Improve the Labels dialog

[Robert Leach]

USE CASE: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

I want to see & easily understand that multiple label types can be selected in the label interface, see an example of the labels for each type, see how the selected label types will be displayed before clicking ok, and control the order of the label types displayed.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE AN ISSUE (OR TRIGGER A NEW FEATURE)

1. Open a file that has multiple row & column label types
2. Select View->Labels...
3. Select more than 1 label type for both rows and columns.

CURRENT BEHAVIOR

1. The only thing that suggests you might be able to select multiple label types is that the word "headers" is pluralized, but there's nothing that says how to select multiple label types or how multiple labels will be displayed.
2. I have also seen files that have multiple label types which have the same exact header (e.g. 2 occurrences of "GID") but the labels are very different. There's no way to know which one is which in the labels dialog.
3. The order in which labels are concatenated is arbitrary and the user cannot change it.
4. The user has no visual record of the label order until after they have clicked OK.

EXPECTED BEHAVIOR

1. I would like it to be more obvious that multiple label types can be selected, how to select them, and how they will be displayed. I'm not sure what the best way of doing that is, but I have a couple ideas.
   • Put an asterisk after "headers*" and in small text under the Rows/Columns select lists, put " * Multiple headers selected via shift-click or command-click will display as comma-delimited."
   • Have a linked question mark after "headers" that reveals a tooltip with the message: "Multiple headers selected via shift-click or command-click will display as comma-delimited."
2. Use the first label of each label type to provide an example the label(s) they are choosing. This will allow users to make an accurate selection without having the bring up the labels interface multiple times (if they don't know which header is the one they want). I'm not sure where the example should be displayed (or how they should be displayed). Perhaps in a tooltip or in an "Example" box added to the dialog which changes upon hover over a label type. A tooltip would probably be less obtrusive.
3. Create a row label and column label preview using the first label of each type. Display the preview beneath the label type select lists. The preview would include concatenated/joined label types.
4. Join the labels in the order in which they were clicked/selected in the lists.

DEVELOPERS ONLY SECTION

SUGGESTED CHANGE (Pseudocode optional)

none

FILES AFFECTED (where the changes will be implemented) - developers only

unknown

LEVEL OF EFFORT - developers only

minor

COMMENTS

[Robert Leach]

Removing milestone: Labels (automated comment)