Collapsible settings for all settings pages?

I've gone through all of the settings pages for the included default Drupal modules and have applied the collapsible form fix. This really does make a *huge* difference... it makes the Settings interface more consistent and greatly improves readability. Let's get this one in! :)

Beat me to the post :) I just was reviewing the Forms API patch and realized this one is no longer applicable if that goes through.

chx, can you include the fixes in this patch with the forms api? it just makes a few extra menus 'collapsible' which with the new API, requires even less code change, haha!

Rerolled against HEAD.

Since it seems the FORM api is going to go in *after* the freeze, this should go in now, so before any of the forms are updated to the new API (so this change is accounted for later instead of having to do another patch :))

Waiting for the Forms API commit now.

Updated patch to work with the new Forms API. With chx's +1 from above I'd say this one is ready :-)

i'm confused, what is wrong with the patch? i'll fix it if you can be more specific, i can't fix it i don't know what is wrong.

Crell I agree completely. I was trying to be consistent with the current approach.

But the biggest problem with Drupal is it is not consistent with how it implements things so that was the reason for this patch, to at least make it consistent.

However, I do think we need some sort of *rule* for settings, so I propose this:

On settings pages, if there is only one fieldset, it should be set to collapsible but be open by default. If there is more than 1 fieldset, then all fieldsets should be collapsed for maximum readability and scanning (e.g., no scrolling), unless the first fieldset is relatively compact, in which case, it may be open.

My patch updates drupal to such a convention. Let's get talking and then commit this (or similar).

4 months later, here is a newly updated patch and improved rules :-)

1. All fieldsets should be collapsible. (patch to fix system_elements() so this always happens no need to remember)
2. All fieldsets should be collapsed unless:
   • There is only one fieldset, in which case it should *not* be collapsed
   • If the first fieldset of many is *not* that long, it should be left open, if it takes up too much screen space it should be collapsed

And here's the patch. Note, in this process I cleaned up the formatting of a majority of the forms code in core. Just formatting, *no* actual changes.

So what's the big deal? Apply this patch. Notice instantly how much more usable most of core is. Why's that? Simple, it adheres to the first rule of usability, be consistent otherwise you confuse your users. Not to mention, beautiful code is easier to tinker with ;-)

bad patch, here's one that works.

And an even better one that doesn't accidently reencode a few strings, doh utf-8!!! ;-)

fixed one more after talking with rkerr.

oops wrong one again, doh! i'm too tired, last one for tonight.

Updated against HEAD.

Updated against HEAD.

Ok new rules after talking with Morbus and Steven:

1. All fieldsets are of type collapsible
2. Fieldsets should only be collapsed when they *only* offer supplemental changes (e.g., node/1/edit, the main purpose of the form is title and body, all other options are supplemental).
   • If there are too many fieldsets on a page, or too many form elements, the fieldset should be collapsed (e.g., admin/settings, user/1/edit)

This new patch adheres to these changes and fixes formatting for a few forms.

After this, forms docs will be updated, and another patch will go into clean up the formatting of forms, along with removing redundant #collapsible ... make patches in small, editable chunks...

Updated patch, was missing 2 fieldsets.

Updated against HEAD.