XWiki Usability improvements

[ericq]

Hello all. I have been using Xwiki for a few years for my personal wiki. Still the usability is not as obvious as the rival confluence. I want to start using it at my IT job site if its gets more usable (we are using mediawiki now). The new WYSIWYG editor and bootstrap GUI are a huge way forward!

Here are some points I would like to see

• Better page layout options to quickly create columns and sections
• Add and editing tables needs to be more evident (when adding use a drop-down to draw the table), The table alignment is horrible (you need to wiggle the rows around to make it look nice) I want them to be responsive, When I select a table I want table edit buttons in the top WYSIWYG editor, Live sorting
• Autocomplete (for [links, @mentions, @names, {macros and !files)
• When inserting a macro containing text (like a box or code macro) make it editable in the WYSIWYG editor. Not a small macro editor popup.
• When editing a macro give a few more most use options (like in the code macro a drop down for different languages show or hide line numbers theme used. In the box macro the most used CSSClasses, make title bold, backgroundcolor with color selector from theme colors)
• Add icons to insert macro’s to make search faster
• Paste images into the page editor(this may give a pop-up on what to do with the image.
• Make the create page template system more simple
• Something as the confluence page properties
• Insert icons or symbols button in WYSIWYG
• Align text left, center, right
• User macro’s

I if there is I would like to suggest usability suggestions from time to time. I do not want to discriminate Xwiki with using the names of the rival.

[vmassol]

Thanks so much @ericq It’s exactly the kind of feedback that we need!

Let me answer point by point.

@ericq

• Better page layout options to quickly create columns and sections

We have that with the “container” macro but it’s not easy to use from the WYSIWYG editor ATM. It would be nice to have special support for it directly in WYSIWYG mode without having to go through the Add/Edit Macro dialog box.

Would be great to have a jira issue about it IMO.

@ericq

• Add and editing tables needs to be more evident (when adding use a drop-down to draw the table), The table alignment is horrible (you need to wiggle the rows around to make it look nice) I want them to be responsive, When I select a table I want table edit buttons in the top WYSIWYG editor, Live sorting

Would need more details to understand the issues. Actually what would be great is if you could create one or several jira issues and list the exact step (or attach a little video) so that we can reproduce the issues.

Also note that you can right click on table elements in the WYSIWYG editor and you’ll get contextual menus.

@ericq

Autocomplete (for [links, @mentions, @names, {macros and !files)

Agreed. I’d also like to have autocomplete be one of the major objectives for XWiki 10.x. I’m going to publish a cycle roadmap proposal in the coming days.

@ericq

When inserting a macro containing text (like a box or code macro) make it editable in the WYSIWYG editor. Not a small macro editor popup.

Yes this also something in my XWiki 10.x roadmap proposal. Being able to type macros so that in their internal descriptor they can say if they accept wiki markup and which one. And if they do be able to type this markup directly in the WYSIWYG editor.

@ericq

When editing a macro give a few more most use options (like in the code macro a drop down for different languages show or hide line numbers theme used. In the box macro the most used CSSClasses, make title bold, backgroundcolor with color selector from theme colors)

Yep. What we plan to do is to have Displayers for Typed macro parameters. So if a macro has a parameter of type DocumentReference then have a displayer using a Tree picker, etc.

@ericq

Add icons to insert macro’s to make search faster

Not sure about this one since the capability is already there and documented (to add an icon toolbar for a macro). You don’t mean having one toolbar icon per macro right? That would fill up too much space…

@ericq

Paste images into the page editor(this may give a pop-up on what to do with the image.

This is already supported.

@ericq

Make the create page template system more simple

Ok you need to be more specific here and tell us what’s the problem. We’ve already improved it in XWiki 9.x. We’re happy to continue but we need to know what you have in mind

@ericq

Something as the confluence page properties

Could you point to a link so that we can understand how it works?

@ericq

Insert icons or symbols button in WYSIWYG

I think this is already supported but you may need to activate it. We used to have it for the GWT editor and I’m pretty sure we ported that to CKEditor (I hope ;))

@ericq

Align text left, center, right

I know this is supported for images (but needs to be turned on). I don’t know for text. @mflorea any idea?

@ericq

User macro’s

What would it do? We have a {{useravatar/}} macro already.

Or do you mean macros only visible for the current user? (we have that already too).

Thanks a lot

More generally it would be great if you could create different jira issues for the various items so that we don’t forget about it and have something actionable.

[mflorea]

@vmassol

Align text left, center, right

I know this is supported for images (but needs to be turned on). I don’t know for text. @mflorea any idea?

See http://extensions.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Extension/CKEditor+Integration#HStandardCKEditorFeatures

[vmassol]

@mflorea

See http://extensions.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Extension/CKEditor+Integration#HStandardCKEditorFeatures

I think what Marius means is that it can be enabled but I don’t know how and it would probably be better to have a specific admin UI option (same as what exists for images AFAIR).

[vmassol]

@mflorea

See http://extensions.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Extension/CKEditor+Integration#HStandardCKEditorFeatures

I think what Marius means is that it can be enabled but I don’t know how and it would probably be better to have a specific admin UI option (same as what exists for images AFAIR).

[ericq]

Thnx for the replay and asnwers. I have created some Jira issues and added some comments.

@ericq

ericq:
• Better page layout options to quickly create columns and sections

vmassol:
We have that with the “container” macro but it’s not easy to use from the WYSIWYG editor ATM. It would be nice to have special support for it directly in WYSIWYG mode without having to go through the Add/Edit Macro dialog box.

Would be great to have a jira issue about it IMO.

https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/CKEDITOR-197

@ericq

ericq:
• Add and editing tables needs to be more evident (when adding use a drop-down to draw the table), The table alignment is horrible (you need to wiggle the rows around to make it look nice) I want them to be responsive, When I select a table I want table edit buttons in the top WYSIWYG editor, Live sorting

vmassol:
Would need more details to understand the issues. Actually what would be great is if you could create one or several jira issues and list the exact step (or attach a little video) so that we can reproduce the issues.

Also note that you can right click on table elements in the WYSIWYG editor and you’ll get contextual menus.

Apparently this was conflicting with some page layout columns.

@ericq

ericq:
• Autocomplete (for [links, @mentions, @names, {macros and !files)
vmassol:
Agreed. I’d also like to have autocomplete be one of the major objectives for XWiki 10.x. I’m going to publish a cycle roadmap proposal in the coming days.

https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/CKEDITOR-198

@ericq

ericq:
• When inserting a macro containing text (like a box or code macro) make it editable in the WYSIWYG editor. Not a small macro editor popup.

vmassol:
Yes this also something in my XWiki 10.x roadmap proposal. Being able to type macros so that in their internal descriptor they can say if they accept wiki markup and which one. And if they do be able to type this markup directly in the WYSIWYG editor.

https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/CKEDITOR-199

@ericq

ericq:
• When editing a macro give a few more most use options (like in the code macro a drop down for different languages show or hide line numbers theme used. In the box macro the most used CSSClasses, make title bold, backgroundcolor with color selector from theme colors)

vmassol:
Yep. What we plan to do is to have Displayers for Typed macro parameters. So if a macro has a parameter of type DocumentReference then have a displayer using a Tree picker, etc.

I am going to split this one onto different issues
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/CKEDITOR-200

@ericq

ericq:
• Add icons to insert macro’s to make search faster

vmassol:
Not sure about this one since the capability is already there and documented (to add an icon toolbar for a macro). You don’t mean having one toolbar icon per macro right? That would fill up too much space…

I added a image to the issue to illustrate what i mean
https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/CKEDITOR-201

@ericq

ericq:
• Paste images into the page editor(this may give a pop-up on what to do with the image.

vmassol:
This is already supported.

I see nice

@ericq

ericq:
• Make the create page template system more simple

vmassol:
Ok you need to be more specific here and tell us what’s the problem. We’ve already improved it in XWiki 9.x. We’re happy to continue but we need to know what you have in mind

Going to read the docs first

@ericq

ericq:
• Something as the confluence page properties

vmassol:
Could you point to a link so that we can understand how it works?

This is a way to collect data from pages and display them on other pages
https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/page-properties-macro-184550024.html
https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/page-properties-report-macro-186089616.html

@ericq

ericq:
• Insert icons or symbols button in WYSIWYG

vmassol:
I think this is already supported but you may need to activate it. We used to have it for the GWT editor and I’m pretty sure we ported that to CKEditor (I hope ;))

Found it. This is a disabled CKEditor plugin

@ericq

ericq:
• Align text left, center, right

vmassol:
I know this is supported for images (but needs to be turned on). I don’t know for text. @mflorea any idea?

Found it. This is a disabled CKEditor plugin

@ericq

ericq:
• User macro’s

vmassol:
What would it do? We have a {{useravatar/}} macro already.

Or do you mean macros only visible for the current user? (we have that already too).

In confluence this is a way to create small peaces of code or presets and use it as a macro’s.
Like i have all the settings already set for the code macro set the language and css.
See the confluence docs:
https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/writing-user-macros-4485.html
Should i create a Jira issue?

[vmassol]

@ericq

This is a way to collect data from pages and display them on other pages

Page Properties Macro | Confluence Data Center 8.9 | Atlassian Documentation

Page Properties Report Macro | Confluence Data Center 8.9 | Atlassian Documentation

Hi Eric. This is already doable (and even beyond) with XWiki Classes and Objects.