http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=190457

This should be a quick 2-second patch to add a bit of functionality to the Writeups page on each user's nodes.

Basically when you view a user's writeups, you see a linkable anchor to their particular writeup, and then within that, you have the option to see the '..in reply to' and '..in thread' links to go up one or to the top node in the thread.

If the 'Node ID' was linkable on the actual Writeups page, a user could enter the thread from the top and begin reading down, without having to click on the particular reply in question (i.e. it would go to the root node). Sometimes I'd like to see the whole thread, outside my own reply, but having to click on my own reply, then on '..in thread' from there is one extra click I'd rather not have to do (not to mention the load on the server for the useless click and query to bring up my reply, which I use to bounce to the top of the thread anyway, and the network delay associated with that query; 21 seconds between pages now).

It currently looks like this:

Node ID Writeup Rep Created
190426 Re: owner of a file 6 2002-08-15 11:05:16
190417 Re: Showing â, ô etc in HTML 2 2002-08-15 10:48:52
What I'm suggesting would look like this (i.e. the Node ID would link to the root node of that reply):
Node ID Writeup Rep Created
190426 Re: owner of a file 6 2002-08-15 11:05:16
190417 Re: Showing â, ô etc in HTML 2 2002-08-15 10:48:52

The query to return the Node ID is already being done, why not just wrap it in [id://node_id|node_id] tags.. seems simple and non-destructive to the rest of the site integrity.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
(jeffa) Re: Linkable Node ID in Writeups
by jeffa (Bishop) on Aug 15, 2002 at 17:18 UTC
    I think it is a useful idea, but not a very good design. First, showing one number, but linking to another number (either in the Node ID or the title) can be confusing. Second, i really like being able to quickly double-click the Node ID for copy and paste purposes - make it a link and now i have to carefully select it, always a PITA. How about something like this:
    Node ID Parent ID Writeup Rep Created
    190426 190421 Re: owner of a file 666 2002-08-15 11:05:16
    190417 190399 Re: Showing â, ô etc in HTML 42 2002-08-15 10:48:52
    UPDATE:
    Yes. RootID is a much better name for that column ... it even physically fits better. :)

    jeffa

    L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L--
-R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR
B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B--
H---H---H---H---H---H---
(the triplet paradiddle with high-hat)
[reply]
      While we're on about this, how about another slight modification; adding a "Rep" and "Num" column to show the current reputation of the node, as well as the number of replies (children) inside that node.

      Also, calling it "Parent ID" is a bit misleading, since the parent of a reply wouldn't always be a root node. How about "Root ID" instead?:

      Node ID Root ID Writeup Rep Num Created
      190426 190421 Re: owner of a file 666 5 2002-08-15 11:05:16
      190417 190399 Re: Showing â, ô etc in HTML 42 12 2002-08-15 10:48:52

[reply]
        The reputation shouldn't be there for all the reasons it's not ordinarily visible from anywhere else either. I agree with the rest of the suggestions though.

        Makeshifts last the longest.

[reply]
Re: Linkable Node ID in Writeups
by tommyw (Hermit) on Aug 15, 2002 at 18:27 UTC

    This has danger of becoming more than a two second hack, but I'd like the same option on Newest Nodes. If the root node isn't new, but there is more than one new reply, then there's the choice of bouncing back and forth between Newest Nodes and the nodes themselves, or alternatively, picking one of the replies, and going from there to the root node. Either of these has the load and inconvenience disadvantges that Hacker mentions.

    Although I doubt this is a new suggestion, and somebody's about to direct me to reading an old thread ;-)

    --
    Tommy
    Too stupid to live.
    Too stubborn to die.

[reply]
[reply]
        Alas, I have still not cleaned up this newer version for the masses. The main problem is that it relies on local pieces of the various other perlmonks projects I host. Parts of the Offsite Perlmonks Search Engine and the search engine friendly mirror got thrown into the interface, and I'll need to cleanly seperate them again before the script is useful for anyone else....

        -Blake

[reply]

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