Layout of layout tab

[Victor Warner]

I would like to suggest that the layout tab needs review.

If you have more than a few, not all are visible, and the titles on the tabs is shortened. See attached.

Although it is possible to see the full name Form inspector panel, and use shortcut keys to move through the layouts, it adds extra effort to do so.

Would it be possible to have a vertical list of layouts in the same way as for Forms or records? Which it would be possible to show or hide in the same way for Forms or the right-hand inspector panels.

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Brendan]

Hi Victor,

That’s what the popup button that you took the screenshot of is supposed to be for. Plus when you dismiss the form or layout inspector panel on the right, you get more room for your tabs to appear.

Thanks,

Brendan

[Victor Warner]

Brendan,

I understand the purpose of the popup button, and dismissing the form or layout inspector panel, but even on a iMac 27inch not all of the layouts are shown fully. See attached screen shot.

On a 13 MBA even less of the layouts are shown.

With one Form I would like have quite a number of forms, but to distinguish them I have have long names (eg “Company document – individual signing – previously identified – POA”). This does not display in the tab, and also the layout inspector panel does not stretch in width to show such a name (as far as I can see there is no notes fields for a layout).

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Brendan]

Well I can definitely see the problem with your screenshots. One thing I could do, and I will look into it, is to put tooltips on the layout button names. So that when you hover over a layout tab, it will display a tooltip with the full name of the layout. That way you’ll be able to distinguish one from the other if they start with the same name but have different endings. But you might consider doing it the other way around and putting the most unique value in the layout name first and then the more general values next.

Another option would be for me to not truncate the layout names if they get really long. But then you might have really really wide tab buttons and less would fit on the screen at once.

[Victor Warner]

I have discovered another reason but (at least for me) why the current arrangement for layout tabs is not ideal – for layouts which are only accessible via the pop-up (chevron) button cannot be reordered.

For layouts which appear on the row of tabs – it is possible to drag them in the order desired – but not those which are only accessible in the pop-up button.

Which is almost all of the layouts on one form if you are using a MacBook and the majority on a 13 inch MBA.

[Leo]

Brendan,

it would be nice to have a main-sub tree like in the pop up menu. The different custom layouts can have different purposes. i.e. screen view; printout; label etc.
This way we can sort the out.

It’s just a suggestion :-)

[Victor Warner]

I would like to revisit this topic.

I create a lot of different layouts, to cater for different situations, a lot of them needing to print to pdf. To distinguish them, it is necessary them, they need long filenames – even with the suggestion that Brendan made,

” That way you’ll be able to distinguish one from the other if they start with the same name but have different endings. But you might consider doing it the other way around and putting the most unique value in the layout name first and then the more general values next.”

it still does not help to any extent.

The “Layout Name” in layout inspector is of not great help here – as it is necessary click inside the field and scroll to the right to see the remainder of the filename – and then scroll back to see the beginning.

Not being able:

1. to see the full name; or
2. to easily re-order the layouts; or
3. to group the layouts

reduces the ease of Tap Forms substantially.

A further point is that if you have several layouts all similar but catering to slightly different situations, and all truncated as the screen shots show, you have either remember what each does, and the order they are in, or else click through each (or use the keyboard shortcuts to go forward and backwards one by one). Lastly on this point, there is no way to select a particular layout by the menu.

I strongly urge Brendan to look at changing the layouts to work along the lines of Forms, as a vertical listing, which is possible to expand or contract (or turn off).

Some further screen shots are attached.

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Author]

Posts