[Feature Request] Session Dashboard - saving Filters and Sorting

[olw-medcom]

Hey there,

When I use the Session Dashboard and put in some filters or change the sorting of either active or completed test sessions, when I then leave the page i.e. visit a test session and go back to the Session Dashboard the filters and sorting is gone.

As a workaround I then have multiple windows open and avoid leaving the session dashboard.

But I was wondering if it would be possible with the new user preferences saving mechanism to also save the filters and sorting locally in the browser?

It's a minor quality of life thing, but would be appreciated 😊

[costas80]

Hi @olw-medcom,

Do you expect the sorting and filters to be persisted in general? For example you go to the session dashboard, apply some filters, go to the community management (or anywhere else that's unrelated), and then do back to the dashboard, and expect to see the same filters/sorting in place?

We did apply in certain pages the recording of current state (paging/filters) but not everywhere because it seemed unnecessarily "sticky". If there is no navigational relation between two separate visits to the dashboard (like going to a detail page and back) then it could be frustrating for some that they have to clear active filters do look for something else.

Instead of applying a blanket stickyness to paging/filtering/sorting options from the dashboard, it could be more precise to do this for the specific navigation actions you are doing (i.e., going to a detail page rather than any other page). From what you said...

leave the page i.e. visit a test session and go back to the Session Dashboard

... you mean that you go to a conformance statement page? Asking because "visiting a test session" is done in-place by expanding the relevant row.

[olw-medcom]

Yes indeed it is when I go to the conformance statement page from the Session Dashboard 😊

[costas80]

And how do you currently go back? Browser back button?

The "Back" button on the statement detail page takes you now back to the "logical" back which is the conformance statement listing page but we could/should change this to remember that you came from the session dashboard (or the "My test sessions" page) and take you back there. In doing so we can also record/restore the filters/paging/sorting etc. that were in place.

So to summarise:

1. Go to session dashboard or "my test sessions"
2. Expand a session and visit a conformance statement
3. Click "Back" or do browser back -> You should go back to the session dashboard or "my test sessions" page with all filters/paging/sorting preserved.

Does this sound about right?

[olw-medcom]

It does sound right, however I just came up with perhaps an easier solution?

On this picture, the View X, button has a little arrow-from-a-box icon which to me normallly suggests that clicking this button will open in a new tab, this however, it does not. And actually if it just did that, there would be no problem at all, because then I would never leave the Session Dashbaord in the original tab and thereby lose my filterings 🤔 And you will get around the problem that perhaps some users don't want sticky filters / sorting.

Even if you don't want it to open in a new tab always, perhaps the normal browser ability to middle click on a button, which then opens it in a new tab would also work, but when I click the middle mouse button on these buttons, it does not work

[costas80]

Hmm, I get the point on the icon there being misleading. The idea with this icon is that this button makes a navigation action that takes you out of context (which is why also the "Back" button does not take you back currently). To be honest I am reluctant about opening new tabs unless it's to leave the application altogether (e.g. like when you click the user guide link in the footer).

In this case I think I'd prefer to maintain search/paging/sorting state and allow you to return to the session dashboard. Moreover, I think that making an exception for the "View statement" option to do this is reasonable because all other "View X" options take you to something that would never be conceived as a "detail page". Granted, the conformance statement is also not a detail page of the test session but it is a navigational flow that makes sense in terms of going back and forth.

Considering this, is my earlier summary good for you? (repeating below)

1. Go to session dashboard or "my test sessions"
2. Expand a session and visit a conformance statement
3. Click "Back" or do browser back -> You should go back to the session dashboard or "my test sessions" page with all >filters/paging/sorting preserved.

[olw-medcom]

Fair enough, that is totally your decision. Indeed the summary would work, granted that it works for all the different "view" buttons, i.e. View test suite, view test case, view domain etc.

[costas80]

Ok - let's proceed like this then. Recapping:

• Any time you follow a "View X" button (either from the session dashboard or the conformance statement display), the "Back" button in the resulting page will take you back to where you came from.
• When going back all filters/sorting/paging status is preserved. Note that the same applies also when using the browser back button.

I'll do my best to include this in the upcoming stable release but can't promise this as this update is quite cross-cutting. In any case I'll let you know here when its ready.

[olw-medcom]

That sounds good!