in the drop down for a debug message, add a delete message option?
Why?
I'm currently working through a bunch of debug messages that are all actually todos - each one is slightly different, requiring slightly different actions. So in fact, the debug panel is being missed used as a todo list. For that, it would be helpful if I could remove those messages that I have already dealt with ... (it's an awfully long list - enough to create a procrastination moment, hence this post!)
As alternative, is there anyway to add the menu option via a plugin that extends the menu automagically?
I also think that the ability to remove individual debug messages would be useful. There are lots of times where I would have found this helpful in seeing the wood for the trees.
This can be ambiguous when multiple messages have been sent. Which message is meant - the last, the first, the middle, the second to last ...
Also something that I find useful from the message tracing is a highlight of messages generated by the debug node. In the message tracing, that is done with a red border around the messages:
In this case, the node highlighted was reached 6 times and the messages it got are sent to the debug panel and two of these messages have now been highlighted.
This can be done with the filter but I prefer the border solution because it also shows the message around the ones of interest.
I don't think that's a problem, at least in my browser it seems pretty clear which message is in focus.
In the right hand panel the mouse pointer is a basic triangle pointer, but if you pass it over a debug message content it changes to the pointing finger and that message is highlighted with a different background colour.
Over the node name it changes to the pointing finger and a tooltip is shown.
An extra bonus from the right click approach:
Often when trying to debug a flow you clear the debug panel, deploy and debugs from other flows pop up.
Handy to be able to disable them without navigating away from the flow you are working on.
I know, ideally there are no active debug nodes except on the flow[s] you are working on, but in life debug happens.
Message in focus isn't from the debug node with the delete message button? So this is an extra cognitive process to establish the connection between highlighted debug message and the corresponding debug node - if I understand your approach correctly.
But that's not for me to decide, I've found my workaround for my original issue. I've extended the scratchpad plugin with an "execute in browser" functionality. Which now allows me to execute JS snippets in the browser to do things in the editor:
After all, the entire editor is one giant jQuery application with some pixie dust sprinkled over it! This is of course not a proper solution and shouldn't be done at home but it works for me and allows me to save some cognitive energy for more important things in life.
In my imagination one sees a sidebar full of debug messages. In the sidebar you right click on the name of a node which spawned a message and are offered the choice to delete the message, others from the same node or to turn that particular node off (I'm not sure if there is a proper word for the effect of clicking on the button on the node itself. Not disable because debug nodes can also be disabled in the config.)
Well that solves the mystery - I thought that menu was on the debug node, now it all makes sense. Sorry for the confusion & thanks for the explanation and patience.
Yeah find this useful too. The debug panel is not really designed as a todo list, but I think having a Delete/Clear this message option would make it much easier to manage when using debug messages as temporary reminders. Also a per message hide option would be handy as well.
This is of course not a proper solution and shouldn't be done at home but it works for me and allows me to save some cognitive energy for more important things in life.