Please revert back to the old return format!

[RPAL]

I am currently unable to use WeWeb because of the new format for returned values. This is a problem in a few places and I’ll do my best to explain why:

CURRENT VALUE IN BINDINGS MENU

Below are comparisons of the “Current value” binding formats both new (left) and old (right). You’ll need to use the buttons below each image carousel to flip through them. I used examples from the docs so please ignore the data and light/dark mode changes.

The main issue with the new format is that returns longer than a few lines make the CURRENT VALUE box a headache to read with human eyes. Below is another example from the docs of an array containing simple objects:

In the second picture you can see that collapsing the current format creates a mess of indistinguishable brackets. The old version in the third picture is clearly the winner for humans. What about a more complicated array with objects containing a few dozen properties and sub arrays?

It’s impossible to quickly parse and confirm the output is correct. With the old format everything started collapsed and you could easily see the names of objects and different keys as you dived into them. It takes the entire length of the gif above to find the first object’s release-group.id when that value would be visible within a couple of quick unfolds using the old format.

WORKFLOW DEBUG
This problem continues in the new workflow debug popup, and it’s actually worse because you cannot use any right click action such as “Fold All” or move your mouse away or the popup will immediately close.

This popup does not have a full screen option and is not resizable. This workflow debug popup is a cool addition and would be much better with the old return format!

DEBUG PANEL
Similar problem as the workflow debug but now the box is smaller and cannot be resized. It is literally impossible to use this if the return is anything more than a simple object.

The old format in the debug panel was so useful and made it super simple to debug without having to dive into workflows! Examples below! PLEASE bring this format back!

SOLUTIONS
Please bring back the old style return formatting as the default structure and add two buttons above each return box:

1. Toggles to show the (new) raw json format instead of the (old) human readable format
2. Copies the (new) raw json formatted response to the clipboard

Then bring back the “verbose” option in the DEBUG PANEL that shows all returned values from all workflow actions on the page WITHOUT needing a debug action. The old debug panel (pictured below) made it super easy to see what was happening without having to click into workflows.

Finally I personally prefer the color scheme from the old format of blue (keys) yellow (strings) and purple (numbers). The new default color scheme with different shades of green and grey is just a pain on the eyes. I don’t understand why strings are now grey in the bindings tabs but numbers retained their purple color?

If for some reason you can’t restore this formatting or my solutions are no good please let me know. I have stopped all progress on my app until I am no longer flying blind!

[Joyce]

Hey @RPAL

Thanks so much for taking the time to share such thoughtful feedback! Really appreciate it

I’ll create a product feedback ticket for the product team to explore further.

[thomlov (Thomas Løvdahl)]

What I like is being able to easily copy paste the raw JSON, that was much harder before this change.

[RPAL]

Absolutely! And that should still be an option–just not the default one. My suggestion is a button to show the raw json and another button that copies the raw json (even when the old default format is visible).

It’s just an overall bad UX decision to force people to look at raw JSON. Here are two more reasons why:

Which index is “Sweden” in this array? I’m scrolled halfway down a list of more than 50 countries.

This wouldn’t be a problem with the old format.

Now here is an example of an object I am working with using the musicbrainz API:

  {
    id: "3659baf3-3820-4476-90c2-fa2d01e4fc8a",
    score: 100,
    "artist-credit-id": "c81491ca-a4b0-3bd7-92c0-8467809c8500",
    title: "Help!",
    length: 138000,
    video: null,
    "artist-credit": [
      {
        name: "The Beatles",
        artist: {
          id: "b10bbbfc-cf9e-42e0-be17-e2c3e1d2600d",
          name: "The Beatles",
          "sort-name": "Beatles, The",
          disambiguation: "UK rock band, “The Fab Four”",
          aliases: [
            {
              "sort-name": "披头士乐队",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "披头士乐队",
              locale: "zh_Hans_CN",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: true,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "披头士乐队",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "披头士乐队",
              locale: "zh_Hans",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "披頭四樂團",
              name: "披頭四樂團",
              locale: "zh_Hant",
              type: null,
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Beatles",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Beatles",
              locale: "en",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Beetles",
              "type-id": "1937e404-b981-3cb7-8151-4c86ebfc8d8e",
              name: "Beetles",
              locale: null,
              type: "Search hint",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "披頭四樂隊",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "披頭四樂隊",
              locale: "zh_Hant",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "fab four",
              "type-id": "1937e404-b981-3cb7-8151-4c86ebfc8d8e",
              name: "fab four",
              locale: null,
              type: "Search hint",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Պիթլս",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Պիթլս",
              locale: "hy",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ဘီးတဲလ်အဖွဲ့",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ဘီးတဲလ်အဖွဲ့",
              locale: "my",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "द बिटल्स",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "द बिटल्स",
              locale: "ne",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ᱫᱚ ᱵᱤᱴᱞᱮᱥ",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ᱫᱚ ᱵᱤᱴᱞᱮᱥ",
              locale: "sat",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "די ביטלס",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "די ביטלס",
              locale: "yi",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Бітлз",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Бітлз",
              locale: "uk",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Битлз",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Битлз",
              locale: "ru",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "披头士",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "披头士",
              locale: "zh_Hans",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: true,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "披頭四",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "披頭四",
              locale: "zh_Hant",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: true,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Silver Beatles, The",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "The Silver Beatles",
              locale: "en",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Beatles, I",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "I Beatles",
              locale: "it",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Beatles, Die",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Die Beatles",
              locale: "de",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ბითლზი",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ბითლზი",
              locale: "ka",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "بیٹلز",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "بیٹلز",
              locale: "ur",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "เดอะบีเทิลส์",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "เดอะบีเทิลส์",
              locale: "th",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ద బీటిల్స్",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ద బీటిల్స్",
              locale: "te",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "பீட்டில்ஸ்",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "பீட்டில்ஸ்",
              locale: "ta",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ਦ ਬੀਟਲਜ਼",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ਦ ਬੀਟਲਜ਼",
              locale: "pa",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Битлси",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Битлси",
              locale: "mk",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ദി ബീറ്റിൽസ്",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ദി ബീറ്റിൽസ്",
              locale: "ml",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ದಿ ಬೀಟಲ್ಸ್",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ದಿ ಬೀಟಲ್ಸ್",
              locale: "kn",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Bítlarnir",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Bítlarnir",
              locale: "is",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "द बीटल्स",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "द बीटल्स",
              locale: "hi",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "더 비틀즈",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "더 비틀즈",
              locale: "ko",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: true,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "הביטלס",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "הביטלס",
              locale: "he",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ધ બિટલ્સ",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ધ બિટલ્સ",
              locale: "gu",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "بیتلز",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "بیتلز",
              locale: "fa",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "দ্য বিটল্‌স",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "দ্য বিটল্‌স",
              locale: "bn",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "البيتلز",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "البيتلز",
              locale: "ar",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Beatles, Los",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Los Beatles",
              locale: "es",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: true,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ዘ ቢተልስ",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ዘ ቢተልስ",
              locale: "am",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "ビートルズ（ザ）",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "ザ・ビートルズ",
              locale: "ja",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Beatles, Les",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "Les Beatles",
              locale: "fr",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: null,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            },
            {
              "sort-name": "Beatles, The",
              "type-id": "894afba6-2816-3c24-8072-eadb66bd04bc",
              name: "The Beatles",
              locale: "en",
              type: "Artist name",
              primary: true,
              "begin-date": null,
              "end-date": null
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    ],
    "first-release-date": "1978",
    releases: [
      {
        id: "e5ef6cd9-d078-4435-b005-2f4ee6d44d61",
        "status-id": "4e304316-386d-3409-af2e-78857eec5cfe",
        "artist-credit-id": "c81491ca-a4b0-3bd7-92c0-8467809c8500",
        count: 2,
        title: "The Beatles",
        status: "Official",
        "artist-credit": [
          {
            name: "The Beatles",
            artist: {
              id: "b10bbbfc-cf9e-42e0-be17-e2c3e1d2600d",
              name: "The Beatles",
              "sort-name": "Beatles, The",
              disambiguation: "UK rock band, “The Fab Four”"
            }
          }
        ],
        "release-group": {
          id: "012f17a8-e5f6-4518-aa36-135bf621b1c7",
          "type-id": "6d0c5bf6-7a33-3420-a519-44fc63eedebf",
          "primary-type-id": "6d0c5bf6-7a33-3420-a519-44fc63eedebf",
          title: "The Beatles",
          "primary-type": "EP",
          "secondary-types": [
            "Compilation"
          ],
          "secondary-type-ids": [
            "dd2a21e1-0c00-3729-a7a0-de60b84eb5d1"
          ]
        },
        date: "1978",
        country: "PL",
        "release-events": [
          {
            date: "1978",
            area: {
              id: "dd7f80c8-f017-3d01-8608-2a8c9c32b954",
              name: "Poland",
              "sort-name": "Poland",
              "iso-3166-1-codes": [
                "PL"
              ]
            }
          }
        ],
        "track-count": 7,
        media: [
          {
            id: "a70cda13-bf2c-342e-b0a8-d5cc65e8471d",
            position: 1,
            format: "7\" Vinyl",
            track: [
              {
                id: "3de564d8-0cf0-37f9-ad72-9bf6a018b2d0",
                number: "B2",
                title: "Help!",
                length: 138000
              }
            ],
            "track-count": 4,
            "track-offset": 3
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }

Each object has sub arrays that can vary drastically in length–in this case the object above is on the small side at 498 lines. If a recording has dozens of releases the object above can easily have 2500 lines. This particular API result returned an array containing 81 of these recording objects totaling just over 120,000 lines. That is simply impossible for a human to parse. This is just an example and I would never return all that raw data but I can’t even begin to filter it when raw JSON is the only option.

In the pictures above I have no immediate visual indication that the slice did anything at all. With the old format where everything starts folded and indexes are listed I could quickly see the last index would be 50.

@Joyce Thanks Joyce! Hopefully something can happen sooner rather than later! Bringing back the old format would save someone from having to update a few dozen images in the WeWeb docs haha.