[GeneX-dev] Re: Streamlining repetitive data entry..

[Michael P. <mic...@ho...>]

Hi Greg,


> Michael:
>
> I am really impressed that you had the patience to go into the Curation
Tool
> code.
>

I thought that is what open source is all about.

> We have spent a lot of time in the past thinking about this problem, and
came to
> the conclusion it is better to implement the USE AS TEMPLATE button.
Here's
> why...

I don't think it is an question of preferring one approach over another.
There is room for both.

>
> If you make an ADD button have defaulted fields, it is in effect a MODIFY
> button. This confuses the meaning of ADD. As a user, I have no way to get
a set
> of blank fields if ADD always produces default values.

ADD = create a new entry
MODIFY=change an existing entry

>
> USE AS TEMPLATE gives the user more power over the default values. It does
not
> simply rely on the last values (although I suspect, as with virtual
memory, that
> the last values entered make the best defaults for the next pass).
>
> Finally, the USE AS TEMPLATE button will do a deep copy clone of the
record it
> is templating. This means that all screens at all levels below will have
the
> correct default values, and all records will already be saved. I don't
think
> this happens in ADD mode. I think you must force each screen entered to
have its
> dirty bit set to guarantee a save if the user changes no values in the
screen.
> Or am I missing something here?

I think your intention for USE A TEMPLATE is becoming clearer...if I USE A
TEMPLATE
on a Hybridization set, then it clones all of the array measurements and
spot data in it as well.
COPY might be a more clear term for this operation.

Regards,

Michael Pear