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Move and copy of media objects in media pools

Page Overview

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1 Initial Problem

By now it is possible to create folders in media pools and to put the media objects into this folders.

It is not possible to copy and move media object and complete folders
  • from one folder to another in the same media pool.
  • from one media pool to  another media pool.

2 Conceptual Summary

First you see a collection of all moving/copying processes in ILIAS to get an overview of the difference. Then we introduce 2 variants of copying/moving processes for media pool:
  • Move via Repository Tree in Modal
  • Move via Clipboard
Remark: ILIAS has two different clipboards:
  1. Clipboard in Mediapool (for Media Objects and Content Snippets) can be used wherever ILIAS Page Editor is used.
  2. "Invisible" Clipboard like in courses if you copy/move whole ILIAS objects (over submenu "Manage").
In this feature request we consider the last one when we talk about "copy/move over clipboard". "Copy into clipboard" is a one step action that won't be changed at the moment.

2.1 Collection of Moving or Copying Processes in ILIAS

ILIAS has several moving and copying processes (see accordeons).

List

Activate via "Manage" submenu

+ Clear workflow
+ "Paste" and "Copy to Clipboard" are visible on same level

- Workflow can be leaved unintentional by clicking on a tab. (Clutter of unhelpful elements in this workflow)

Table

Activate via Dropdown menu

+ Clear workflow (after finding "move" option in dropdown)


- Finding "Move" in a "Select" dropdown might be not so familiar like an "Action" menu (there are different ways for tables and lists to move objects).
- Workflow can be leaved unintentional by clicking on a tab. (Clutter of unhelpful elements in this workflow)

Table

+ Quick workflow (if you found "Insert" in Dropdown)


- Difficulty to find "Insert" option: "Insert" isn't in Dropdown when I first open it. Why it should be there after I clicked on "Move" option in dropdown?!
- Feedback "Question(s) selected for moving" not helpful to find "Insert" option.

Table

+ Quick workflow (if you found "Paste" on right corner of table)


- Difficulty to find "Paste" option: It's far away from where you clicked on "Move".
- Feedback "The selected question(s) are marked for moving" is not helpful to find "Paste" option.

+ Users are familiar with "Cut&Paste"-combination.


- Similar workflow like "Move" but called different.

2.2 Move/Copy Media Pool Items

Requirements for moving/copying media pool items :
  • All items in media pools shall be movable or copyable (Media Object, Content Snippet, Folder)
  • They shall be movable/copyable in same media pool and in another media pool.
At the moment (ILIAS 5.2) there are two different ways to move or copy an item:
  1. Move/Copy, then choose location in Repository Tree and paste.
  2. Move/Copy and Insert/Paste in same/other object (via clipboard).
We propose to use one of these suggestions.

Prefered solution for moving and copying mediapool item is a repository tree in modal because this solution could be adapted in all other scenarios to move/copy objects.

2.2.1 Variant 1: Repository Tree in Modal

Benefit

Difficulty

quick overview

media pool tree and whole repository tree needed

clear workflow

could be reused in other moving/copying actions

Procedure

  1. Action "move"/"copy" opens a round trip modal. There you see whole tree of your media pool.
  2. If desired: You can change to the whole repository tree (to paste items into another media pool). In this case you choose in repository your new media pool, afterwards tree structure of this media pool is displayed (a little bit like an internal link in page editor).
  3. A hint is shown: "Now, please select the desired location, where the selected objects should be pasted into and click the button ‘Paste’."
  4. You can choose the right place by clicking on a radio button (move) or one to several checkboxes (copy) (also the title of the (sub)folder can be clicked).
  5. Click button "Paste".
  6. Round Trip Modal closes itself.
Selected items will be paste in new place. A hint informs user, that everything worked fine: "All selected item(s) have been pasted into media pool.".

Proposed changes

  • Actions "Move" and "Copy" will be placed in dropdown menu in a "Action" column for each item for consistency reason.
  • To reduce the clutter on the left side ("open" icon, radio or checkbox button, object icon and title) we suggest to move the radio/checkbox button on the right side and to mark the whole line (more like copy course, where you make your checks on the right side of table).

2.2.2 Variant 2: Clipboard

Benefit

Difficulty

easy to choose several items

move/copy action is hidden

action is more like "Cut" instead of "Move"

"Paste" button may be overlooked

old fashioned

Procedure

  1. Select one or more items.
  2. Choose "Move" or "Copy" in dropdown menu.
  3. Click "Execute".
  4. Hint shows next steps you have to do: "The selected item(s) are marked for moving. Click "Paste" to insert item(s)." or "The selected item(s) are copied to the clipboard. Click "Paste" to insert item(s)."
  5. Go to desired media pool and/or desired folder.
  6. Click "Paste".
  7. Hint shows everything worked fine: "The item(s) have been pasted into the media pool".
Hint (step 4) should always be visible until user clicks on "Paste" button.

Proposed changes

  • Actions "Move" and "Copy" will be placed in dropdown menu that exists already (with Execute button) for mutiple edit.
  • Rename "Remove" option to "Delete" for consistency reason.

Open issue: Is there a rule, where button "Paste" has to be?
At the moment in examples above this button is placed in table. In copy/move process in lists this button is in a toolbar in submenu "Manage".

For media pool it could also be interesting to get such a "View / Manage" mode too (like Mediacast).

3 User Interface Modifications

3.1 List of Affected Views

  • Media Pool > tab "Folders"

3.2 User Interface Details

3.2.1 Variant 1: Repository Tree in Modal

Starting Point

Starting Point for Moving/Copying Actions

Move

Step 1: Choosing media pool folder (whole line is clickable)
Step 2 (otional): Change Media Pool

Copy

Step 1: Choose media pool folders to insert item(s).
Step 2 (optional): Change media pool.

3.2.2 Variant 2: Clipboard

Move / Copy

Step 1: Choose action
Step 2: Paste selected item(s).

3.3 New User Interface Concepts

The following Interface Elements are not entirely new but need some adaption and should be integrated into the centralized UI-Components:
  • Selection of Repository Tree (whole row clickable, new position of radiobuttons or checkboxes, as Modal). This is strongly related to the existing PR in: #360

4 Technical Information

No technical issues.

5 Contact

6 Funding

If you are interest in funding this feature, please add your name and institution to this list.

7 Discussion

By now it is possible to create folders in media pools and to put the media objects into this folders.
The feature I'm missing is to copy and move media object from one folder to another in the same media pool.
It should also be possible to copy and move media objects or the complete folders from one media pool to  another.

JF 19 Dec 2011: We highly appreciate the idea.

Oliver Samoila, 23 Mar 2015: I support this important feature for media pools and set it again for 5.1 on the JourFixe-Agenda.

Seiler, Yvonne [yvseiler], 23 March 2017: I have updated this feature request and adapted it to the new page structure. Put it on Suggested for 5.3.

Killing, Alexander [alex], 26 June 2017: I support this feature.

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], June 26, 2017: We highly appreciate this suggestion and schedule it for 5.3. 
  • At the 'Move Media Pool Item' screen (3.2.1) we would like to have just a button 'Change Media Pool' and no input. Clicking this button would substitute the internal explorer below by a repository explorer (where I select the target pool).
  • We would like to have both solutions implemented because we believe that both are useful - but with a clear preference of solution 1 (in case of funding restrictions).

JourFixe, ILIAS [jourfixe], 22 JAN 2018: We reschedule this feature request for 5.4 with the same preferences as mentioned last year.

Tödt, Alexandra [atoedt] At least some of this was implemented with Moving Objects in Media Pools for ILIAS 8

8 Implementation

{The maintainer has to give a description of the final implementation and add screenshots if possible.}

Test Cases

Test cases completed at {date} by {user}
  • {Test case number linked to Testrail} : {test case title}

Approval

Approved at {date} by {user}.

Last edited: 30. Aug 2022, 13:11, Tödt, Alexandra [atoedt]