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classification
Title: IDLE:Make help source menu entries unique and sorted.
Type: behavior Stage: patch review
Components: IDLE Versions: Python 3.9, Python 3.8, Python 3.7
process
Status: open Resolution:
Dependencies: 27380 Superseder:
Assigned To: terry.reedy Nosy List: ZackerySpytz, cheryl.sabella, taleinat, terry.reedy
Priority: normal Keywords: patch

Created on 2016-07-08 01:58 by terry.reedy, last changed 2022-04-11 14:58 by admin.

Pull Requests
URL Status Linked Edit
PR 17093 open ZackerySpytz, 2019-11-08 21:34
Messages (5)
msg269965 - (view) Author: Terry J. Reedy (terry.reedy) * (Python committer) Date: 2016-07-08 01:58
The 'General' tab of the IDLE configuration menu allows a user to add entries to the Help menu that display a text when clicked.  A user might want more than one text available for a given 'topic', such as a doc and how-to for a package.  However, there is no need to have duplicate entries, as up to 30 chars are allowed.  "Package - doc" and "Package - how" would be clearer than "Package" and "Package".  Issue 27380 makes checking for unique entries easy as that is already done for user configuration file section names and the same base class is now used for help source names.

Currently, names are displayed in the order added.  I believe sorting would be better, especially when one adds more than 2 entries.  That should also be easy.

Existing duplicates would not be a problem for IDLE as the check would only apply when adding or editing an item.  Python's stable list.sort would keep existing duplicates in the same relative order.  I will *not* use the doc path to break ties.
msg269966 - (view) Author: Terry J. Reedy (terry.reedy) * (Python committer) Date: 2016-07-08 02:10
The IDLE doc currently says "Additional help sources may be added here with the Configure IDLE dialog under the General tab."  Revise to something like

Additional help sources
   Menu items for display here are added on the General tap of Options => Configure IDLE.  Menu entries should be unique (new in 3.6) and will be sorted. Documents can be located either on the current machine or on the internet.  The allowed file types may depend on the system.  Local file paths are checked when submitted; internet addresses are not.
msg316296 - (view) Author: Cheryl Sabella (cheryl.sabella) * (Python committer) Date: 2018-05-08 19:44
> Currently, names are displayed in the order added.  I believe sorting would be better, especially when one adds more than 2 entries.  That should also be easy.

I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to add Drag and Drop functionality to the Help listbox to allow users to move the items into any order they want?
msg356274 - (view) Author: Zackery Spytz (ZackerySpytz) * (Python triager) Date: 2019-11-08 23:55
I have created a pull request for this issue.  Please consider taking a look.
msg356606 - (view) Author: Tal Einat (taleinat) * (Python committer) Date: 2019-11-14 13:18
> I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to add Drag and Drop functionality to the Help listbox to allow users to move the items into any order they want?

I agree that allowing a user to set the order is preferable.

Rather than drag&drop, we could just add up/down buttons to allow re-ordering.

I suggest making ordering a separate issue, and accepting a simplified version of the PR which just ensures the names are unique.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:58:33adminsetgithub: 71652
2019-11-14 13:30:37taleinatsetversions: + Python 3.7, Python 3.8, Python 3.9, - Python 3.6
2019-11-14 13:18:49taleinatsetnosy: + taleinat
messages: + msg356606
2019-11-08 23:55:40ZackerySpytzsetnosy: + ZackerySpytz
messages: + msg356274
2019-11-08 21:34:28ZackerySpytzsetkeywords: + patch
stage: test needed -> patch review
pull_requests: + pull_request16601
2018-05-08 19:44:51cheryl.sabellasetnosy: + cheryl.sabella
messages: + msg316296
2017-06-19 18:44:12terry.reedysetcomponents: + IDLE
2016-07-08 02:10:03terry.reedysetdependencies: + IDLE: add base Query dialog with ttk widgets
messages: + msg269966
2016-07-08 01:58:46terry.reedycreate