Merge forms with inline forms, allowing specific fields to be edited inline

#1

For example, a title field could be in the a form, and on the page. It could be edited inline on the page or edited in the sidebar.

Another example, merge blocks and inline blocks. You can either rearrange blocks in the left sidebar form, or rearrange them inline on the page. Enter into the block by clicking the edit button in the overlay menu or in the sidebar by clicking the block item in the blocks field.

Changes to the page would show up in the sidebar and changes made in the sidebar would be reflected on the page whether it is inline or not.

Does this…

need to really be different than this?

I believe these two paradigms could be merged making the overall API simpler, easier to use and understand.

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#2

:100: That’s exactly where the team’s appetite is at the moment, expect to see some changes in the coming weeks that aim to simplify inline editing setup.

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#3

I was just thinking about it and at that point the edit button in the overlay menu really wouldn’t be necessary. It would behave similar to sketch or figma where the settings for the block you have selected shows up in the sidebar.

#4

@austincondiff I think we’re on the same wavelength here, and it’s great to see that others are thinking along the same lines as we are internally.

I just published this blog post which discusses what our focus will be on in the coming weeks. One of our priorities is exactly what you’ve identified at the top of this thread.

Regarding block settings in the sidebar, this is also something we pitched. We think achieving this sort of thing will be easier once we reconcile some of the inline editing DX issues, so we decided to delay it until after that’s done. Regardless, it’s something we also want to see in Tina, so expect that to be something that comes up again in the next few months!

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#5

Excellent blog post! I am thrilled to see that the team is being more transparent about their vision for Tina. I agree that improving the DX will set the foundation for future work to achieve a better inline-editing experience.

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#6

Just wanted to follow up and say that the first phase of a new API that addresses these concerns is undergoing review by the team: Inline ref fields by dwalkr · Pull Request #1729 · tinacms/tinacms · GitHub

#7

The new API is to be released but already available in tinacms@next packages if people fancy giving it a go.