Lately I've been writing more complex RM4 rules and and while learning the interface I had an idea. It is probably not something you might implement but I though it might worth mentioning.
Is it possible / practical to number each line of a Rule, then one could:
edit a line by just selecting its number.
insert and or delete the same way.
It might reduce the number of click boxes to a minimum and make it easier for new users to get the hang of it.
Or even click boxes at the left of each line, click a box then edit.
So, are you saying add a text box to enter a value for the line number and then a button to say that you're done entering it? Would that add to the number of clicks? You would first have to click in the text box (probably twice, like all other text boxes in HE), then enter the number, then click on an OK button (also probably twice). That's adding 3 clicks.
Also, deleting lines in this way would eliminate multi-line delete, which, personally, I use a lot.
Only the delete has check boxes, edit doesn't. You just pick the line. And again, that's for multi-line delete.
I was just thinking of something that might be easier for new adopters. So I posted it. I had no firm suggestion just a thought. Besides I have no idea what is possible on this platform it could be my suggestion makes no sense in that light. Also the check boxes was a after thought.
From what I've read you are quite proficient with RM and therefore are well up on the learning curve. I on the other hand (and quite a few others based on the RM posted questions) still find the editing process cumbersome. And while I understand creating such code through drop down boxes requires a lot of different entry boxes it still can be a little intimidating for new users.
Towards that end I had a thought that might help. Nothing more, I wasn't counting box clicks I was trying to make it more straight forward.
However now that we are talking about the functions, I could see:
A check box at every line
Check multiple boxes and you can delete all checked
Check one box and you can delete edit or add above
If you have multiple boxes checked and you try to edit you either get to edit the top box or get a error telling to check only one box.
However as I said above, I don't know if the platform can support this approach. I don't know if other folks would like it as much as I think I might, I don't know if the effort is reasonable for the result.
All of these ideas, while they might have merit, push beyond what's reasonably achievable with our current app UI framework. I'd be the first to say that the framework is limiting, and tends to make something complex like RM a bit tedious. So, a whole new app UI framework would be needed. Once that was in place, all of the apps would have to be rewritten to use it. That's not in the cards right now.
