[jira] [Commented] (NIFI-8467) Improve UX of adding a process group using a flow definition

["Rob Moran (Jira)" <ji...@apache.org>]

    [ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/NIFI-8467?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel&focusedCommentId=17330801#comment-17330801 ] 

Rob Moran commented on NIFI-8467:
---------------------------------

Hey [~andrewmlim] you point out very good points here and I agree the experience can be improved. Let's brainstorm some ideas and I can put together some mockups to illustrate a good design solution. Let me know what you think.

> Improve UX of adding a process group using a flow definition
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
>                 Key: NIFI-8467
>                 URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/NIFI-8467
>             Project: Apache NiFi
>          Issue Type: Improvement
>          Components: Core UI
>    Affects Versions: 1.14.0
>            Reporter: Andrew M. Lim
>            Priority: Major
>         Attachments: import2.png
>
>
> https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/NIFI-8260 added the ability to select a flow definition file to add a new process group to the NiFi canvas.  This is a very useful feature, but I had some thoughts on how to improve the UX:
>  * The placeholder text says "Enter a name or select a file to upload" which is ambiguous and doesn't exactly describe what is happening when using this feature.
> I'm assuming that the only valid files to select are flow definitions (JSON file).  So it would be helpful to say "select a flow definition" in the placeholder text instead. Also, saying "upload" can be interpreted differently. If something is uploaded, I assume it is stored somewhere in the application and can be selected later for future use. That is consistent with the "Upload Template" functionality we have in NiFi. You upload a template first. Then, you can add that template to the canvas. So this would be my suggested new placeholder text if references to "upload" are removed:
> "Enter a name or select a flow definition file"
> Note: If this change is implemented, the text "File to Upload:" that is shown after selecting the file should be changed to "Flow definition file:"
>  * The icon added in the Process Group Name field is the same icon used for "Upload Template" in the Operate Palette. It would be helpful if we had a different icon to avoid confusion.
>  * This is not related specifically to the change from NIFI-8260, but related to the dialog under discussion. The "Import from Registry" icon seems to signify a download (from the cloud) not an import. Perhaps replace with the icon I'm attaching to this Jira where the arrow is sideways.
> Looking beyond the above minor tweaks to the UI, here are some thoughts that may require larger changes to address/implement:
>  * I like how the new feature allows the user to choose the name of the new process group when a flow definition file is selected. But, I found it confusing when the user doesn't enter a name. In this case, the name defaults to the name of the file itself.  I expected the name to default to the process group name defined _within_ the JSON file. For example:
> {
>  "flowContents": {
>  "identifier": "dca9377b-b785-34fe-b594-194f526aa914",
>  "name": "PG_Name",
>  "comments": "",
>  "position":
> { "x": 535, "y": 284 }
> ,
> When the same flow definition JSON file is imported into Registry. If you then import this from the Registry, the name of the process group will be "PG_Name".
>  * I feel like this new feature is more similar to "Import from Registry" and could therefore be implemented as a "Import from Flow Definition" link which opens a new Import from Flow Definition dialog. Details for this implementation would need to be fleshed out.



--
This message was sent by Atlassian Jira
(v8.3.4#803005)