REQ: Tree Layout with "Most Recent First" Display Order

[Neillithan]

I have requested this before and I just wanted to reemphasize why I think this kind of feature is incredibly useful.

I have summed up my thoughts in this picture.  Please, read it carefully.

Hopefully you can understand it.

http://a.imageshack.us/img202/2964/jcommentstreelayout.png

Thanks,
-Neil

[smart]

Quick solution : http://www.joomlatune.com/forum/index.php/topic,2020.msg8176.html#msg8176

Regarding you image. With plain list we have no problem to reverse order for comments but with tree view it could be not very useful. I'll try to describe my point of view (but sorry for my english).

In default order we have some comments tree:

1. This aricle is good and I,m wait for continue...
1.1. Yes, I'm agree. Its very interesting
1.2. No, it isn't so good
1.2.1 Why?
1.2.2 Because it has too much errors
2. No, it's a boring article.


In this sample all comments are sorted as they were posted. If we reverse order we will have:

2. No, it's a boring article.
1. This aricle is good and I,m wait for continue...
1.2. No, it isn't so good
1.2.2 Because it has too much errors
1.2.1 Why?
1.1. Yes, I'm agree. Its very interesting

The comment 1.2 will be shown before 1.1 and when user reads it he haven't read 1.1 and don;t know why 1.2 is written. I can show more complex example what will illustrate this issue. We couldn't reverse only first level of tree - only whole tree.

But as many users asked me about such feature - I'll include it in nearest release. But in my mind this isn't good solution.

[Neillithan]

I see where you would think that is bad.  But, your example is not really the way I'm describing.

Display it like this:



2. No, it's a boring article. (New at top)
1. This aricle is good and I,m wait for continue...
1.1. Yes, I'm agree. Its very interesting (Responses - Old at top)
1.2. No, it isn't so good
1.2.1 Why?
1.2.2 Because it has too much errors




Another Example:

4 blah
4.1 Blah Response

3 lets say "blah"

2. stuff
2.1 stuff response
2.1.1 stuff response response

1. lets say "stuff"


New comments appear at the top and responses appear *below*

This isn't some new idea I made up, this is a common way to display comments.

Think about how Gmail works.  When you get a new e-mail, it puts the new e-mail at the TOP of your e-mails.  If you decide to reply to the very top E-mail, then Gmail will show it BELOW that e-mail.  Technically, Gmail does not show it in the inbox, it shows it when you click on it.

The difference between Gmail and Commenting is, no clicking.  Understand?



I hope that helps.

[smart]

Display it like this:

2. No, it's a boring article. (New at top)
1. This aricle is good and I,m wait for continue...
1.1. Yes, I'm agree. Its very interesting (Responses - Old at top)
1.2. No, it isn't so good
1.2.1 Why?
1.2.2 Because it has too much errors

We can't show comments in that order because you want to have different ordering on different levels (if we do this it will increase server load). I've showed you what will be if we will reverse comments order and sort them by post date. It will inverse all tree and it will be hard to read.

In future versions I'm going to add dynamic tree load (to allow load threads separatelly) and in this case I'll be able to sort the first level of comments in other order than second and deeper levels. But this could be not earlier than november-december.

[Neillithan]

I understand.  I am a patient guy and I appreciate the hard work you put into jcomments.  As of this moment, jcomments works great and I hope that it continues to improve. 

Please, take your time and keep up the good work. 

Thanks,
-Neil

[smart]

One more question. Do you think will be useful an option to show comments form before or after comments list? I'm going to freeze the code and start updating the language files but before it I could add some new parameters.