My Top 4 requests

I'm not sure if our company is uncommon, but we have perhaps a hundred developers using Lectora. Collaboration and portability between developers is inefficient. If a file is transfered to a new owner, there's always a "learning curve" while they try to figure out the development logic from the previous owner. If one developer "fixes" a bug in another's file, that knowledge is often lost. Moreover, for those of us doing more complex programming, we may create a template, put it down for several months, then fumble around with the file trying to remember our logic and where actions sit.

Comments

I know this has been said before, but I'd really like to see the ability to create comments...not notes disconnected from the code and logic, but comments -- with the ability to toggle the visibility of the comments from view. I don't think it has to be anything complex -- perhaps no different really than the current Title Explorer view with comments replacing what is now a page/action/object title. Ideally the first few words would show, with a "tooltip" to show several more words, and an option of viewing the entire comment in the "properties" window. I've had to resort to "empty" objects and use the title area to //ENTER A SHORT COMMENT explaining what's happening below, un-necessarily bloating my compiled file.

Ability to call an object by a user-generated name, not the Lectora-generated name

I'd also like to see the ability to use user-generated names for objects like images and forms. The unique Lectora-generated HTML names are proving to be a big issue. There are times I need to extend my capabilities by using the External HTML Object (generally javascript). I'm limited to calling objects by the lectora-generated name. If I want to reuse that functionality, I'm replicating the same code over and over. Moreover, I can't very well "template" the logic for the other developers since there's too much opportunity for the code to not be updated properly.

Better integration/support for external CSS

We're really hindered by the inability to use external CSS. It impacts consistency, the ability to centralize and modify elements, as well as add common design elements (say a gradient behind a textbox) that are a pain to do in Lectora, and are often used inconsistently. Heck -- I can't even change the cursor type to "help" on transparent buttons right now. The 'styles' editor isn't a great solution, either, since those styles don't reside with the title, so when working on files with numerous developers on a file, it's largely useless, and causes more issues than it's worth. By using external CSS, when we add them to the file and move all the folders, users could then select styles from those rules.

Improved end-user usability logic incorporated in question objects / new actions

I'd like to see some focus set on the learner experience in how some of the "stock actions" work. Take the question object for example. By default, if I get correct/incorrect feedback for a question, I get an alert box. Aaargh...the noise...the "error"...the dread to click the next response, knowing regardless of what I select I'll see that stupid box again. This gets even more interesting when this box is 900 pixels wide because the content did not for some reason wrap.

Personally I don't use the question object for this reason. It's too prohibitive. I'm either opening up a window or an alert box. Although it's not perfect, when I provide feedback, I open up groups layering subtle gradient image background, formatted text box, close button. Unfortunately this is a bit of a pain, and creating custom question actions isn't something most of our developers know how to do...so in the meantime we have hundreds of learners at any given time wanting to bang their head into the monitor.

I do have more suggestions, but they are things I can work around. Looking at the biggest development and learner impact, I think by working on these four you could actually resolve some of the other change requests.

Regards!

Lisa