update.php's select list can be puzzling to users. It preselects to a version to upgrade from, but doesn't have any helper/usability text next to that option. This means if the user selects another option, goes out of the select box, then realises they want to change it back to the default one they may not remember what number that was, and hence can only get the preselected value back by pressing refresh (or viewing source).

This patch adds text " - Suggested (automatically detected)" after the update revision number.

CommentFileSizeAuthor
#5 update.php.diff.txt649 bytesdrumm
update_suggest_usability.patch633 bytesjakeg

Comments

alexanderpas’s picture

alexanderpas commented

it might be even interesting to put an versionnumber instead of a plain number

Uwe Hermann’s picture

Uwe Hermann commented
Version: 4.7.0-beta4 » 4.7.0

Still valid, I guess.

Steven’s picture

Steven commented

The "automatically detected" seems a bit redundant. It is already explained in the text.

Still, the plain truth is that people should not be messing with the version number except for dev/testing purposes. You cannot run individual updates anyway, only decide the starting point. Many updates will corrupt data if you run them twice (and it is not trivial to avoid this), meaning you cannot postpone an early update without having to run all the later updates again (unless you hack the code).

For the most part, that form is indicative not instrumental: which modules require and have updates? The update system is coded in a sensible fashion, and as long as module authors keep schema versions unique, there should be no problem at all.

jakeg’s picture

jakeg commented

Even more reason to have the text there. Else someone clicks on the dropdown, scrolls to another option not knowing what its all about. Selects another option. Goes back and reads over the helper text above and figures out they shouldn't have done what they just did, then forgets which option should have been selected.

But as you say, maybe not having a dropdown at all would be better i.e. not give people an option to change the schema version.

drumm’s picture

drumm
he/him
Location NY, US
commented
StatusFileSize
new update.php.diff.txt649 bytes

Here is an alternate wording which might be better.

I do think making the fields read-only might be a good idea if we put in a UI to change the version number in devel.module.

dries’s picture

dries commented
Status: Needs review » Needs work

Neil's patch doesn't fix the problem, IMO. I think we should add a setting to update.php that lets developers flip on the checkboxes. It shouldn't be in devel.module, IMO. I don't use devel.module on a daily basis, and would be annoyed if I had to. A setting in update.php does the job, IMO.

RobRoy’s picture

RobRoy commented

I agree that for the noobs we need some sort of (Advanced users only) on the panel title... like "Override automatically detected versions (Advanced users only)" instead.

The version of Drupal you are updating from has been automatically detected. You can select a different version, but you should not need to.

Technically it's not the "version" of Drupal they are updating from that is being detected...since most people consider 4.6, 4.7 to be the "versions". I'll have to think about this more to get some better help text.

killes@www.drop.org’s picture

killes@www.drop.org commented
Version: 4.7.0 » x.y.z

moving to cvs

LAsan’s picture

LAsan commented
Version: x.y.z » 7.x-dev

moving to cvs

lilou’s picture

lilou commented
Status: Needs work » Closed (won't fix)

Since #286035: Remove update.php number dropdowns is commited, WF.