Context menu (right-click) for the composer

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AI-generated summary

The discussion revolves around the context menu (right-click) for the Discourse composer. terraboss suggests implementing a dynamic context menu to bring main functionalities closer to the user, making formatting easier and more accessible, especially for complex math, programming, and formatted texts.

terraboss imagines a context menu that allows users to perform common actions such as making enumerations, bold, italic, links, and quotes, depending on the context (e.g., selected text, cursor position). They also wonder about the capabilities of mobile browsers in supporting such a feature.

However, codinghorror and merefield argue that typing is faster, and there are already keyboard shortcuts available for most formatting options. codinghorror points out that all toolbar formatting options have keyboard shortcuts, which can be discovered by mousing over the toolbar items.

terraboss counters that some options, such as those under the gear sub-menu (e.g., hide details, blur spoiler, uploads, and math equations), do not have keyboard shortcuts. codinghorror questions the frequency of use for these functions, but terraboss emphasizes their importance, particularly for uploads and math equations.

1

Hi guys,

I’m not sure how you’re work-flow is with the Discourse composer, but I’ll have to write a lot of more or less complex math, programming and other formatted texts. Sometimes the shortcuts are very helpful, but not as much user-friendly in my POV.

I think our formatting toolbar needs new feature and fresh look; less static, more dynamic and contextual.

How about a contextmenu that brings the main functionalities right to the place, where it’s needed (= finger tips & courser)? Actully, I’m not sure what capabilities we have with mobile browsers, but I would guess, it won’t be a problem to have at least some kind of “pop-up bubble” button with a fixed position or other kind of “magic”.

Let’s imagine the case you’ll …

  • write multiple lanes with text: What’s, what you wanna usually do?
    (My answer: making enumerations and bullet point lists … up to the last empty lane)

  • have selected some words: What’s, what you wanna usually do?
    (Make them bold, italic, link and quote them …)

  • have you’re course between words without selection: What’s, what you wanna usually do?
    (I would guess: put an emoji, a math formula or something special between… )

You’ll see my point. I don’t wanna make the right-click action less capable than the system / browser default. But we need some improvement at this very relevant user interface, so called “context menu”. Are there any APIs or web technologies out there, that addresses this issue / demand? Maybe browser plugin solutions?

Thanks in advance and I’m glad to hear you’re opinion …

Best

2

Typing is faster, and there are already keyboard shortcuts for this stuff.

3

You’re right, there are shortcuts for Discourse but not for the composer formatting options.

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4

I wrote this entirely from the keyboard

got to say

it was pretty quick.

  • I didn’t need any menu

  • it’s standard markdown

  • some things you need to consider:

    • ctrl-b is a keyboard shortcut … and works as expected
    • same for ctrl-i

Not so bad?

2 Likes
5

All toobar formatting options have keyboard shortcuts. Mouse over the toolbar items to see the shortcut.

2 Likes
6

Except those ones under the gear sub-menu

7

And you use those functions how often, exactly?

1 Like
8

Indeed.

  • Hide details (for embedding solutions and literature)
  • Blur spoiler (for solutions and anything “secret”)

And even for

  • Uploads (very common use case!!!)
  • Math equations (unfortunately not very well supported as reference by the formatting bar)