Text box title duplicated and only one instance updated

[Tony Butler]

When a new text box is created, its original title goes into the database in two places: artefact.title and block_instance.title. However if the title is then edited, only block_instance.title gets updated; artefact.title retains the original title.

This becomes an issue when the text box is viewed on its own, when both titles are displayed (whereas in the page view only the updated block_instance.title is displayed). The page owner is unable to update the original title via the Mahara interface as it doesn't appear at all when editing the block.

I think there are really two issues here: firstly that the title is only updated in one place, but also that both titles are displayed when the text box is viewed on its own. If the title has never been edited, the same title is displayed twice, which is unnecessary.

This has been tested in Mahara 1.8.1 on Ubuntu 13.10 with a Postgres database.

[Tony Butler (tonyjbutler)]

I'd be quite happy to work on this issue if one of the core developers could just give me a bit of advice as to how best to proceed, e.g.
- Is there a legitimate reason for the data being stored in two places or was this an oversight?
- Does it need to be updated in both places too, or should it only be stored in one place to begin with?

Cheers,
Tony

[Tony Butler (tonyjbutler)]

Verified that this is still an issue in Mahara 1.9.0.

[Robert Lyon (robertl-9)]

Hi Tony,

The way the text boxes work there is a parent (artefact) and children (block instances).

If you look on the Content -> Notes page (artefact/internal/notes.php) you get a better idea of what is happening - you can also change the artefact title there :)

Ok so the system works like this - a text box is added to a page and the artefact + block instance title are set as the same. (Editing the textbox title gives the block instance a new title). If you add another textbox to the page you can select 'Use content from another text box' link in it's config and choose the original text box.

Now the parent artefact has two children.

You can make another page and add a textbox to it and select 'Use content from another text box' link and choose the original text box again and now we have one parent with three children on two different pages.

So looking at the Content -> Notes page (artefact/internal/notes.php) page you should see the artefact listed, ant its block instances (and their names) and which pages they appear on.

This is slightly complicated and confusing but the way the system was designed to allow for reusable text boxes.

So when you view the artefact by itself by clicking on the title of a text box block instance you get to see the artefact and block instances titles - which can often be the same and so is annoying - but not actually a bug.

Cheers

Robert

[Tony Butler (tonyjbutler)]

Thanks Robert.

So are you saying that this isn't a bug at all, or just for the situations where the artefact title still makes sense when applied to the new block instance in its new context? What about when the artefact title doesn't make sense in the new context, or is even potentially confusing?

Cheers,
Tony

[Robert Lyon (robertl-9)]

Hi Tony,

I guess if one is using and then reusing text boxes then they'd want the artefact title to be as generic as possible to make sense.

If the artefact title isn't making sense in the new context, ie the child doesn't look like it should be related to the parent, it might be worth duplicating the artefact's content in a new unrelated (parent) textbox artefact.

Cheers

Robert

[Kristina Hoeppner (kris-hoeppner)]

Tony, are you still planning to work on this?

[Tony Butler (tonyjbutler)]

Sorry Kristina, I don't really have time at the moment. To be honest I'd forgotten all about it. Is it still an issue?

[Kristina Hoeppner (kris-hoeppner)]

Hi Tony. We haven't made any changes. If you still want to fix it, please feel free to put a patch through and we'll take a look. :-)

[Tony Butler (tonyjbutler)]

Thanks Kristina, but I'm afraid I just don't have the time to look into it at the moment.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for Mahara because there has been no activity for 60 days.]