Suggestions for Sigil Improvements or New Features

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by theducks

I use the clip feature for my regulars. You can also do a (quick) Save Search which is placed full left on the clip bar, and clean up temp used later.
eg
<h3 class="chapno">\1</h3>

That works too, but I still think that having the h* button remember the last selection would be a more elegant solution, because users wouldn't have to add extra clips. I'm also pretty sure that this change wouldn't take a professional programmer more than 15 minutes to implement.

[ElMiko]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

That works too, but I still think that having the h* button remember the last selection would be a more elegant solution, because users wouldn't have to add extra clips. I'm also pretty sure that this change wouldn't take a professional programmer more than 15 minutes to implement.

Is there something that the heading level button does that the default keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+#) don't do? Or have you remapped those shortcuts?

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

That works too, but I still think that having the h* button remember the last selection would be a more elegant solution, because users wouldn't have to add extra clips. I'm also pretty sure that this change wouldn't take a professional programmer more than 15 minutes to implement.

Pull Requests and Patches are welcome.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

I'm also pretty sure that this change wouldn't take a professional programmer more than 15 minutes to implement.

That's not really helpful.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

That works too, but I still think that having the h* button remember the last selection would be a more elegant solution, because users wouldn't have to add extra clips. I'm also pretty sure that this change wouldn't take a professional programmer more than 15 minutes to implement.

The H button is generic (FWIW I simply use Ctrl-# where # is the heading# and 7 reverts to a P . The defined shortcuts)

My clip allows for use of a stylesheet class="foo" or Style="blahblah"

Is it so hard to add a clip ? It is slightly harder to cleanup (remove)...(Ctrl+Alt+C , then delete selected).

Maybe it is simply the fact I started using computers before Mice, where we learned the common keystrokes and macros (and kept a cheat sheet handy for the rest. Still do, for REGEX and CSS)

[DiapDealer]

I was thinking more about the request for the header button to remember it's last action (for that Sigil session), and I think it would be possible, but it would be a bit of an overhaul. The problem for me is not the ease or the difficulty of implementing it, but rather the change to existing behavior.

We'd need to change the current instant flyout behavior of the QToolButton to that of a delayed flyout. A long click to change (and fire) the new default behavior (with a mechanism to possibly change the icon of the QToolButton) and a short click to simply fire that current default action. That doesn't factor in how to get a configurable keyboard shortcut assigned to the current default action (nor how to only change the default behavior when the action is accessed via the delayed flyout).

I'm just not sure it's worth the trouble. It would definitely take more than 15 minutes (I'm not a professional programmer by any means ), and delayed flyouts can be finicky, or downright annoying, for some users. Not to mention possibly confusing when the button changes something before they were ready for it.

EDIT: actually, this IS much simpler and less invasive than I originally thought (and no delayed flyout required). I'm not advocating one way or another here, but I think we can at least entertain objections (or votes of support) for such a thing.

The main issue for me would be that rather than needing to select an item from the popup menu, after an initial selection was made, merely clicking the headings toolbutton would initiate a change to highlighted markup. But the icon and tooltip would clearly indicate what the button's current action is going to be beforehand.

[DiapDealer]

I'm attaching a patch in case any do-it-yourselfers would like to take it for a test drive (attached as a .txt file for uploading simplicity).

[BeckyEbook]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The main issue for me would be that rather than needing to select an item from the popup menu, after an initial selection was made, merely clicking the headings toolbutton would initiate a change to highlighted markup. But the icon and tooltip would clearly indicate what the button's current action is going to be beforehand.

I admit that at first I didn't understand this idea, but your patch is great. It makes sense. Personally, I have this toolbar hidden and use a keyboard shortcut, but I like this solution. I'll play around with it for a few days, and if I don't find anything wrong with it, I'm all for it.
After all, it doesn't change the way you use the button that much, since you still have to expand the list if you want to change your selection. And for repetitive insertion of h1-h6 headers, this proposal becomes a real speed boost.

[DiapDealer]

Thanks for the test and the input.

You'll note that using the keyboard shortcuts for heading changes will still set the default action for the ToolButton (the icon will change). Do you see this as a problem/benefit, or wouldn't it matter?

[BeckyEbook]

Of course, it's a benefit! I can use a shortcut to change the header in the code and at the same time set the button to repeat the last selection or keyboard shortcut used.

[DNSB]

I would have to say that I do like that feature. I tried editing an omnibus where I use h2 for the books and h3 for chapters and it saved me a few keystrokes.

[KevinH]

If people like that change then perhaps the same change should be done to the second toolbar icon that is used for case changes... see the [Aa v] button because having two different approaches to similar buttons may end up confusing users?

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by KevinH

If people like that change then perhaps the same change should be done to the second toolbar icon that is used for case changes...

Even though I use that button not so often I like the idea.

[DNSB]

Consistency is generally a good idea for interface design.

[RbnJrg]

In the File menu, we only have the last five open epubs to choose which one to reopen. I'd like that list to be longer than five epubs; ideally, I'd like the user to be able to choose how long it should be and for Sigil to remember all those open epubs.