I'm not sure if this is a new issue I am adding or if it should be a new feature request. The only other closely related issue is to add the link to the theme layer.
#503938: Users Set the Parent Menu Item to "Add a main menu item"

See a video:
http://vimeo.com/6556641

I see a problem with the Add menu link, when a path doesn't exist. I'd like to user test this. Because, to be honest, I've found this confusing, and I think a few simple fixes would improve it... just need to prove I'm not the only one.

Currently: (http://vimeo.com/6556641)

1) User wants to add an "about" page, and they click "Add a main menu link" so the 'link' and the content can be accessed from there.

2) They type in title of menu link, and their desired path

3) The system tells them the content doesn't exist, and they are given no options.

Possible improvement:

1) User Clicks 'Add menu link'

2) Types in title and path.

3) If path doesn't exist, system can tell user immediately, and offer to link to content creation.

Other ideas:

- If content doesn't exist after checking, offer a link to node/add content creation page?
- Or offer a pull-down menu listing the content types they can add, and direct them to appropriate content creation page.
- Or automatically create the path, and when they click the link, say content doesn't exist yet, and give a menu showing content they can add there.

Does anyone else see this as a problem?

Comments

heather’s picture

Problems related to menu item creation:
#410464: Menu name = node title upon node edit through user interface

Need to know path to create a menu item
http://drupalusability.org/node/125

No easy way to link to a node from menu module
http://drupalusability.org/node/72

Forgot to add menu name
http://drupalusability.org/node/66

Bojhan’s picture

I would like to propose to completely remove this link, and want to make a clear separation between this actual link and the work flow of adding a menu link - which is somewhat broken. Let's address the removing of add a main menu link issue here, and open a new or address the submitting a new menu item issue elsewhere.

Noyz’s picture

I completely agree with this. I've been testing Drupal now with seasoned Drupal people, and even they are falling into the trap you show in your video.

People are looking to create pages that so happen to have a menu link in them, not create menus that so happen to have a page. This link would work quite well if it said "add a page" and it took the user to creating a page. Instead we ask them to add a menu, to which they dont yet have a page, and even if they did, they don't recall the url reference to it.

Bojhan’s picture

@Noyz Your last issue, should be resolved as soon as we are able to search nodes. We can now, but it can take up to three hours for cron to run, so we want to be able to search nodes on submission of them. Should be fixed soon.

yoroy’s picture

Title: "Add a main menu link" potentially confusing work-flow » remove the "Add a main menu link"
Status: Needs work » Active

Retitle and setting back to "active" status. "Needs work" only if there's a patch somewhere.

And another vote for removing the link. like noyz says in #3, the expectation is to add a link to a page, not a page to a link.

yoroy’s picture

Category: feature » bug
Status: Active » Needs review
StatusFileSize
new777 bytes

Hunted down this string and found it in the default install profile. Removed the part that inserts this link. I think.

Status: Needs review » Needs work

The last submitted patch failed testing.

yoroy’s picture

Ok… Ehm, help! :-)

seutje’s picture

subscribe

gábor hojtsy’s picture

Status: Needs work » Needs review
StatusFileSize
new1.71 KB

Test assumed main-menu is there but that is not returned if there is not at least one menu item. Fixing the test by removing the main-menu check and noting that in a comment.

gábor hojtsy’s picture

BTW there is more proof that people expect some kind of action when selecting "Add new menu item" in the menus listing on nodes. Also, they do not expect this to be a simple menu item under where their item will appear. Video of a user test at http://vimeo.com/groups/drupalux/videos/6779963

yoroy’s picture

Status: Needs review » Reviewed & tested by the community

I think we've made it sufficiently clear that this approach is not helping people create navigation.

dries’s picture

Status: Reviewed & tested by the community » Fixed

Committed to CVS HEAD. Thanks.

Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)
Issue tags: -Needs usability review, -Usability

Automatically closed -- issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.