[DISCUSS] Simplify setting up non-partitioned databases

[Jan Lehnardt]

Hey all,

when creating a database, a user now has to decide between creating a partitioned and non-partitioned database. There is nothing wrong with this in principle, but I’d like to suggest a small change:

Instead of a two radio buttons, use a single checkbox to get a partitioned database.

My reasoning is the following:

1. it is an extra step: when folks create a database, they need to do one more thing, even if they want a non-partitioned database.
2. non-partitioned databases are by far the norm. The use-cases for partitioned re relatively small and well defined, and not useful for most applications.
3. the way the control works now is that:

• the user has to make a choice. that means even new users need to learn about partitioned databases before they can create their first database, which seems excessive.
• forcing a choice signals that this is an important choice to make, which is true if you want a partitioned database, but you usually do not.
• the partitioned case is the first choice and it is the positively phrased option. When presented with making a choice here, most users will create a partitioned db and likely suffer consequences.

If instead creating a database would be the text input for entering the database name, and the create button, with a checkbox to enable partitioning, we’d get a default behaviour that is much more in line with the importance of the feature:

1. no choice required by default
2. new users can learn about partitioning if they want to
3. users that know they want partitioning can’t miss this.

So I suggest we make a change from radio buttons to a checkbox that is off by default.

What do you think?

[Michael Breslin]

Jan,

Funny that you suggested this. The first release of partitioned databases for Cloudant had a checkbox as you suggested, see below:

We noticed a slow uptake of the feature. So we thought it would be better for adoption for customers to have to make a choice in the UI and understand the consequences at database creation time, in which case we landed with this after working with design:

Given that partition queries aren't nearly as useful in upcoming architecture changes, I agree with your sentiment on the change back to original checkbox to remove friction from the create database UX.

@Antonio-Maranhao do we still have the checkbox code around that we can implement in Fauxton? I would still want to keep the accordion dropdown that explains what a partitioned database is though.

[Antonio Maranhao]

@michaelbreslin it's easy enough to change it back. I preferred the checkbox approach anyway, so I'm +1

[Jan Lehnardt]

hah, this is great, thanks for the context! :)

[Alessio Biancalana]

@janl looks like a nice improvement for the UI, and a change with which I resonate so much :-) I feel like I can do this, did this debate consume enough to begin writing some code or shall we wait some more feedback?

[Jan Lehnardt]

@dottorblaster super late reply, but go have at it :)