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Metadata Card rules improvements and wishes

Hi community and M-Files,

Metadata Card concept and its rules are actually a central area of M-Files. MD card rules help to hide potentially technical metadata, make certain read-only or show some after certain workflow step. It is powerful concept but unfortunately not really consequently implemented through the whole M-Files client.

In History area, task pane again shows users the whole complexity of metadata and all metadata is again shown to users. There are also some other areas where this is happening.

I find this a very week point of M-Files UI and should really get improved. One of the first questions by users is how to check the history and who changed documents. Showing history pane and show set of metadata below is often confusing for them because they suddenly start seeing metadata complexity we hide from them on MD card.

I understand that this is obviously technological problem (MD card is web based and embedded in frame, task pane is probably native C++ implementation) but I think it would be good if MD card concept is used everywhere. I think look&feel should be consequent and follow the same pattern. 

Another point is obviously the fact that MD card rules are only client-side configs and that do not provide any protection on server side. It would be great if we could enable read-only options to be applied on the server side too.

And additional one: I am asked often to hide certain metadata for certain people/role. Unfortunately MD card rules are not so granular. It would be great if we could configure it to apply for specific groups at least.

Really amazing and so usuful concept but need perhaps a bit of additional polishing.

I understand those are big wishes. I would love if we could at least promote MD card and it's rules in all other pop-ups, windows and start having same look & feel for the beginning. Users would definitely love it.

Best regards,

Dejan

Parents
  • I've also sent some thoughts in this direction to the hotline in times before the community got active. The metadata card configuration is also a place I would use for an anchorpoint for UI extensions - using own input elements, explaining graphics and stuff like this as  a UI extension perhaps - but some points perhaps also via config.

    I always use Theme - LocationButton - IsHidden = true in General rule without filters meanwhile to avoid the areas where an old-style metadata card would have been displayed because it is a really security lack if you use the metadata card config and it does not work everywhere (readonly, hidden, required, set Value, ...)

    Good idea would be also to config calculations there such as calculating the total price from amount and unit price for instance because it would be calculated before saving and does not irritate the users if the sum is still the old value.

Reply
  • I've also sent some thoughts in this direction to the hotline in times before the community got active. The metadata card configuration is also a place I would use for an anchorpoint for UI extensions - using own input elements, explaining graphics and stuff like this as  a UI extension perhaps - but some points perhaps also via config.

    I always use Theme - LocationButton - IsHidden = true in General rule without filters meanwhile to avoid the areas where an old-style metadata card would have been displayed because it is a really security lack if you use the metadata card config and it does not work everywhere (readonly, hidden, required, set Value, ...)

    Good idea would be also to config calculations there such as calculating the total price from amount and unit price for instance because it would be calculated before saving and does not irritate the users if the sum is still the old value.

Children
  • Hi Falk,

    Thanks for response.

    We usually hide "Add properties" in general rule to prevent users to add new metadata in document classes. I suppose "old style" metadata is a form shown in History pop-up underneath.

    We usually have validations/verifications server-side to prevent if users figure out the way to suppress client side apps and our configs in MD card.

    Agree with you, perhaps extension development should be integrated with metadata card configuration. That would be potentially cleaner way than with current client side apps.

    As mentioned, this is really a key selling point of M-Files and hope can be improved in future.

    Dejan