Training Log user interface (Read 479 times)

Courses = Routes Pick one term and use it consistently in the interface. The same things that are called courses in one place are called routes in another. This kind of consistency is an issue in several places in the interface. I use the terms course and route interchangeably in this post because the terms are used on the different forms I'm referring to. It should be possible to create a new route while adding a new training log entry. That just makes sense from the user's point of view. It should also be simple, from the user's point of view, to create a new training log entry that uses a new course if he just created one. The current interface, which requires the user to create the course before using it in a training log entry does not make sense. It is not convenient. There could be a "new route" button in the new training log entry form. There could be a "new training log entry with this course" check box on the new course form, so that when the course is saved, you've started a new log entry. It was kind of convenient when the drop down list for route selection began to only list the recently used or most used routes. But the thing that made it acceptable was a little button to enable showing of all routes. The current interface, is not so convenient. I know I read somewhere how I can use my old routes that I haven't run in a while, but I will have to look it up in old discussions to figure it out. There could be an "old route" or better, "search routes" button on the new training log entry form. I would like to be able to search routes I have made or that others have made when I'm entering something in my training log. If a few hundred of us have just run the Boston Marathon, there's no reason for each of us to enter a separate copy of the Boston Marathon course for our training logs. I should be able to open a new training log entry, search for an existing Boston Marathon course, and select it. Having said all this, let me make the obligatory but sincere statement that I love the RunningAHEAD activity log. There's nothing nearly as good available anywhere at any price, and I'm using it for free.

Some answers...

It should be possible to create a new route while adding a new training log entry. That just makes sense from the user's point of view. It should also be simple, from the user's point of view, to create a new training log entry that uses a new course if he just created one.

Correct, it should be possible to do this. In fact, it is. Just type in the name of a route instead of using the drop-down and you have created a new route. Later you can add details and a map to it.

There could be a "new route" button in the new training log entry form.

As above, it is even easier than that.

It was kind of convenient when the drop down list for route selection began to only list the recently used or most used routes. But the thing that made it acceptable was a little button to enable showing of all routes. The current interface, is not so convenient. I know I read somewhere how I can use my old routes that I haven't run in a while, but I will have to look it up in old discussions to figure it out. There could be an "old route" or better, "search routes" button on the new training log entry form. I would like to be able to search routes I have made

It is very easy. Just type in the name of an existing route in the route drop-down box and it will find all routes matching the text you have typed in. It usually narrows the list with just 2-4 letters.

Thanks! I feel pretty dumb to have not known this. However, if I missed it, maybe it should be more obvious. If you start with nothing in your log, then you see the grayed out text "<type>" in that field. But if you start with imported data, as I did, then you start with a route already displayed, and it looks like an ordinary select drop down. And once that explanatory text is gone, you can only get it back by typing in that field and deleting whatever you put in. If "<type>" was still on the list or visible somewhere, it might help. The comment about choosing a term, courses or routes, still stands. I now notice that "Find Routes" is available at the top of the Communities tab and the Resources tab, but not the Training Log tab. Curious.</type></type>