edrlab
OPDS navigation trail keeps growing...what heuristics could we used to "replace last" instead of "append"?
a pragmatic solution would be to preserve (in the data model) the originating facet (if any) of a given navigation segment (in the breadcrumb path) which would allow identifying the fact that (for example, as shown in the screenshot above) the user is trying different languages from the "menu" affordance (that's how it looks from the user's perspective). when 2 consecutive navigation events occur for the same originating facet (group of links) then only the trailing one is preserved, thereby discarding any previous ones. net result: the breadcrumb stops growing indefinitely. problem: what looks like a static "menu affordance" from the user's standpoint is in fact rendered hypermedia for a given URL, which is different to the previous one, etc. @HadrienGardeur any suggestion as to how to improve the UX in the breadcrumb?
I don't think that showing an automatic breadcrumb trail in an OPDS client is feasible because there are many different ways that you could reach a publication or a feed.
You could start on the homepage, then search for a book, then jump to a subject from that book, then filter that feed for a specific language, then select a book, then jump to the feed for the author etc.
Providing back/next affordances for navigating in the history is IMO a better choice. You also want to make sure that the user can jump back to the list of catalogs or at the top level of a catalog easily.
Thanks @HadrienGardeur @llemeurfr let's discuss with the team? The previous/next history mechanics are already available, it would just be a matter of implementing GUI affordances to replace the flawed breadcrumb (if this is what we decide to do). The "go to top of catalog" is essentially the first segment in the breadcrumb, so we have this already. The GUI affordance to go back to the list of OPDS catalogs is of course already available.
FYI, I also think that SimplyE and/or Palace were exploring the idea of having an explicit list of links in a feed/publication to provide an authored breadcrumb trail.
I can bring this up in the next OPDS call (today).
The original issue is that OPDS facets do not securely provide a genuine facet search system (where one can select/deselect previously chosen facets and remaining facets never lead to zero results). The implementation is server-side. Can be good or bad.
In summary, a user needs (from previous comments):
- to get back to the list of catalogs -> this is the first item in the breadcrumb (+ the Catalogs tab).
- to see the current catalog -> this is currently the second item in the breadcrumb
- to see the current section of the catalog -> this is currently the last item in the breadcrumb
- to be able to go back and forth in his navigation history.
Would this work?
Catalogs / Feedbooks < French >
where the bold arrows are the previous/next affordances (the ones that provide page navigation in ebooks). Grey if inactive.
I can check Mylene's opinion.
