Update Status Page

In the quite-usual case, drupal site will have some numbers of module and good admin tends to update them when possible. So the 'Up-to-Date' section will be very long (see admin/build/modules - the same length). How does your proposal solve this problem?

I don't have solution either. Let's think:

• Not to show 'Up-to-date' at all
• Tab for 'Update' (all other three types) and 'Up-to-Date'

Could we use any best practice from Firefox Add-ons manager?

It needs some spatial contrast between the tables, and the range of font styles, sizes and colours needs to be toned down. There's so much information on the screen and it's all presented in a different way - very confusing.

I think it would help if you could explain what's wrong with the current update page as well.

I've been talking with EclipseGc about this in IRC a bit. I'm not sure anymore if this is the modules page or the update status page or a proposal to merge the two.

A rundown of what is broken now and what is in your proposal that fixes this would be very helpful.

First let me start by saying that I'm not sure that there's any need to have "Up To Date" modules be hidden. You're not the first to suggest this, but under the existing system ALL modules ALWAYS show... I think this is actually a good thing as it leaves no questions in the users mind about the status of their module. Also I've done a bit of work to collapse these line items' size so that it's easier to see at a glimpse exactly what is going on.

What I wanted to fix on this was basically that the existing system jumbles everything together, up to date and critical updates are right next to each other meaning that the users have to be their own filter and basically they get a little pretty color to make things a little easier. I think we can all agree that's sub-optimal.

As far as all of my different text, I had a concern that people would not understand the different between available updates and new releases. Webchick had suggested this approach, and the significance of it has needed explaining to numerous active drupalistas, so I felt that the information I provided next to each major area was pertinent and necessary. With the exception of this text, I don't feel like the page is any more text heavy that the existing system, and it visually sorts and divides the existing system to work much better.

With all that said this is JUST the update status page, my mockups for the modules page itself will be forthcoming yet. (I have a lot of work yet to do) My only other thought for more visual separation is that we could collapse ALL the categories and put numbers on them that denote how many modules in each section there are that need updating or are up to date. This would be nice for a quick "HUD" sort of interface, but it would also mean clicking just to see what needs updating which I'm not hot on.

Eclipse

I'm -1 for extra clicks, unless it's vertical/tabs summaries with a list of each module in the section or something - but that could wait for that specific patch to land.

In general this looks good to me - having critical updates up top is very useful. I often use the 'up to date' area to check which particular version of a module I'm running - i.e. there are occasions I want to be running -dev due to fresh bug fixes and that sort of information is easiest to get from this page. Also, if every module is up to date, and we hid up to date modules, we'd have an empty page instead of nice reassuring green, don't like the idea of that.

your comments reflect my own feelings quite closely. You said more concisely what I tried to say in the above post.

ditto on -1 of extra clicks. Apart from the extra work, it breaks the find function built into the browser.

I don't quite understand why the current organisation is suboptimal as it is very simple to scan (although perhaps it is less so if you have colour blindness; I don't know). One negative with the revision is that if you were looking for a specific module (as in the scenario catch mentions above), you may now have to look in four separate areas until you find it since the modules will move around. Something to consider.

You seem to have lost the 'recommended version', 'development version' and 'also available' titles. What is your thinking here?

Have you considered removing the 'includes' text? Is it useful in this context?

The exclamation point is used for another status already if I remember correctly.

Under 'new versions' there is an entry that says 'up to date', which seems a bit bizarre.

I like the horizontal separation in importance and the vertical separation between module names and version/download information.

That said:

• The explanations ("Apply immediately" etc.) seem to me like Drupal form field descriptions, so I'd style them alike (gray, below the title). That way you can get rid of the colons.
• As rowanw suggested, separate the four tables
• I'd align the current and available version numbers. This will make it easier to see the version difference.
• Available version number and Release notes link to the same page. Remove the link from available version number.
• The four categories are labeled Critical updates (I believe we don't do title case?), Available updates, New versions and Up to date. Labels on the right don't match. They are either Update available or Up to date. This seems wrong. Perhaps get rid of the labels on the right all together?

Also: "There are currently no non-critical updates available for any of your modules." That's twelve words.
Better: "None".
Maybe even better: leave it empty.

Are 4 kinds of update too many?

What I want to know

• "Update it immediately right now or your system might be unsecure" = Critical update
• "Something newer is out. Nice to update/upgrade it" = Available Updates, New Versions
• "It's fine. Don't need to do anything" = Up-to-date

How about merge Available Updates and New Versions together in the same category and distinguish them by icon or something else?

I was thinking about how the information could be presented evenly across the page to reduce the amount of eye and hand movement required by the user. In Eclipse's example there is vast amounts of unused space in the middle of the page, while the information on the left and right looks like it's being pushed out of the way. The importance of the information also seems to be determined by how big and bold it is, which gives it an untidy appearance.

I decided to create my own mock-up (see attached) from Eclipse's example and factored in what myself and others have suggested already. I think the download link should be more obvious, but I can't think of a solution.

Feedback is definitely welcome.