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Feature #1753

closed

Make a copy of an entry

Added by Nina Richards almost 2 years ago. Updated almost 1 year ago.

Status:
Closed
Priority:
Normal
Category:
Backend
Target version:
Start date:
2022-06-21
Estimated time:

Description

As I mainly enter human teeth with all of their diseases now, it would save me a lot of time if it would be possible to make a copy of the last entry made. With that I mean an additional button next to insert and insert and continue and if you press that button, you get into a new entry form that has the same types filled in already as the last one I entered into the database. It would have to be possible to change the data (e.g. add more types - think of caries and calculus are already filled in but I want to add an abscess or alter the name of the new entry from 14_01 to 14_02).

Would that be possible at all? It would be highly beneficial for entering graves, burials, finds and human remains as a lot of them all have the same types (e.g. single burial, earth pit, etc.)

Actions #1

Updated by Alexander Watzinger almost 2 years ago

  • Tracker changed from Question to Feature
  • Category set to Backend
  • Status changed from New to Acknowledged
  • Target version set to 7.8.0

Thank you for reporting, this could improve the usability at data entry quite a lot.

I guess it would be possible if we only copy the information from the entity form. When we are talking about other information, e.g. source links, this would be way more complex.
Even if we only talk about the base information we still would need additional links in some situations, e.g. at your example with human remains, we would need the connections to the archeological sub units hierarchy.
So it's quite hard to estimate how much work this will be but I put it at the end of our roadmap for now.

Actions #2

Updated by Bernhard Koschiček-Krombholz over 1 year ago

  • Target version changed from 7.8.0 to 7.9.0
Actions #3

Updated by Alexander Watzinger over 1 year ago

  • Target version changed from 7.9.0 to 7.12.0
Actions #4

Updated by Alexander Watzinger about 1 year ago

  • Status changed from Acknowledged to In Progress
  • Assignee set to Alexander Watzinger

I was thinking about that and here are my thoughts, comments about them are welcome:

Placement
  • Offer a copy function for most entity classes (where it makes sense)
  • Instead at a form, offer this button at the entity detail view
    • Can than be used later too, not only when entering data
    • It's easier to implement, e.g. not having to deal with redirects after a form submission, especially if the form doesn't validate
    • At subunit forms there can be quite some submit buttons already, it could get confusing adding more
    • Even when entering data it would be just one click more: click on save which redirects to the detail view and than click on the copy button
Implementation
  • It would be like entering a new entity but fill the form like it is an update of the existing entity
  • We would ignore other links (e.g. to references) for now
  • We still have to take care about structure, e.g. keeping the "super" if it is a subunit
Actions #5

Updated by Alexander Watzinger about 1 year ago

  • Status changed from In Progress to Acknowledged
  • Assignee deleted (Alexander Watzinger)
Actions #6

Updated by Alexander Watzinger about 1 year ago

  • Status changed from Acknowledged to In Progress
  • Assignee set to Alexander Watzinger
Actions #7

Updated by Alexander Watzinger about 1 year ago

  • Status changed from In Progress to Acknowledged
  • Assignee deleted (Alexander Watzinger)
  • Target version changed from 7.12.0 to Wishlist

Although I initially thought that this might be easy to implement, just make an insert using the populate_update function, it turned out to be much more complicated.
E.g. some values are already set at the update form creation, and some are set later in the populate_update function

Because Nina, the author of the issue, said it's not that relevant anymore for her and we have more pressing issues, I put this back on the wishlist. Sorry about that.
On the bright side: I made some refactoring in the develop branch in preparation for this feature which also improved the general form functionality and will make it easier, if we pick up this issue again.

Actions #8

Updated by Alexander Watzinger almost 1 year ago

  • Status changed from Acknowledged to Closed
  • Assignee set to Alexander Watzinger
  • Target version changed from Wishlist to 7.12.0

Although I put it back on the wishlist a few days ago it still bothered me. So I tried a different approach and "hijacked" the update function for the copy function which turned out to be much easier.
It is implemented in develop and will be part of the upcoming 7.12.0 release.

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