This issue goes a long way back and we have 51 comments. What we do not have is a shipped feature...
@ mention autocompletes in comment box
#354
Feature Request or Task
As a user I want to be able to start typing with @ and have it deliver me a dropdown. This is expected behavior in this context.
This means that the box would have to become a content-editable div and the code should attach to each box. Making that part work could involve some yak shaving.
This should be written in Preact, and if think it makes sense to include a different library, let's discuss. We are critical of each dependency as we want to be efficient in this regard. It doesn't mean you definitely can't use a library, but let's just discuss the implications if you go that route.
The dropdown will use Elasticsearch, should search our user index
Definition of Done
This is done when all content boxes have a dropdown menu and the behavior works as expected on sites like GitHub and Twitter. Core team is here to help navigate the nuances of the issue.
We do have this functionality in /connect...
Our comment box is not built on the most solid technical foundation right nowβ it's a little ad hoc. But I think we may want to consider shipping this feature regardless of where we are with the fundamentals of the comment box. Rather than waiting around for perfection.
Top comments (3)
Not every cleanup and refactor itβs a strife for perfection, it can also be a way to ensure future development in this area is more speedy and/or robust. Comments are an integral part of the community experience, so maybe investing some time to put this part of the app on a more solid foundation is something to consider.
I 1000% agree.... My thoughts here are mostly that we've discussed this rework a lot and I feel like we've usually been on the same page that having it in place would be the stepping stone for a lot of other good stuff like mentions... But since it's been hard to prioritize this, I think getting the mentions in first and then including that in a future refactor may yield better results.
Similar to the redesign of the comment box, it's great that we got to this without the coding updates being a blocker. We're better for having shipped a new design even if the code is still pretty wonky.
Ok, thanks for providing more context!
I think it's up to us to prioritize this now. It's an integral part of any community, so definitely would help with getting traction for Forem.
I agree that we don't need to do it before mentions, but that we should pitch and shape it for the next cycle. Why don't we start by you walking me through some of the known issues of the current implementation?