I wish we could rename tabs

Kristin · 2025-03-26T16:52:31+00:00

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I don't think this is a question, as I don't think there is anything to learn to do differently, it is more just kind of frustrating and I am hoping people have thoughts or ideas or something. It is fundamentally regarding the inability to re-name tabs.

I had been in the middle of a workspace, and then I wanted to quickly open a specific passage list (the one I am using to organize stuff as I mentioned on that other thread), to refer to it super quick and go back to what I was doing.

However, I had also been working on other passage lists for something else, and when I opened it, I literally couldn't find it since everything was called the same thing. I also noticed that there was a bunch of dead space, so I couldn't see what anything was, but then it occurred to me that it wouldn't matter anyway since it is all called the same thing.

I was feeling under time pressure, so I finally just did a "close all", reopened my passage list, looked at it for half a second, then closed it and needed to go re-open everything.

So with "Search" and "Passage List" tabs all being called the same thing, how do other people keep it straight what is going on?

Thanks for any ideas anyone has.

Bildschirmfoto 2025-03-26 um 10.17.33.png

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DMB

You commented on this, last year. I'm sure there's a feedback/vote somewhere. And the earliest suggestion was likely just hours, after Logos4 was shipped in 2009.

There must be some unbelievable problem with tool tab renaming.

As you might have seen, I have 5 search tabs in my big layout. They're named in order, Search, Search, Search, Search, and Search. Sometimes, I accidentaly move them, with the new order, Search, Search, Search, Search, and Search. I re-order them so a properly, Search, Search, Search, Search, and Search.

Obviously I have no solution!

Kristin

Hi @DMB,

Thanks for your comment, and ya, I remember asking about this before with there being no solution. (Hence the "discussion" and not a "question"). However, when I had asked about it before I remember I still didn't really even understand basic functions. (I literally only figured out that Logos in fact CAN search for more than one verse at a time a few days ago, it is just a multistep process). So I figured I would check about this again now that I get the program a little better.

I totally understand your "Search" situation, and it is a real problem. I often have 15 or 20 "Search" tabs and wind up needing to do "Close All" multiple times a day just to be able to find stuff. In Accordance I don't always re-name my tabs, but I always do for complicated issues. I also break away tabs into new workspaces multiple times a day.

Justin Gatlin

I made a feature request for searches to put the search string in the tab title here:

https://community.logos.com/discussion/247879/put-search-in-search-tab-name

I am a little confused by your comments about passage lists, which can be renamed.

Kristin

I made a feature request for searches to put the search string in the tab title here:

Hi @Justin Gatlin, thank you for doing that and for the link. :)

I am a little confused by your comments about passage lists, which can be renamed.

Sorry for being unclear. What I had been referring to is when I had (with difficulty) exported the actual verses of a Logos passage list in order to put them in to Accordance to compare them, and through the process I renamed the tabs in Accordance to keep it straight. In Accordance you can re-name both passage lists and tabs.

I understand that Logos has the capability to merge and compare verses, but I was having a lot of difficulty with it so I wanted to do it in Accordance and I got a more logical and consistent result. I honestly don't know if it is because it is easier in Accordance or user error, or a combination of both of those. I can't figure out how to copy the specific link to the screenshot, but I posted it several hours ago on this thread . When I did the merge in Logos it said there were multiple differences in verse counts, and in Accordance there were no differences.

Donovan R. Palmer

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1364249#Comment_1364249

Sometimes, I accidentaly move them, with the new order, Search, Search, Search, Search, and Search. I re-order them so a properly, Search, Search, Search, Search, and Search.

The struggle is real, and this can be a real point of friction, cognitive load and time waster in the current UI. I voted on the product suggestion item created by @Justin Gatlin . Thanks everyone. Great discussion.

Joey Midgett

As far as the Passage Lists, whenever I start a new Passage List, I always rename to something I can find easily, which changes the tab name as well. I always put (PL) at the end of the name so I know it's a Passage List. For the Search tabs, that's another story.

Justin Gatlin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1364337#Comment_1364337

Unfortunately, right now you can't see passage list names by hovering over a condensed tab. I've added a feature request for that too

https://community.logos.com/discussion/247880/give-full-title-on-mouseover-for-all-tabs

Kristin

Unfortunately, right now you can't see passage list names by hovering over a condensed tab. I've added a feature request for that too

Hi @Justin Gatlin,

Thanks for doing that. :)

Joey Midgett

I'm not sure why you are not

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1364368#Comment_1364368

I'm not sure why you are not seeing that, but when I hover my mouse over any passage list it shows me the name of that passage list.

Note: This is in Windows 11

DMB

I think Justin is referring to squeezed-up tabs or 'condensed'.

Kristin

I think Justin is referring to squeezed-up tabs or 'condensed'.

Hi @DMB and @Joey Midgett,

That is my impression as well. However, the main issue is that with the search tabs, even if you mouse over it, it doesn't tell you new information.

Here is a contrast of Logos, where no info is provided if you mouse over a tab, compared to Accordance re-naming tabs, and further, their search tabs start numbering themselves if I don't actively rename them.

Bildschirmfoto 2025-03-28 um 10.01.41.png

DMB

I think Justin's above suggestion was PLs and PGs?

Kristin

I think Justin's above suggestion was PLs and PGs?

PL sounds like "passage list" to me, but what's a PG?

DMB

PG is 'Passage Guide'.

I think the distinction of PLs/PGs vs Search tabs, is the former looks more like a quick-fix bug; the latter, considerably more involved (new subscriber feature).

Kristin

Hi @DMB,

Oh, ok. Thanks for clarifying. :)

Justin Gatlin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1364526#Comment_1364526

That's why I separated them out. Hopefully if search tabs get smarter naming, they will also get parity in mouseover behavior.

Donovan R. Palmer

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1364512#Comment_1364512

This is a perfect storm of the UI. We can’t open multiple layouts at the same time, so you have to cram everything into one. The tabs becomes more and more unintuitive as the layout becomes more crowded. I vote for Logos to take a fresh look at this. 👍

MJ. Smith

@Donovan R. Palmer

This is a perfect storm of the UI. We can’t open multiple layouts at the same time, so you have to cram everything into one. The tabs becomes more and more unintuitive as the layout becomes more crowded. I vote for Logos to take a fresh look at this. 👍

This is not to disagree but just to show that there are other approaches - I hate crowded layouts. Most of my layouts have 6 panes although I occasionally get up to 8. A pane rarely exceeds 3-4 tabs. Why? Because I work heavily with parallel resources from my collections, back and forward history function on the search, and floating windows as "multiple layouts" i.e. to segregate functions depending on an independent set of resources. So, while you are waiting for Logos to make the changes necessary to support your very crowded layouts, you might consider rethinking your layout in terms of maximizing Logos as it currently exists. I know you won't be able to get what you actually want, but you may be able to improve the situation.

DMB

Well, since we're talking 'fresh look' (like a fresh translation … the others are so stale).

Add-on layouts. You can add sets of book, pre-linked and positioned. The work-around for years was the windowed-favorites.

But multiple sounds good. I just don't think it's possible without major surgery. Though conceivably something like Logos and Verbum at the same time, pointing to the same library, settings, etc.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1364585#Comment_1364585

I'm smiling. But you're like the person with the perfectly neat desk, all quite in order. This task, next task.

Advising a messy-desk person on how to be neat and tidy. Then, the messy-desk person explains, everything is in its place and what's the problem?

The app design started out supporting a complicated layout (the panel handling, which was far superior to Libby … shhhh). But then, they stopped thinking at that point. Multiple Text Comparisons that are error-prone. Search tabs all the same name. Windows that weren't coordinated with the system. And so forth. (I carefully didn't mention the absolute refusal to allow closing TOC levels).

Kristin

I'm smiling. But you're like the person with the perfectly neat desk, all quite in order. This task, next task.
Advising a messy-desk person on how to be neat and tidy. Then, the messy-desk person explains, everything is in its place and what's the problem?

Hi @DMB,

I think this is an interesting description between the two of you, and I can also see how the lack of re-naming tabs and not having more than one workspace open at a time would effect you both differently. That said, I would like to add a third style into the mix, being someone doing very intense research. MJ's "this task, next task" reminds me of formal studies, where you have one class, then you put your books away for that class and open the books for the next class, compared to someone doing intense research and thus has to have more than one subject's books open at a time, and also, is often required to follow complicated rabbit trails, making it basically essential to be able to not only re-name tabs, have more than one layout open at a time, but also be able to break away a tab into a full-fledged new workspace. While I can't speak for all researchers, I can say for myself, that being highly organized is truly essential in order to keep track of complicated projects. So I think that we are all perceiving the inability to re-name tabs differently, depending on our extremely distinct needs for the program.

Donovan R. Palmer

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1364585#Comment_1364585

So, while you are waiting for Logos to make the changes necessary to support your very crowded layouts, you might consider rethinking your layout in terms of maximizing Logos as it currently exists

Yes, for sure, I already do this. I reduce the number of tabs I open and my approach to resource management is similar to yours.

Assuming Logos will never have the capability for opening multiple layouts simultaneously, being able to enhance the visibility of what is in search tabs would give just a tad bit more flexibility, which is what I upvoted in the suggestions.

I will say that I do like the new dynamic toolbar. I know that it is not to everyone’s liking, but it fits well with me and I appreciate the ongoing tweaks to the UI.

MJ. Smith

@DMB and @Kristin

Advising a messy-desk person on how to be neat and tidy. Then, the messy-desk person explains, everything is in its place and what's the problem?

I loved your responses because I understand exactly why you made the assumptions you did … but they are so incorrect. I am very much a messy desk/stack filing person jumping from topic to topic like someone with attention deficit … but also with the ability, like many attention deficit individuals, to hyperconcentrate for short periods of time. The difference is that I look at Logos from the perspective of how is it designed to work most efficiently and how can I adjust to best take advantage of it rather than this is how I work best, how do I contort Logos to best fit my style. Because I am interested in logics, modeling, and hermeneutics, I am comfortable switching from my preferred method of doing something to whatever logic, model, or hermeneutic I happen to be thinking/reading at the moment. I just happened to fall more on the work as the tool is designed for than on the make the tool work as I want side.

DMB

I'm sorry … my poor humor gets the best of me (reading up on Jesus' humor).

The difference is that I look at Logos from the perspective of how is it designed to work most efficiently and how can I adjust to best take advantage of it rather than this is how I work best, how do I contort Logos to best fit my style.

I can't see tremendous efficiency in the design … flexibility, yes. And since I want everything my efficiency, not theirs, I simply stop updating, once it's just right. Goldilocks and the three devs.