Simplify Selecting a Template When Adding a Goup

[wsloand]

It would be nice to be able to use typeahead searching (like https://twitter.github.io/typeahead.js/examples/) for selecting the template when selecting the template for a group. That could significantly speed data entry (and QC when adding a group from a template).

[roberttdev]

This should actually be relatively easy, as I've just implemented jQuery Autocomplete in the Extraction UI recently, and it's very easy.

My only question is one of mechanics, and those depend on your intentions. Do you intend to search on the names of Parent and Subtemplates, or just one of the two? Without knowing the answer to that, here are my two preliminary ideas:

1. Keep the current dropdown, add a name search that returns Parents/Subtemplates based on a name match, with no structural information (the assumption being that the unknowledgable will browse the drop-down, the knowledgeable will jump straight to searching for what they want). It will be an "either/or" scenario, with an error if they use both.
2. Replace the structure dropdown with a Parent Template search. Selecting a parent template will populate a non-search Subtemplate dropdown.

My guess is #1, as it makes it easier on new users to browse the template tree and learn the templates.

[wsloand]

Making it easier on new users is a major part of the goal. I think that the first option makes sense. It's unlikely that there will be a large number of choices after just a few select characters are typed.

[wsloand]

I like the new functionality, but I wasn't precise in the feature request. Here goes an updated description of the ideal for the group addition template choice:

• A single UI element that combines dropdown and text entry (requiring the value to be empty/none or one of the existing template names).
• The dropdown looks visually similar to normal drop downs (e.g. something like a downward triangle on the right)
• The search responds more quickly to typing; <0.1 sec (preferably <=0.05 sec).

As an ideal beyond the "need", I'd like to see the group for a searched item so that I'm sure I'm getting the correct thing. E.g. "Measurement:Mean and SD" where "Measurement:" doesn't need to be searched for, and more ideally would be somehow different (perhaps gray instead of black).

[wsloand]

The current version looks great!