tracking layer object creation dialog lacks cancel

[gdt]

What is the bug or the crash? What were your expectations and what actually happened?

I have a project where I configured a tracking layer. Because it's normal to want to look at the project without recording, I don't intend to track always, but sometimes tracking is left on. Then, when opening the project, it starts to track anyway, and pops up the object creation dialog for the line object in the track layer, asking for a fid or just check to auto-assign a sequence. That's either ok or not quite, but out of scope for this issue. What's a bug is that if the user doesn't want to record a track, because they aren't actually engaged that minute in field surveying for the project, there is no "Cancel" option in the object save dialog.

I get why there is no cancel given the code path reuse. I see two possible reasonable resolutions:

• don't persist 'enable tracking' after the project is closed. Wanting tracking is not just about a project, but also about a specific time/place of use.
• when starting and going through tracking enabling, pop up a dialog "this project is configured to use tracking layers" with options
  • "start tracking"
  • "don't start tracking"
  • "don't start tracking and disable"

With the second option, the user gets proper warning that positions will be recorded (likely necessary for play store rules compliance anyway), and it's easy to say no, not this time, or no, and I meant to turn that off.

I see this as a bug fix, and that the introduction of persistent tracking caused it, but it may be longer standing.

Steps to reproduce the issue

Export a project from qgis as cable, with a tracks offline layer, 3D Measure Multi Line String (likely not needed exactly). In the field, open up the project, enable tracking, walk a trail, capture some point and line features, and exit Qfield, forgetting to disable tracking.

Later, at a place not connected with the project, open the project in QField, and get the fid choice dialog for tracking. Realize what it's doing and try to say "no, don't start tracking" and fail to find a way.

Version

3.5.3

Operating system name

Android

Operating system version

15

Reinstall QField

• [ ] I have a fresh install of the latest QField version, but the problem persists.
• [x] Problem can be reliably reproduced, doesn't happen randomly.
• [x] Problem happens with all files and projects, not only some files or projects.

Additional context

My QField iinstall is actually pretty fresh, I think earlier 3.5, but I didn't specifically uninstall and reconfigure for this, as I think it's pretty clear from the implementation that it's not some database problem in my instance that is causing this.

[nirvn]

@gdt , the initial implementation of this functionality required an absence of cancellation. A manager configuring a project to insure users with little ICT knowledge won't accidentally cancel a tracking session.

So I guess here we could transform that into an enhancement, where we could possibly add a settings in QFieldSync to allow for a project track to be cancelled on project load.

[gdt]

Given that this is an open source project, the idea that functionality should be designed as the default/only case to cater to manager control and against the user is very strange to me. I see this as a bug, and the feature would be to have some manager mode enable to disable the cancellation in projects specifically configured for it.

I also don't understand the logic, as I can turn off tracking once it starts. So whatever goal that might want this isn't being met, but I then have a spurious short track, which is at best noise and at worst a privacy issue.

(I do think that tracking layers are a useful feature. I used it for trail mapping, turning it on at trail start at parking lot boundary, and then only capturing point features.)