Please criticize this plugin of mine

#1

I’m revamping the old OverWrite plugin that some of you may be familiar with. I would appreciate if you could try out this new version and say what is not good about it:

  https://overwrite-dev.tiddlyhost.com/

The plugin alerts you if your updating of (other) plugins conflict with modifications you’ve made to those plugins.

Goal: TW users should be able to freely tweak and customize plugins (including the TW core) without the cautions that have been omnipresent since TW inception. After all, a main selling point for TW is that you can customize it to your needs! (more)

The main change from the old version of OverWrite is that this new version is integrated into TW’s native [Import] button that you click when you import something. So if things work right, you simply do as you normally do and get alerts if you have overwrites that need review because their shadow tiddlers have been updated.

So, please criticize it. I’ll start off, to set a good example:

  • Hey, activating the OverWrite plugin itself overwrites a core shadow tiddler!
    - Yes, ironically so. This is not uncommon for plugins to do. For UX, this is the best solution I have thus far. At least you’ll get an alert if the overwrite needs a review! :sweat_smile:


Thank you!

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#2

(Now, now - one at a time! :sweat_smile: )

I’ve updated the site so that it is simpler to test the plugin: I made an additional site with a premade later version of the plugin so it is just to drag over to see the effect.

#3

I can see this being very useful!

In fact, I can see a good case for including this in the core.

But I find it a little subtle. I have new button text on the import tiddler. I would love it if when I pressed that button, it expanded all the imports that actually have changes, and then offered me a choice of whether to import them, both individually, and with a single button press.

2 Likes
#4

:+1:

Do you mean, in the import list under every plugin that has local overwrites, to show a list with the titles of its shadow tiddlers?

Not sure I follow. It sounds like you’re suggesting individual importing of shadow tiddlers (that have a local overwrites). But those shadow tids likely interact/depend on other shadow tids that have also been updated so those would also need to be imported. But I probably misunderstand what you mean.

#5

I think I was just confused. I will try to look it over again soon.

#6

I think its a good solution to a definate need - as someone who occasssionally tweaks the core at times to experiment with possible changes …

Does it mostly work with the import mechanism ? I’m trying to imagine that is the one time you can know if a shaddow tiddler is updated in its new plugin…

Is it possible through the import preview to see what the changes are to the shaddow ?

Cheers
CB

#7

Very nice. Maybe add the ability to see the diff of the shadow and overwrite tiddlers?

1 Like