Suggestions after creating timetable

[wojgp]

Hi
The software is really great and it allows to create multiple variants so quickly. Based on my little experience since last few days I listed some inconviniences or problems I faced.

1. Activities dialog
I miss the option to sort by Teacher's name, currently sorted by ID ONLY.

2. Students
Students
In add activity I see all options except one.
My groups are listed by Years : 1,2,3,4,5 and then each is divided:
category 1: A, B, C, D, E
category 2: Girls, Boys
category 3: (1), (2) -division into languages and computer science (1 for novice and 2 for expert)

In activities I can assign whole year like '1', '2' etc
Certain class: like "1B" which is a group of girls and boys
Selecting a subgroup with label "1 Girls" selects all girls from all 1st classes which is 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E classes
Selecting a subgroup with label "1A Girls" selects all girls from 1A class only
Selecting a subgroup with label "1 (1)" selects all students assign to (1) subgroup from all 1st classes which is 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E

Unfortunately I cannot select particular subgroup 1A (1), 1B (2) etc., so instead of 1A (1) I have to select:
1A Girls (1)
1A Boys (1)
and instead of 1B (2) I have to select:
1B Girls (2)
1B Boys (2)

It would be good to allow all possible combinations and add necessary number of check boxes for displaying subgroups within a tree (cat 1, cat 2, cat 3, cat 4 ...)

3. Teacher home rooms
- Missing option to select a group of Rooms (left window) to move into "Selected" table easily and quickly.
I have to add one by one and it is easy to miss something clicking that way Maybe it would be quicker to select with check boxes and then copy selections from one constraint into another (clone).
There are activities to which I want to assign all existing rooms or rooms except specified. I have to click all constraints one by one.
Possibly it would be more convinient to combine rooms into categories (groups).
Example of groups:
a) Any subject room
b) Room for dedicated subject and any - math rooms, chemistry rooms etc., but also can handle other subjects
c) Gym room

4. List of Rooms
Missing option to sort in alphabetical order. 'Sort' button does not sort in alphabetical order. Currently after sorting I have 1,14,15,16,17,18,19,2,20,21... etc

Thanks.

[Liviu Lalescu]

Thank you for your feed-back!

I will add your suggestions in the TODO.

About (2.): you could create additional groups, with the option Add existing subgroup, so only click on the subgroup. Then use these groups in the activities.

About (4.): your suggestion is a kind of numerical ordering?

[Volker Dirr]

About 1)
Do you know "FET -> Advanced -> Activity Planning"?
There are all activities sorted by teacher name (and also sorted by subject and by students).

About 4)
An alphabetical order is sometimes similar to a numberical order, if all numbers have got the same number of characters. So as a workaround instead of calling it number "1", just call it "001" or "__1" or "  1" and it will be sorted also numerical correct. You can use any character with ASCII-code below 48. If you choose a character with a higher code, then it will sort incorrect (So you can't call it "::1". 

[wojgp]

Ad 1. Right, that solves the issue, sorry for that. I can verify everything entered quickly here based on techers, subjects or groups. Thanks.

Ad 2. All the groups are theoreticaly created, because I typed in all the divisions, but not all the combinations are displayed and available for selection. When I select whole year it selects all subgroups also. When I select year and subgroup then it selects all subgroups in hierarchy tree too.
My groups are:
1 A Girls (1)
  B Boys  (2)
  C
  D
  E
2 A Girls (1)
  B Boys  (2)
  C
  D
  E
etc.
I can easily select:
1, 1 A, 1 Girls, 1A Girls, 1 (1)
Missing combinations of groups are:
1A (1), 1A (2), 1B (1), 1B (2), 1C (1), 1C (2) etc

I solved it by selecting like this:
1A Girls (1)
1A Boys (1)
but I could just use 1A (1) instead

Ad 4. Thank You Volker Dirr. Changing names to "001" format solves the issue.

[Liviu Lalescu]

About 2: I suggested you to enter the groups dialog, and create additional groups. Add existing subgroups as needed, with only a double click (add existing subgroups). This is I hope a good solution.

[wojgp]

Ok. I added a group with name 1 A (1) and added Subgroups:
1 A Girls (1)
1 A Boys (1)
Is that correct ?

[Liviu Lalescu]

I think yes. You must know better than me. The group must contain all the necessary subgroups.

[wojgp]

Thank you

[Liviu Lalescu]

You're welcome!

[wojgp]

ad 2. I added a lot of groups manualy.
The only missing thing is a possibility to sort it in "Add activity" window as on the attached screen.
Also when generating time line I get multiple subgroups - screen shot attached.

[wojgp]

Although I entered all divisions I had to add a lot of subgroups manualy. It would be really great to be able to add these combinations automaticaly.

[Liviu Lalescu]

ad 2. I added a lot of groups manualy.
The only missing thing is a possibility to sort it in "Add activity" window as on the attached screen.
Also when generating time line I get multiple subgroups - screen shot attached.

I think you can sort the groups in the groups dialog.
Multiple subgroups - this is inevitable, I think.

Although I entered all divisions I had to add a lot of subgroups manualy. It would be really great to be able to add these combinations automaticaly.

I'll add this in the TODO, but for many users these extra groups are probably useless.

[wojgp]

I've already created all the groups manualy, but maybe someone will need this feature.

We have an option to set constraints for a single teacher or all teachers. Setting single teachers is not a problem, but if we want to set for "ALL except just a few" then it could be a trouble. My idea is to add a dialogue window with check list like:
"name of the teacher 1" "check box" "value1"
"name of the teacher 2" "check box" "value2"
"name of the teacher 3" "check box" "value3"
etc.
It would be good also to allow entering values by TAB key (not with arrows) to speed up data entry. This solution could work also for "Students"

For example I have 30 teachers and I want to set time min. 3 hours daily for a teacher, but except one of them. Then I have to click 29 teachers and set each seperately.

Other option could be to add "Select All" instead a drop down list in "Add teacher min hours daily" and then modify just a single teacher or remove unwanted constraint.

Thanks

[Liviu Lalescu]

About the first paragraph, yes, it is useful, but maybe only if the number of categories is 3? (not 4 or more?). Also, some users might not want this.

About the second suggestion, yes, indeed, many other users suggested it, some of them with similar ideas (the tab key is a new idea, and maybe the check boxes). I added your words in the TODO. Unfortunately:

1) The program was badly designed in interface from the start and it is hard to change now. Maybe with a refactoring.

2) I am nearly alone. My interest is mainly in the algorithm. I am bad at interfaces.

3) The financial support is also a big problem.

Thank you as well!