More custom field revisions

[Christopher Hicks]

On Mon, 28 Apr 2003, Gervase Markham wrote:
> > First, to provide two different form elements, single-line and multiline.
> 
> Rephrase: why do we need multiline custom fields? (I have a sense of 
> deja vu asking this question.)

I think so.  We have a client tracking bugs in a non-bugzilla system and 
one of their 'critical needs' is to have a few free form overview fields.  
The question "Why couldn't you just put those things in the comments since 
you're not putting that information into reports?" hasn't gotten me 
anywhere.

> > Second, because I can easily imagine needing to enter a detailed report of
> > some kind that could run over 255 characters.  I occasionally do so with my
> > company's current issue-tracking system.
> 
> Into a custom field, as opposed to into a comment or a new bug?

As with the aforementioned client, rationally or otherwise people want to
give certain chunks of text 'extraspecial emphasis'.  Being able to add
titles to comments might help this for some.

> Related question: Do you need fine control over relative field
> positioning? Take our current bug UI - does it really matter if Priority
> is above or below Severity, as long as it's consistent from product to
> product?

Yes.  And being able to store this information in the database instead of 
the templates to help automation seems like a good idea.

> > I can't think of any
> > way of putting field ordering into a template that isn't clearly the
> > Wrong Thing. 
> 
> Discussing this issue will probably make more sense after we've resolved 
> the products-sharing-fields issue.

The choices seem to me:

- deal with occasionally having certain fields duplicated in the custom 
fields system

- deal with an extra table to relate custom fields to products

The first choice might not be so bad if there was some way to manage the
duplicates as if they weren't stored that way, but what's so wrong with
the second choice?

-- 
</chris>

The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It
will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.
-Robert Maynard Hutchins, educator (1899-1977)