Visual Display Bug in Casper:
As a user interface element, Column Headers are often expected to
function as a sorting tool as well. For example, look at a Finder
window in List view. Generally, the Name column heading is
highlighted, indicating the window's contents are sorted by name, and
the sort order is expressed as a triangle, pointing up to indicate an
ascending sort order, or pointing down to indicate a descending sort
order.
In the Casper application, these controls are also available. In a
new Remote window, you can sort your computers by Computer Name, User
Name, Asset Tag, or IP address. Clicking a column heading sets that
column as the primary sort key, and repeated clicks will toggle the
sort order between ascending and descending -- the contents of the
window change to reflect the selected sort key and sort order.
However, once you begin performing actions on a set of computers, the
window changes to a view providing three columns: Computer Name, IP,
and Status.
In this new view, clicking a column heading will cause the column
heading to behave as it should -- the column heading takes on a
highlight color, and expresses a sort order via a triangle. But it
does NOT set the sort key, nor does it set the sort order.
In these result/status windows, I would like to be able to group
machines by status -- so all the "Finished" computers listed
together, as are the "Timed out connecting" computers.
If this behavior is a bug, please consider this a bug report. If this
behavior is "working as designed," please consider this a feature
request.
Additionally, in these result/status windows, there exists a "Create
Group..." button. The interface suggests to me that I should be able
to select multiple computers within this list, and have a group
created from my selection. However, the effect of the "Create
Group..." button is to create a group containing all computers within
the results window.
Please consider the following a feature request: The ability to
create a group based upon an arbitrary selection of computers in the
results window. Selection should be allowed in the standard Click/
Shift-Click method to make a contiguous selection, as well as
allowing the standard Command-Click method to select or deselect
individual computers.
If this were implemented, it could be combined with the ability to
sort the computers by result -- I would then be able to select all
computers upon which an action had failed, and create a new group. I
could then retry whatever action I was attempting on this new group,
or I could otherwise have a method of viewing only computers I had
not successfully updated, etc.
Thanks!
--
Bryan K. Vines
Systems Administrator
Department of Information Systems
Watts Law Firm, L.L.P.
