change incl. subdir behaviour of media selection

[Timbalu]

For the next 2.1 Serendipity with many handle improvements for the ML, I would like to change the behaviour of media item directory selection from fallthrough, in mean including subdir items, to strict too.

This has been bothering me some time, so I added a base directory strict to my dev blog, which works well. And was the first thing to have when cleaning up my ML!

I wanted to make a strict filter next, so a user can choose to have a directory selected strict or not. This would issue other questions, where to place this, for example. But now, that I have cleaned up the root, I recognized, it would (maybe) be nice to have the selection set strict to all per default. This while:
If you have a clean directory structure there is no need to have this fallthrough mode at all.
(I know the argument a changed behaviour will/could confuse users. This is the nature of such things.)

What do you think and what do you prefer. Give us/me some more input, please.

[garvinhicking]

For the next 2.1 Serendipity with many handle improvements for the ML, I would like to change the behaviour of media item directory selection from fallthrough, in mean including subdir items, to strict too.

You need to rephrase, that sentence sounds like Yoda.

I wanted to make a strict filter next, so a user can choose to have a directory selected strict or not.

What is a strict filter?

Regards,
Garvin

[Timbalu]

strict is: show only items in this directory, not in a child sub directory.

[garvinhicking]

So you want the media library to never show items of subdirectories, or do you want to add a config option or checkbox or whatever to make the user pick that? Or do you want to add an option for each directory to say if it's "strict" or not? I think that wouldn't be good, I think whether to show items strictly or not should be some kind of interface toggle that gets remembered (in a cookie or personal user storage), like:

[x] Show items in subdirectories

This could be placed in the search-filter dialog, or maybe even below the filter "All / Pictures / Video".

I do think that what you call "fallthrough" is something that especially with a clean directory structure could make sense.

Let's say you have a photography blog. I would add directories like:

Code: Select all

+ People
  + Portraits
  + Nudes
     + Female
     + Male
+ Buildings
  + Outdoor
    + Urban
    + Nature
  + Indoor
    + Romantic
    + Modern
    + Landhaus
    + Sci-Fi

Now if I want to pick a photo I can dive deep into the lowest directory to pick "Buildings > Outdoor > Urban". But if I wanted to see *ANY* building I photographed in the past 2 years, I would want to see them, no matter in which subdirectory they are. Only "fallthrough" mode would allow that! Otherwise I would need to put pictures into multiple directories ("Buildings" *AND* "Buildings > Outdoor > Urban").

Thus, I think having this fallthrough-mode is something that is a unique and great feature I wouldn't want to remove.

Regards,
Garvin

[Timbalu]

So you want the media library to never show items of subdirectories

Just maybe. Depending on how this is used. The "Any Buildings" sample is truly a good example to keep this feature.

do you want to add a config option or checkbox or whatever to make the user pick that?

Yes, see below

I think whether to show items strictly or not should be some kind of interface toggle that gets remembered (in a cookie or personal user storage), like:

[x] Show items in subdirectories

This could be placed in the search-filter dialog, or maybe even below the filter "All / Pictures / Video".

That is exactly what I was thinking about. And I would not like to hide this in the filter layer.

Not having a direct option to concentrate on a directory level, is what we currently have and is what I would like to change.

[garvinhicking]

OK, cool. I think being able to toggle it would be a good feature to have!

[Timbalu]

Done! Having these new move and select options, the ML suddenly makes fun! And I've got some more to come...