grass7 wxgui query: allow copying individual elements from query results

[mlennert]

In the current implementation of map querying in the grass7 wxgui, when you click on the display a dedicated window ("Query results") opens with the r/v.what results. One can copy the complete window contents to the clipboard, but not individual elements.

This makes working with these results a bit tedious as if you need a specific element you have to copy the entire contents of the window to a text editor to then be able to copy just what you need.

It would be much more practical IMHO to be able to directly select and copy individual elements.

Linked to that one might also question the need of the dedicated display window. Why not simply continue to use the console output ?

Moritz

[annakrat]

Replying to mlennert:

In the current implementation of map querying in the grass7 wxgui, when you click on the display a dedicated window ("Query results") opens with the r/v.what results. One can copy the complete window contents to the clipboard, but not individual elements.

This is a limitation of wxPython. There are a few possibilities what to do:

• on right click show context menu with 'copy selected value'
• add checkbox 'show query results also in command console'
• let the user choose in preferences if to use the dialog or not (use command console)

Linked to that one might also question the need of the dedicated display window. Why not simply continue to use the console output ?

The dialog has some advantages:

• dialog is more natural for new and not advanced users
• the results are better organized, for example the output of raster querying for more maps is a mess (but I understand that this argument is more about the formatting than using dialog)
• dialog uses tree structure, so you can hide some results

Regards,

Anna

[mlennert]

Replying to annakrat:

Replying to mlennert:

In the current implementation of map querying in the grass7 wxgui, when you click on the display a dedicated window ("Query results") opens with the r/v.what results. One can copy the complete window contents to the clipboard, but not individual elements.

This is a limitation of wxPython. There are a few possibilities what to do:

• on right click show context menu with 'copy selected value'

Does this allow to select several lines of output and copy those, or would this imply copying each element separately ? If the former, then I think this would be a nice solution.

• add checkbox 'show query results also in command console'
• let the user choose in preferences if to use the dialog or not (use command console)

I think this will lead to more confusion. Let's stick to one place.

Linked to that one might also question the need of the dedicated display window. Why not simply continue to use the console output ?

The dialog has some advantages:

• dialog is more natural for new and not advanced users

I can see the idea (although I'm not sure that this is true for everyone), but at the same time there are some that criticize the window inflation in GRASS. Having one place (command console) for output reduces that inflation and IMO makes usage more consistent.

• the results are better organized, for example the output of raster querying for more maps is a mess (but I understand that this argument is more about the formatting than using dialog)

I do think that this can be solved by better formatting.

• dialog uses tree structure, so you can hide some results

I agree that this is a nice feature, but not indispensable.

In summary, I won't make a religion out of the choice of dedicated window vs console, but I do think that the query results have to be "copyable".

Also to echo an earlier debate [1], I still think that having the option to access editable attributes without having to activate map feature editing would be a plus.

Moritz

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[wenzeslaus]

Moritz, can you please review your requests according to current status in trunk (e.g. r59071)?

[mlennert]

Replying to wenzeslaus:

Moritz, can you please review your requests according to current status in trunk (e.g. r59071)?

Yes, at this stage I can do all that I want. It would have been nicer to be able to just select and copy arbitrary parts of the output in the dedicated window, instead of having to go through command console just for that, but I can live with it.

Editable attributes is still a wish, but that should be a separate ticket.

Closing the ticket as fixed.

[annakrat]

Replying to mlennert:

Replying to wenzeslaus:

Moritz, can you please review your requests according to current status in trunk (e.g. r59071)?

Yes, at this stage I can do all that I want. It would have been nicer to be able to just select and copy arbitrary parts of the output in the dedicated window, instead of having to go through command console just for that, but I can live with it.

Just to make sure, have you tried copying by right click and selecting what you want to copy from the context menu?

[mlennert]

Replying to annakrat:

Replying to mlennert:

Replying to wenzeslaus:

Moritz, can you please review your requests according to current status in trunk (e.g. r59071)?

Yes, at this stage I can do all that I want. It would have been nicer to be able to just select and copy arbitrary parts of the output in the dedicated window, instead of having to go through command console just for that, but I can live with it.

Just to make sure, have you tried copying by right click and selecting what you want to copy from the context menu?

Yes, and it works fine, thank you. In the above, the word 'arbitrary' was important, meaning that I can copy any part of the total output (i.e. any number of lines). As I can do it via redirection to the command console it is fine.

Moritz