[OPEN-ILS-DEV] Feature Proposal: New Tab

[Kathy Lussier]

Hi all,

I think there are two different cases we need to consider here: the end 
user who is searching the public catalog and the staff person who is 
searching the catalog in the client.

For the public catalog, I think it's advisable to replicate the behavior 
seen in other search services (Google, Amazon, Bing) because this is the 
experience users have come to expect. When you perform searches on these 
sites, when the user clicks on a link, they stay in their own 
tab/window. For those who care about tab behavior and are in a browser 
that supports it, they will open a result in a new tab by whatever means 
is available in that browser. They will also be able to do so when they 
are searching Evergreen. I put a lot of faith into what I'm sure is 
highly-funded usability testing done by Google and Amazon.

I had been thinking this proposal was primarily concerned with the staff 
client, where staff have very little control over opening search results 
in a new tab. I have often been frustrated when I can't open several 
titles from a search results page into different tabs.

I also think the Ctrl-click behavior (or a context menu) is ideal here. 
In most cases, I know what I'm looking for and want to load the result 
in my current tab. However, when I'm doing a subject-specific search 
where I may want to look at several records, I prefer to open them in a 
new tab so that I can open them at one time and then deal with them, 
rather than clicking back and forth between a title record and the 
search results screen.

I'm also concerned that any automatic behavior could become problematic 
because users may not be aware of how many tabs they have opened. In 
systems that have set a ceiling to the number of tabs that could be 
opened, the user may quickly reach that maximum and become annoyed. In 
systems where users can have unlimited tabs open, you may come across 
cases where the staff client starts using a lot of memory because there 
are now 30 tabs open. In this particular case, I think it's better that 
the staff person be conscious of the fact that he/she has opened a new tab.

Kathy

Kathy Lussier
Project Coordinator
Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative
(508) 343-0128
klussier at masslnc.org
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier

On 10/18/2012 8:26 AM, James Keenan wrote:
> Functional Testing Report
>
> The question: does Ctrl+left click consistently open a new tab for a basic search in the TPAC in the latest versions of popular "standards-compliant" browsers?
>
> The test: In TPAC basic search, type "mark twain" in the search text box and hold the Ctrl key while clicking on the search button.
>
> Desired/Expected result: Search results open in a new tab.
>
> Limitations on mitigating a failure: if the browser failed to produce the desired behavior and if settings to allow the desired behavior were available under the browser's preferences or options, these settings were used and the browser restarted and re-tested.
>
> Test Summary: six web browsers were tested; three succeeded in opening a new tab; three failed to open a new tab.
>
> All tests were done on Windows 7 Professional.
>
> Successes:
>
> Google Chrome Version 22.0.1229.94 m
> Test: success; a second tab opened containing the search results
>
> Opera 12.02
> Test: success; a second tab opened containing the search results
>
> Safari 5.0.2 (7533.18.5)
> Test: success; a second tab opened containing the search results
>
> Failures:
>
> Internet Explorer 9
> Test: failure; the search results appeared in the same window; did not open separate tab.
> Did not find any settings that resulted the desired behavior.
>
> Firefox 16.0.1
> Test: the search results appeared in the same window; did not open separate tab.
> Did not find any settings that allowed the desired behavior. Read that there was an addon that could force the behavior to happen.
>
> SeaMonkey 2.11
> Test: failure; the search results appeared in the same window; did not open separate tab.
> There were several settings under Edit > Preferences that seemed to promise links would be opened in a new tab. After setting these preferences and restarting the browser, the expected behavior did not appear for basic search.
>
>
> Jim Keenan
> Access Services Supervisor
> jkeenan at cwmars.org
> 508-755-3323 x23
>   
> C/W MARS
> 67 Millbrook St., Suite 201
> Worcester, MA 01606
>
>    Save a tree! Please don't print this e-mail unless it's really necessary.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: open-ils-dev-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org [mailto:open-ils-dev-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org] On Behalf Of Jason Etheridge
> Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 3:09 PM
> To: Evergreen Development Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Feature Proposal: New Tab
>
>> The way people use tabs can often be very personal to their own
>> workflows and decisions.
>>
>> Just voicing concern on that front, perhaps others can weigh in too.
> Control+clicking is a common idiom with web browsers for opening links
> new tabs/windows.
>
> I'd be in favor of that behavior with no settings needed.
>
> -- Jason