Server Actions - adding comments more easily (with less clicking)

In the early days of Wappler, there was no facility to add comments within server actions; now it’s hard to imagine creating server actions without them. However, it’s not easy to add comments. With the forthcoming major improvements in the way of working with server connect files, it would be great if there were a better way to add comments - and ideally, to add space between blocks of steps. I have no idea how difficult or feasible this would be.

At a glance, the image below could be taken from a typical text editor, but of course it’s a Wappler server action file. Most of the ‘code’ is made up of comments. In a text editor, it is easy to add comments; in Wappler it’s pretty awkward. There is no facility to add multi-line comments, so it’s a matter of adding multiple single lines - which makes the feature difficult to use and maintain (editing a comment made of several single lines is difficult). Also, there are no shortcut keys available, so lots of clicking is required. I use the duplicate option once I’ve create the first comment, but even then, about 4 clicks are needed before you start typing the comment, for each line.

So… the request: ideally an option to add multi-line comments (including blank lines). If this is not possible, a shortcut key to duplicate the current step or a shortcut key specifically to add a comment line.

Yes to multiline comments and yes for an easy way to add comments.

Options I can think for the “add comments” more easily.

  1. Add native contextual menu to right click:
  • Add Action (opens the Actions modal.Yeah this modal doesn’t disturb)
  • Add Comment
  • Duplicate
  • Delete
  • Disable (Prepend a check if disabled)
  • Output (Prepend a check if active)
  • Copy (wishful thinking)
  • Cut (wishful thinking)
  • Paste (wishful thinking)
  • Etc
  1. Add a Favourite Actions category in this modal.

It would open by default as Api Connector does today. You can mark whatever actions you are using more as favourites.

  1. Both 1) and 2)
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This FR should have been added ages ago! :+1:
Goes well with this section of Wappler, which is very dependent on mouse and cannot be easily made usable via keyboard and shortcuts.

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Wouldn't this mean an extra click is required to open the Actions menu (one more click than is currently required)? Apart from that, I like all of these suggestions. If this menu could be opened using a shortcut key, and the items accessed with other shortcuts (or perhaps arrow up/down+enter), I don't think this would be an issue.

A related feature is the use of the arrow or tab keys. I'm pretty sure these keys were put to better use in both Server and App connect in the past. Eg after right-clicking the SC action menu, you would expect to be able to select an option with the arrow or tab key; similarly after right-clicking an element in the App Connect tree.

Having said that, I think some improvements have already been made in Wappler 4 beta - eg we can navigate SC steps and move to the Properties panel via the keyboard. (I don't think it's possible to get back to from Properties to the list of steps however - Shift+Tab doesn't work.)

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Yes, unfortunately. It would mean one more if you want to go through contextual. But it would mean one less for comments.

It just seems right to have native contextual on desktop apps. It would also open the door to decluttering a bit more the UI.

For one click access there is still the plus sign or a shortcut as you mention would be nice.

For comments and multiline comments add popovers.

So if a comment is larger than the space available append and show a popover on hover.

That way each comment action doesn’t take more than one line of space and it allows writing longer comments and show it completely on hover in a popover.

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Not really.
There's the plus icon up top, just like all the other options in the proposed context menu.

2 Likes

The would be a good option. Even better perhaps, alternatively or additionally, would be to have comments appear in a collapsible* section - so you can view one line (with a popover option) or the whole comment, in context.

Hopefully, if long comments do become possible, it will be possible to view the whole comment in the Properties panel - ie in a large multi-line text box. The Mail Body field is resizable - perhaps the Comments field could be too.

(*Another two options for your right-click menu occur to me: Collapse All/Expand All.)

2 Likes

Could you explain that more in detail?

I meant someone should have create this FR in community a long time ago. Its a great productivity booster. :smiley:

I’m sure now that you have seen this, chances of it actually getting implemented have increased. :grin:

bumping this request (and this as well: Text Area for Comment Input)

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… and Textarea for comments edit and Workflows new Redesign concept 2.0

This has been improved in Wappler 5.2.6
The color of the comments has been changed;
Multi line comments are now possible;
Now you enter the comments in a textarea;