE as having a taskbar: modules can be set like 
applications, so that they can be easily switched to using task bar. 
Take a look to XDesktop to see what I mean. For example, here:
http://www.lartob.de/x-desktop.org/releases/r1/index.html
This is a full demo, so takes long time to load. This is like a virtual 
desktop. Typo3 BE may consist from applications (BE modules) that run in 
virtual Windows. Thus admin could edit template, DS and see page preview 
  in tiled windows.

Do I dream too much? But this is the feature. Popup menus were made when 
screens were small, they are old for today.

>     Inspiration: In fact, this is as Tapio seems to already have worked 
> on and what Lasse N. once made a working example for! (see the very 
> first podcast if you like).

Oh, not Tapio :(

> - A "Dashboard" welcome screen (like my-yahoo, pageflakes etc.)
>     a) Users see the dash-board when they log in
>     b) On the dash board they find "Widgets" interesting for them. Could 
> be "Translator ToDo list" for a translator or "Log summary" for an Admin 
> or "Hot Site Statistics" for an executive.
>     c) There can be multiple widgets, they can be moved around in a 
> grid, they update themselves using AJAX, Its customized per user which 
> widgets are on his dashboard and which is available to place there.
>     d) All widgets provided by extensions
>     Target Group: Every one using TYPO3, mostly simple users can benefit 
> from this.

If dashboard is fully customizable - fine. If not - no much use. For 
example, I have to setup WordPress now for one project. Their dashboard 
is not much customizable: I have to comment PHP code to get rid of 
WordPress news in the dashboard.

I know that there is a high demand for custom welcome screen (after 
login). We should not loose this wish while making new dashboard.

> Open positions:
> - AJAX guru: Someone who can assist on the AJAX strategy
> - DHTML guru: Someone who can implement the HTML for the menu and the 
> Dashboard
> - Usability testing: When the features exist in a prototype we must test 
> them on real people! Someone who wants to work on that?

We need seriously dig into performance. Currently it is inadequate, 
especially in the backend. It is too slow, even on optimized dedicated 
server. Other frameworks run faster and people complain about typo3 
performance. I am taking steps in that direction but I cannot say I 
progressed to far.

Performance is bleeding already I think. We cannot close eyes to it for 
longer or others may beat us.

-- 
Dmitry Dulepov
http://typo3bloke.net/

"It is our choices, that show what we truly are,
far more than our abilities." (A.P.W.B.D.)