[JENKINS-32578] Better config page navigation - phase 2 (and beyond)

[jenkins-infra-bot]

Another iteration of UX improvements to the config pages following on from JENKINS-32357.

Possible target features for "phase 2" (and beyond)

1. More JavaScript unit tests. In particular around the finder feature.
2. Split out config/table-metadata.js. Refactor config/table-metadata.js to extract ConfigTableMetaData, ConfigSection and ConfigRowSet into modules of their own. They've outgrown where they are.
3. Better row-set modeling in the JavaScript API. Current version was created by "decompiling" the DOM structure and making a best guess. KK has promised to help formalise.
4. Section merging. Visual merging of sections e.g. perhaps the "Advanced Project Options" section should really be moved into the "General" section.
5. Section extraction. Visually extract parts of a section to visually create a new section e.g. visually extract build parameters into a section of their own.
6. Finder auto-complete.
7. Try accordion based navigation (instead of Tabs). See config/tabbar.js and do something similar for accordions.
8. Try a "left tree" based navigation (instead of Tabs). See config/tabbar.js and do something similar etc.
9. New Item Wizards. Maybe we can create some "New Item" wizards that help users configure new Jobs more easily. E.g. for a freestyle job, something that guides you to configure the SCM and then some Build actions. I think this would be especially useful for new Jenkins users. Of course it needs to be something that can be turned off easily (with a "don't show me this anymore" type checkbox).

What else could we do? Please feel free to add ideas in comments and we'll then move them to the list here.

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Originally reported by tfennelly, imported from: Better config page navigation - phase 2 (and beyond)

• assignee: tfennelly
• status: Open
• priority: Major
• component(s): core
• label(s): user-experience
• resolution: Unresolved
• votes: 0
• watchers: 2
• imported: 2025-11-24

Raw content of original issue

Another iteration of UX improvements to the config pages following on from JENKINS-32357.

Possible target features for "phase 2" (and beyond)

	
More JavaScript unit tests. In particular around the finder feature.
	
Split out config/table-metadata.js. Refactor config/table-metadata.js to extract ConfigTableMetaData, ConfigSection and ConfigRowSet into modules of their own. They've outgrown where they are.
	
Better row-set modeling in the JavaScript API. Current version was created by "decompiling" the DOM structure and making a best guess. KK has promised to help formalise.
	
Section merging. Visual merging of sections e.g. perhaps the "Advanced Project Options" section should really be moved into the "General" section.
	
Section extraction. Visually extract parts of a section to visually create a new section e.g. visually extract build parameters into a section of their own.
	
Finder auto-complete.
	
Try accordion based navigation (instead of Tabs). See config/tabbar.js and do something similar for accordions.
	
Try a "left tree" based navigation (instead of Tabs). See config/tabbar.js and do something similar etc.
	
New Item Wizards. Maybe we can create some "New Item" wizards that help users configure new Jobs more easily. E.g. for a freestyle job, something that guides you to configure the SCM and then some Build actions. I think this would be especially useful for new Jenkins users. Of course it needs to be something that can be turned off easily (with a "don't show me this anymore" type checkbox).



What else could we do? Please feel free to add ideas in comments and we'll then move them to the list here.

[jenkins-infra-bot]

[Original depends_on from Jira: JENKINS-32357]