A user just renamed a topic in the Codev web that was referenced from a bunch of places. Now, when I look at WebChanges, I see a large number of topics apparently "changed" - but in actuality all that has changed is the link to the topic that was renamed. I'm vaguely interested in the fact that the main topic was changed but the rest is just noise. Can we filter out these named changes from WebChanges?

-- CrawfordCurrie - 20 Jul 2004

These 'changes' get also counted in the WebStatistics counter. Rename one topic and get to be a top 10 contributor...

-- ArthurClemens - 20 Jul 2004

I think this is also a question of convention. I suggest to rename only topics that have been created recently. CoolURIsDontChange, especially if it is referenced in a CVS/SVN changelog. I recreated BetterAttachmentTable and added a pointer to BetterAttachmentTableForCairoRelease.

-- PeterThoeny - 20 Jul 2004

There are enough places where people need to be able to rename/move a topic that is used in many places (like when you realise that you want to move all your template topics to a seperate web (I now have a locked down TemplatesWeb). For this reason at worst I would like this to be a tickbox on the rename/move template.

-- SvenDowideit - 21 Jul 2004

FWIW, it is already possible to look at the changes list that excludes the minor changes (which includes all fixed topics on a rename). It's the changes script (the Changes link on top). The WebChanges (the Detailed link on top) shows all changes. There are cases where you want to see all changes, and cases where you want to see only major changes.

So the real solution seems to be to enhance SEARCH in WebChanges to accept a parameter to show only major changes (same spec like changes script)

-- PeterThoeny - 21 Jul 2004

1. Are you sure that renaming topics don't get listed with the changes script? I always use changes (I bookmarked it), but I often see renamed pages here.
   • Yes, you can see the different here in Codev (possibly scrolled out of view already) -- PTh
2. Is there a performance reason to keep both changes script and WebChanges? If not, can we use WebChanges only?
   • No, see below -- PTh

-- ArthurClemens - 21 Jul 2004

Reason for changes and WebChanges duality:

1. TWiki initially only had the changes script
2. SEARCH was added with parameters order and limit
   • With this, WebChanges was born and
3. changes got retired
4. Finally changes got resurrected because SEARCH does not support the minor changes.

That is, we can finally retire changes when we add its functionality to SEARCH.

-- PeterThoeny - 22 Jul 2004

WebChanges is fine, but it's slower than changes and it isn't linked from many places. OK, specific proposal:

1. Replace dontnotify option with a field "minor" in .changes that is set when saving from updateReferringPages
2. Filter on that field wherever .changes is used ( mailnotify, statistics )
3. Increase the number of changes store to 500 to compensate for the extra minor change lines that will be stored
4. Add a button to the changes screen:

_Note__

this list does not include minor changes made when a topic was renamed. Click here to see _all changes.

1. Add a minor parameter to changes to show minor changes

done in DEVELOP rev 3627

-- CrawfordCurrie - 15 Feb 2005