Category: UI / UX (User interface and experience)

Preview button discards all edits made in the text box and returns to initial list of Content Templates without saving changes. In order to preview content, user must Save, then create a new Page based on the template.

[https://doc.tiki.org/Trackers | Trackers] in Tiki are [https://tikitrackers.org | touted] as an easy, convenient way to rapidly build databases and simple web interfaces for them, essentially simple knowledge management applications for all types of organizations. However, creating the interfaces to view them and integrate them into wiki pages is harder and more confusing than it should be, because it expects you to magically know the exact raw values to be used, instead of offering you choices of valid values based on the current combination of filters.

Let's say I want to quickly make a nice table showing a sortable and searcheable list of items from a Tiki tracker; to my understanding, I am supposed to use PluginList to do that (instead of TrackerList ..?), however when I try to use [https://doc.tiki.org/PluginList---Graphical-User-Interface | the GUI] to do it (as of Tiki 24 and older, this means clicking the "?" button on the right of the page content's editor toolbar, then clicking "Plugin Help", then searching for "List", then clicking the little icon on the left of the "List" name), I get a GUI that can help write the syntax... however, even if I somehow figure out that I need to add filters for:

* type="trackeritem"
* field="tracker_id" content="some number"
* field="some_other_variable" contents="something else"

...it's not really easy nor efficient, because it expects you to magically know and input the exact value needed, instead of offering you choices of valid values. This is annoying when editing an existing List, but it's even more annoying and intimidating when creating a new one, because you're facing a blank page and have no idea what to add where.

Ideally, whenever and wherever possible, it should provide a "picker" widget that lets you select among valid values. For example, in the case of tracker_id, it should show me a list of trackers with their names (i.e. some dropdown combobox widget that has not just the ID numbers, but also the nicknames of those trackers). Same with tracker_status, and various other fields; particularly for fields that have multiple choices (instead of raw strings that could be anything), it would make a lot of sense to present those choices to pick from.

I understand that Trackers are a power user tool, but certainly there would be areas in the GUI where Tiki could present "choices" and presets that accelerate the workflow and productivity, instead of requiring the user to memorize a bunch of numbers and raw values (and not make any mistakes) or have a big amount of browser windows open side by side to try to find the information in one window and input the information in the other. It would just be so much faster if the software could assist and speed up the human in this task; after all, that's what we have computers for!

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What first caught my attention was this message in a forum thread: "There are no comments at this time." I assumed this means there are no ''replies'' at this time, but this could be confusing to new users - what is the difference between a comment and a reply? [https://matrix.to/#/!SLEgqpTNTlGYAhzNvK:gitter.im/$7GRemHDJXuNdyie5ox7Z06urEoEEqXHjZ2gww1CTZ94?via=gitter.im&via=matrix.org&via=coeus.ca|It was pointed out] that probably the same code is used for forums and comments like those at the bottom of wiki pages.

I thought about some ways to either change the code to provide two different messages or change the alert message to cover both contexts.

But then I thought what is the purpose of the alert message to begin with? It is already obvious that the forum post has no replies or the wiki page, etc. has no comments. So I propose replacing the message that states the obvious to a message that is positive and engaging, something like "Contribute your thoughts", "Add your thoughts", or "Share your thoughts" along with an appropriate icon.

As this page shows - https://dev.tiki.org/tiki-pagehistory.php?page=Addons+Cleanup&newver=76&oldver=70 - the page history table as shown in Chrome/chromium browsers is wider than the center column and so needs horizontal scrolling for all the table contents to show. The table only contains text, so there's no reason it couldn't display within the column width without scrolling being needed. In Firefox, which I use almost all the time, the table does in fact display without scrolling (it's narrower and taller).

I know this is a new feature, but it is better to deal with this earlier than later... ;-)

At doc we have : https://doc.tiki.org/System%20Trackers that is about "system trackers" and mention "new section in Control Panels > Trackers > 'System Trackers'"
When I go to a fresh Tiki 23, searching for "System Trackers"in the admin search preferences doesn't help. (results are really not what I'm looking for)
If I search for "System", the option "Exchange rates tracker" is displayed among too many things (yeah System is used I Tiki ;-) )

This feature (section) is important enough to deserve its own tab (it will also rank the degree of "importance") and this section is (will be) a collection of trackers so it will grow and even with 3 or 4 tracker option (accordion) that will be awkward at the bottom of the page.

Go to tiki-searchresults.php page and click to SearchHelp link.
In help window, check strings:
''Example: wiki and (forum blog) will find objects that contain wiki and forum or that contain wiki and blog in any order.''
and
''Use double quotes ( "" ) around a phrase to find terms in the exact order, next to each other. Example:"Alex Bell" will not find Bell Alex orAlex G. Bell but Alex Bells.''

... doesn't show in other language. Of course, translation strings exist in language.php

On Tiki23, when captcha is set to the original one (not Google) an image is displayed below an input field where you need to enter what you see on the image.

However with Select2 enable as soon as I change focus on the input field (click in it) the feedback message "No items to show" is displayed over the image the user should "read" hidden it.

Select2 is located here: Control panels, Features, Interface;
jQuery Select2 Select Boxes : enable
Select2 Sortable Multiselect : enable

Captcha is located at Control panels, Log in, Captcha.

See this screenshot (dev upload is broken) : https://ibb.co/h1pQz95

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From matrix chat - Wed, Feb 25, 2026 and after

Sorry if that doesn't sound hard core dev, but I could salvage 2 Tiki29 I updated in the last 2 days, by discarding last changes (reverting) on these 4 files:

src/js/jquery-tiki/tiki-menu.js - Menu JavaScript functionality
templates/bootstrap_smartmenu.tpl - Main menu template
templates/bootstrap_smartmenu_children.tpl - Submenu template
themes/base_files/scss/_tiki-menus.scss - Menu styling (SCSS)
(I had to re-applied my own other fixes and custom)
If it help anyone...

---

Check also:

The relevant MR pages are https://gitlab.com/tikiwiki/tiki/-/merge_requests/8600 and https://gitlab.com/tikiwiki/tiki/-/merge_requests/9489 and link to the related task.

I've been trying to reproduce the problem in a Tiki 27 instance where Smartmenus work but so far haven't been able to. One problem I see in the image and video demonstrating the problem is a z-index issue with the menu dropdown displaying underneath the page header, so this blocks access to the top items of the dropdown. In my test with a fairly current branch 27, that is fixed so the top of the dropdown is accessible.

So in viewports taller than the dropdown, the whole dropdown displays. In viewports shorter than the dropdown, the cutoff end of the dropdown gets an up arrow (at the bottom of the viewport) or a down arrow (at the top of the viewport) to scroll the dropdown items.

So I don't see the original problem that needed solving. If I'm missing something, hopefully somebody can let me know.

[ENH][UX] SmartMenus: Enable scrolling for long dropdowns to ensure all submenus are visible (!8600) · Merge requests · Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware / Tiki · GitLab - GitLab
Enable scrolling for long dropdowns in SmartMenus to ensure all submenus are visible Related task: https://avan.tech/item143455

[FIX] Admin dropdown menu being cut off near viewport bottom (!9489) · Merge requests · Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware / Tiki · GitLab - GitLab
Fix admin dropdown menu being cut off near viewport bottom Follow-up to

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{img fileId="3243" thumb="box"}

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I'm trying to configure an instance of a "Permissions" link in a dropdown so that it matches the other dropdown items.

On wiki pages, in the page bar, activated by clicking the "More" button, there's a dropdown with links. The only one with an icon is "Permissions", and I wanted to try removing the icon by editing templates/tiki-page_bar.tpl. I can remove the icon with these parameters: -+ {permission_link mode="button" . . . addclass="dropdown-item" . . . . } +- but then the link is given the -+ btn-primary +- class. To get rid of that class, I can us these parameters: -+ {permission_link mode="button_link" . . . addclass="dropdown-item" . . . . } +- but then the "key" icon displays, so the choice seems to be between the correct button classes plus an icon that can't be removed, or the icon removed but an unwanted button class added.

I think it would be best if the -+ btn-primary +- class wasn't forced with -+mode="button"+-. If the situation calls for a primary button, that class can be added with -+addclass+- .

(It's also possible that I'm missing some configuration detail so maybe user error on my part. ;-) )

By the way, I tried changing the key icon to something else just for a test, and neither -+glyph=+- nor -+icon=+- had any effect in my experimenting.

On most of Tiki list/tables (if not all) when you have sorting tools you have first to click on the header to activate it.
It sort the items in ascendant order based on this column and you can see the ascendant arrow.

When the sorting is based on a text column, the order of the items based on subject col is really weird to the viewer. (see: https://dev.tiki.org/tiki-view_tracker.php?sort_mode=f_26_asc&trackerId=5)

1. I have (show page title set to yes in the user preference).
2. I have a structure as a menu item in a module.
3. For each page in the structure I go to edit> properties > Show Page title = Off.
4. Page by page as I set this option the "House Navigation widget" disappeared.
5.In effect Two features are being controlled by one user preference.
{img fileId="2126" thumb="box"}

The icon in the structure action strip are confusing and can be improved.

{img fileId="1819" thumb="box"}

The first one suggest a "search" and/or addition of page while in fact it is to view the page.
The fa-search-plus should be replaced.

As we are using the "eye" icon that is naturally the "View" symbol for Watches we should be creative.
The icon should be without a + sign. Even a hand-point-up will make better sense.

I request that TikiWiki consider adding a css timer to make the Success on save Notice disappear after ~3-5 seconds.

__Why?__
If one is making many edits to a wiki page it disturbs the task flow to have to dismiss the Success Notice to reclaim some screen real-estate.

__Examples:__
If you click save while editing a word document the application just saves your work you are not left looking at an information bubble telling you your work is saved.

__Coded Example:__
https://jsfiddle.net/swfour/M2B9B/14/

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IMO the switch color mode module should be active by default in new installs. I think users appreciate that feature especially if they have set their browser to request dark mode as a default. The themes have been checked for color contrast (accessibility) issues in light and dark mode so useability should be fine. (A few themes don't have a dark mode because they are dark already.)

I'm trying to create a Content Template that indicates intention to use markdown, like shown on this page (for example): [https://markdownthemes.tiki.org/tiki-pagehistory.php?page=Markdown+Plain&source=0]
After I put the following code at the top of that Template
{CODE(theme="default")}{syntax type=markdown}{CODE}
and then Save the template, this code disappears after I re-open for editing.
If the template is used in a Wiki Page, the above code is also invisible.
Unfortunately, the content of the template only shows as a binary blob in the database, so it can't be edited directly and cleaned up.

Checkbox are not visible on white background rows (alternate style)
You need to mouse hover to see them.

{img fileId="1920" thumb="box"}

__Update:__
{MARKDOWN()}Sorry, but this is wrong - a misunderstanding of what should be the correct behavior and an error in the code. There is no reason to put the URL as the popover title.

1. The URLs should never be translated
2. Someone put that `$url` var in the wrong place in the code
3. The tooltip popover should display what is separated by the ":" character actually, so it should be `$ret = '<a title="' . htmlentities($desc, ENT_COMPAT, 'UTF-8') . '"` (the fix would be just removing the `' . $url . '|` part from the line 61 in the **tikihelplib.php**
{MARKDOWN}

__Original report:__ Go to tiki-user_information.php -> click to the button "Send Me a message" - window "Send Me a Message" will shown.
Here do a mouseover over a questionmark near to "Reply-to my email" and check popup window title -> "__User+Information__".
This string ===cannot be translated===. Translation string ===doesn't exists in language.php===.
Same also for "Send me a copy" quickhelp ....

User information page
On the tiki-user_information.php -> select wikis and blogs too, and check page description text for both.
Both are the identical.

Shows: "This user has contributed to the following wiki pages" - for wikis and for blogs also.

I think, for blog should be description text as: "This user has contributed to the following __blogs__"

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Screenshot here: https://matrix.to/#/!SLEgqpTNTlGYAhzNvK:gitter.im/$lGdaEU57JgMoRiZO4C1Z0RK37MPiQSdOTzkRUP0z2yM?via=gitter.im&via=matrix.org&via=sans-nuage.fr

RecordRTC must be enabled to reproduce the issue
Preference name: fgal_use_record_rtc_screen

There is conflicting rule on line 96 of -+themes/base_files/feature_css/recordrtc.css+-:
{CODE()}
@media (max-width: 640px) {
button[id^="btn-"] {
width: 100% !important;
min-height: 48px !important;
font-size: 16px !important;
}
}
{CODE}

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The subject field of this tracker keeps getting out of focus when you hit a subject that doesn't exist yet.
It is very annoying !

Can't upload the video...

Many features aren't working correctly. There's no delay on action popup display, menu dropdowns aren't showing their usual ease-in/-out, tabs aren't working in admin pages (I turn the feature on but the checkbox is unchecked again after the page refreshes), etc. I don't know if it's a JavaScript problem or if JavaScript weirdness is a result of something else, actually.

A form anonymous can fill is still very common and used in many website (tracker items, registration and contact form).
We are used to it for so many years that we don't see it, but for others, this is not a good image for Tiki.

On mobile and desktop it really look like unfinished work.
# The buttons colours are wrong:
* Submit should be primary
* Refresh captcha should be secondary
# Width and field should match.

{img fileId="1866" thumb="box"}

{img fileId="1867" thumb="box"}

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I updated a Tiki 29 with last 2 weeks commit and the date selector are now broken.

It is also visible at dev.t.o

{img fileId="3226" thumb="box"}

{img fileId="3227" thumb="box"}

{img fileId="3228" thumb="box"}

The layout of the menu fields was ok in 25.2 but now in 25.3 the url field is under the label field as you can see in the attachment.
Actually since about tiki 20 the label and url field have been made too short making it difficult to read the full text strings as they get covered by the edit widget.

If ''tablesorter'' is active (pref -+ feature_jquery_tablesorter +-), the group management page is unusable except for Tikis with a small number of groups.

The reason is, there is no search box and no pagination. Therefore, there is no way of knowing if there are more hidden groups. And no way of accessing the hidden groups.

This can be experienced on [http://dev.tiki.org/tiki-admingroups.php] for instance.