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right-click functionality

Added by Brandon Blackmoor over 15 years ago

I have been on the fence whether to set up a new client with Trac or Redmine, and had just about decided on Redmine, but I just learned that Redmine overrides the browser context menu. NO web site should EVER override the browser context menu (it should not even be POSSIBLE, imo), and I always recommend to clients that they configure their browser to prevent this.

When a user prevents web sites from overriding the browser context menu (as all users should), is there another way to access these functions in Redmine?


Replies (18)

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Ryan G over 15 years ago

You shouldn't be so quick to hate. Right Click menus are context menus, context menus are meant to provide functionality based on content. This is what is making webapps so useful. With if your OS of choice decided that to disable everyone's context menus except their own ... it would kind of suck. If web applications use them right, they are very useful.

Zimbra Web Client uses them very efficiently and it help makes that web app compete with the best of 'fat client' e-mail clients.

Redmine is also very efficient with them, so much so I registered just to write this. The right click menu doesn't consume every extra pixel, but only in the area it is needed. You can right click an issue and perform multiple task to update the issue. It saves several pages from loading. Click 10px above the issue, and you get your normal context menu provided by your browser.

I think this is extremely important for web apps of the future. Why waste page loads and clicks when you can provide context sensitive menus

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Brandon Blackmoor over 15 years ago

There is no way for a web application to "use [context menus] right". Well-behaved web sites do not override the browser context menu, at all, ever, and properly configured web browsers do not permit them to do so.

Should I infer from your reply that Redmine has no way of alternate method of accessing certain functionality that it attempts and fails (on a properly configured system) to provide by overriding the user's browser context menu?

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Jeff Dombach over 15 years ago

Wow, that is one awesome feature, I never saw it before. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. All of that functionality is available by going to the issue page.

Now that I have seen that function on Redmine.org, how do I unable it on my Redmine installation?

Jeff

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Jeff Dombach over 15 years ago

I am wondering how to edit my typo.....enable...not "unable"

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Brandon Blackmoor over 15 years ago

For people who may encounter this flaw in Redmine, but who are not experienced enough in web development to realize why it is a flaw, I provide this succinct explanation from About.com:

"If you attach your own context menu this will not override the standard context menu in most browsers. Many will display the standard menu in front of yours making yours inaccessible. Some browsers also completely disregard any attempt to disable the context menu. Since many of your visitors will be actually using the standard context menu to navigate between web sites where their browser does allow you to change or disable the context menu you are actually preventing them from being able to use their browser properly and their first response will probably be to leave your site never to return."

That sums it up better than I could. Bottom line: do not interfere with the user's ability to use their web browser. It is both obnoxious and unnecessary.

My question remains, however -- is Redmine's full functionality available through standard web user interface elements?

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Ryan G over 15 years ago

Jeff answered this question. Yes it is. All the fucntionality can be accessed within the ticket.

The thing about software is choice, redmine has the ability to provide context when you right click issues, it doesn't override the context menu's anywhere else. When developing a website, your quote is correct, when developing a web app, i believe your quote is incorrect, and without an context there is no telling where it came from.

Everybody will say something different, and everybody as their own opinion. Mine is for web applications have a context sensitive menu is critical. Blocking the browsers right click on every pixel of space is uncalled for, but provided a better one in certain areas is a must.

AFAIK there is no way to access the browsers context menu from a web page, what they are doing is grabbing the right-click event and provided a hidden div popup at that point. I agree, having access to the native context menu of the browser would be awesome, but I'm sure that it would require a lot of work as no one browsers context menu is the same.

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Ryan G over 15 years ago

All your talk reminds me of this quote from an unkown source

"Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use."

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Nick Bolton over 15 years ago

If the app were to make this functionality optional I think it would solve all requests. I come from the camp that having right click menu makes the tool easier, quicker, and better from a user perspective. For those who are dependent on the traditional "web site" mentality they should be able to disable right click editing in preference of their browsers options. For those who understand how this feature is useful in a "web app" it should be available as it has been in the past.

I have heard both sides from those that use our instance of the app here and although both camps exist the majority use and are married to right click editing. The need to open up a ticket is seldom when right click editing is available which makes it much quicker for the user and thus gets used more often.

For a web app this is something that enhances the value, probably one of the best "features" of this web app. For those that prefer to click on the issue, click update, change a property, click save, then go back to the list page and find your place, then it should be possible to enable the use of the browsers native context menu.

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Nick Bolton over 15 years ago

Side note, we upgraded to 0.7.3 and this feature doesn't appear to exist anymore (tear, tear). I have tested using FF2, FF3, Safari, and IE and it doesn't work for any. Is anyone aware if it is still available?

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Jeff Dombach over 15 years ago

I think a user preference setting is a great idea! At this time, I am not aware of current Redmine page to add this feature to, although it seems like a simple enough feature that I am considering attempting implementing it to help support the community. Of course, it would probably be easier if the feature worked on my installation.

Jeff

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Eric Davis over 15 years ago

Nick Bolton wrote:

Side note, we upgraded to 0.7.3 and this feature doesn't appear to exist anymore (tear, tear). I have tested using FF2, FF3, Safari, and IE and it doesn't work for any. Is anyone aware if it is still available?

Right click still works in trunk, it even has some more actions added. Does anything appear when you use my site?

Eric

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Jeff Dombach over 15 years ago

What user and password?

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Nick Bolton over 15 years ago

https://projects.littlestreamsoftware.com/issues

It originally navigated you to the home page, but if you click on projects, then issues it would take you to the link above.

Right click editing still works on yours as it did on mine prior to upgrading. It must just be missing from the 0.7.3 release for some reason. Hmmm, I might have to switch my instance...

Thanks Guys!

Nick

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Eric Davis over 15 years ago

Nick Bolton wrote:

https://projects.littlestreamsoftware.com/issues

It originally navigated you to the home page, but if you click on projects, then issues it would take you to the link above.

Opps, that link was to a private project. My Timesheet project is public and you should be able to see the right click there.

Eric

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Jeff Dombach over 15 years ago

Right click works for me on your Redmine but still not on mine. I am also using 0.7.3.

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Erika Unverfährt almost 14 years ago

Ryan G wrote:

Jeff answered this question. Yes it is. All the fucntionality can be accessed within the ticket.

I can't find "the functionality" anywhere. I see that everything can be done by editing tickets one by one. But how can I do something with multiple issues?

My Background: I'm connecting to my Redmine 0.9.x installation using Opera (it's all about choices, you know). I noticed the checkboxes at the left of the Issues list and wondered about what can I do with them. I tried right-clicking since I've been already stumbled upon more-or-less exotic web pages that replace the context menu. But nothing happens. So how can I access this feature?

Trying to summarize motivations (don't want to reopen flame/hate wars!)

  • Replacing the context menu is a not really standardized feature, and every browser is free to implement it in a different way (yes, they do) or not at all.
  • Browsers that implement this feature usually offer a config option to switch it on/off.
  • Experience shows that this feature is equally used by web sites not for adding new functionality but rather to inhibit right click on web sites, nobody can forbid a suspicious user to switch this feature off.
  • Clearly I cannot convince every Browser manufacturers and every web application designer to do so, but in my opinion the sense of the context menu should be additive, e.g. a well-behaved application should ADD their functionality to the context menu of the browser, not try to REPLACE it.
  • And at least, I understand the differentiation between web sites and web applications. But if there is such a 'bulk edit' feature in Redmine I cannot accept being locked out from using it, simply because it is implemented in a way that my browser doesn't understand. We have had enough of product lockin/lockout in terms of nonstandard browser features.

So despite the ridiculous requirements at the start of this thread, I would ask for a method of bulk edit that can be used by everyone. And if there are SOME browsers out there that allow replacing the context menu then it would be a gimmick for people who feel the need for it.

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Felix Schäfer almost 14 years ago

Erika Unverfährt wrote:

My Background: I'm connecting to my Redmine 0.9.x installation using Opera (it's all about choices, you know). I noticed the checkboxes at the left of the Issues list and wondered about what can I do with them. I tried right-clicking since I've been already stumbled upon more-or-less exotic web pages that replace the context menu. But nothing happens. So how can I access this feature?

RedmineIssueList

Trying to summarize motivations (don't want to reopen flame/hate wars!)

See if it has already been discussed on the tracker, if not open a bug or a feature request to host this discussion. The forums are a place for community discussion, more executive decisions are made on the tracker.

RE: right-click functionality - Added by Muntek Singh almost 14 years ago

#3132 is what you are running into.

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