Quick link to change/add/edit fields

[biologyben]

As a new user, every time I find we need to add something new to the system, we have to stop everything and research where the setting or location is to change specific areas of the system.  For instance, I needed to add 'Grant' as a financial type for contributions.  It would be handy if there was a gear or wrench icon next to this field (if you had permissions to see it).  Clicking it should open a window to add/edit those options quickly. 

Instead, I looked under admin/customize data/fields (no),  admin/customize data/profiles and reserved profiles (no), desperate now admin/customize data/custom fields (no), admin/customize data/dropdown/anything (no), the main Admin screen (no luck).  I search google and find a reference to civicontribute and then find the financial types link there. 

For new users, this would make a huge difference in quickly setting of the program and making the little tweaks needed to optimize its usage.  DonorPerfect is a great example of a system that does this readily.

[samuelsov]

This feature has been added in CiviCRM 4.5 for option fields.
If you go to the demo site (ex: http://d45.demo.civicrm.org), create a new contact, you will see a pen icon next to Prefix, Location, Phone type... which allow you to add a new option in a popup dialog box.

What you want is extend this to other fields like financial type, contribution status, ... (can you provide a list ?)

It make sense to me as long as the process to add the option is simple enough to do it in a popup dialog box.
For exemple, on the screen for adding a new contribution it could be good to add a link on "Online Contribution Page" to describe how to add a new contribution page but it don't think it's a good idea to add the possibility to add a new contribution page in a popup (too much steps and too much options).

[Coleman Watts]

Your suggestion of a "gear" icon has given me second thoughts about our use of the "pencil" icon.
Seems like the "gear" and the "wrench/spanner" are more appropriate icons for an admin editing something meta like an option list, whereas the "pencil" icon should be for more ordinary editing of content on the form.
As to the subtle difference between the gear and the wrench, I have no clue - maybe ask Prof. Plum in the Conservatory with one of them.

[totten]

I'm generally OK with any of the three (pencil, wrench, gear).

FWIW, I prefer pencil or wrench over gear. The first time I saw a gear used as an icon, my reaction was "WTF" -- I didn't recognize the metaphor. But the gear shape was kind of abstract looking, devoid of other meaning, and didn't look destructive (red/minus/X/trash), so I inferred from context that it was "advanced but not imminently dangerous." Honestly, though, any abstract shape would have produced the same reaction (star, triangle, pentagon, circle, ellipses).

Between pencil and wrench, I agree that pencil is more suggestive of "editing in place" and wrench is more suggestive of meta/backend.

[petednz]

what do each of the CMS use - if anything?

drupal uses 'gear'

what does J and WP use?

[Dan C]

Joomla 3 uses a gear on the front end for the drop down that contains Print, Email, etc and on the administrator end for the menu that contains edit account and logout, on the button for component options, and next to the global configuration header.  They use the pencil for editing on the front end.  So they are kind of all over the place (I and many others feel the gear is misplaced on the front end).

[Coleman Watts]

Ok let's change it to a wrench icon. Any strong objections?

[biologyben]

It's great to know that 4.5.X has more of it - [warning - off topic] i'm using 4.4. as that came up as the current stable release for WP install in the instructions.  Is that an issue of the directions or is the 4.5 not stable for WP at the moment?

I think the wrench is great - as to which items/field, the more the better.  Yes, it would have to be different with the drop downs pulling from the larger forms - I might recommend a similar but different icon (perhaps a wrench with a + or Arrow symbol, or a bit of text that says "Create a new option" to indicate it will take you to a new page or open a new window (instead of a little popup).  Again- this would prevent people from hunting through menu after menu to find where to add or change whatever it might be.

Thanks!

[Coleman Watts]

@biologyben which instructions? It is listed as the latest at https://civicrm.org/download

[biologyben]

@biologyben which instructions? It is listed as the latest at https://civicrm.org/download

http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/plugins/servlet/mobile#content/view/87359547

The 'here' link at step 3 takes you to / civicrm-stable / 4.4.5 not 4.5.x.

[Coleman Watts]

@biologyben Can you please edit the wiki and correct that link? Probably it should just go one level up to civicrm-stable/ and not to a specific vesion since those change all the time.

[Dan C]

I went ahead and updated both the Wordpress and Joomla pages so that the link now points to https://civicrm.org/download.  That way they will always get the most recent version and there is no confusion on which one is correct.

[Coleman Watts]

Nice one Dan - Karma points for you

[JohnFF]

As to the subtle difference between the gear and the wrench, I have no clue - maybe ask Prof. Plum in the Conservatory with one of them.

I lol'd

[biologyben]

I upgraded to 4.5 and I this functionality works great!  This should be incorporated into as many locations as possible to ease the learning curve for new users and be more efficient for old pro's.

This is not a priority, but I would also suggest that the Ajax? window that pops up default to the width of the form (or 95% of the browser size) a few locations I had to expand the window to see all the form for a more polished experience.

I've been extremely impressed with the improvements made the the past few years and I feel it is at the point where I as a non-coder and non-techie can get it to do what I want. 

Great work!