[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #24048: Increase the usability of Plugin Editor's files list (separate directories, limit height)

[WordPress Trac]

#24048: Increase the usability of Plugin Editor's files list (separate directories,
limit height)
-------------------------+------------------------------
 Reporter:  Daedalon     |       Owner:
     Type:  enhancement  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal       |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Plugins      |     Version:  3.5.1
 Severity:  normal       |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  needs-patch  |     Focuses:  ui
-------------------------+------------------------------

Comment (by bpetty):

 We've certainly had numerous discussions about removing the editors. In
 fact, even as a developer who writes a popular plugin focused on
 [http://wordpress.org/plugins/better-file-editor/ making these editors
 more usable], I've still argued the case for removing them myself. I don't
 think they ever will be though.

 Regardless, they are here, and as long as they're here, there's no reason
 to ignore patches that improve their usability. I wouldn't discourage
 contributors from writing patches just because a number of us continue to
 debate whether they should be in core at all.

 As for relying on and distributing another 3rd party library in core just
 for a file tree view, and also adding the requirement for JS to use the
 editors, that's something that does need to be discussed. It's obviously
 possible (as we currently do) to provide an interface that doesn't rely on
 JS or any 3rd party libraries, and it's not terrible. Also, in my opinion,
 pulling in a new 3rd party library to handle things like this screams
 "plugin territory" to me.

 We could go for a smaller and more simple patch that provides some basic
 UI improvements to the current functionality that takes advantage of
 faster and smaller AJAX requests to navigate the tree when JS is available
 without reloading the editor itself (and making it possible to navigate
 the tree without losing unsaved changes in the editor), but continues to
 fall back gracefully on it's current behavior otherwise.

 I also would be interested to see some new designs around how files are
 listed, and as this has bothered me significantly in the past, seeing
 designs that don't incorporate file descriptions in the list itself or
 sort files by those descriptions by default instead of by filename. I find
 that incredibly frustrating every time I use these editors myself, and I
 know others do too.

 Those are just a couple ideas that would be more realistic, and have a
 better shot at being applied.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/24048#comment:3>
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