Camunda Modeler 5.16 Task Inputparmeter Type List alphabetic sorted

[detmar-krause]

Describe the bug

When creating a service task and adding a Inputs parameter as List

and switch to an other task and switch back and open parameter the list ist sorted alphabatically

also the bpmn xml

             <camunda:inputParameter name="exec_parameters">
                <camunda:list>
                  <camunda:value>SARImageTransformer -joborder ${JSON(imageTransformerContainerJoborderBindFolder).prop("joborderBindFolder").value()}/${imageTransformerJoborderFileName}</camunda:value>
                  <camunda:value>-c</camunda:value>
                  <camunda:value>bash</camunda:value>
                </camunda:list>
              </camunda:inputParameter>

Steps to reproduce

1. add parameter to Inputs as List
2. add List elements
3. leave task
4. open properties panel of task again
5. open parameter and expand List elements
6. Elements are sorted

Expected behavior

Parameter elements of a List should never be sorted or changed in order.

Environment

• OS: Ubuntu
• Camunda Modeler Version: 5.16 + 5.17
• Execution Platform:Camunda 7

Additional context

No response

---

Depends on bpmn-io/bpmn-js-properties-panel#1047

[nikku]

Thanks for opening this bug report. Order shall always follow engine (+ XML) defined order.

[nikku]

This may be addressed at some point via this (stalled) PR: bpmn-io/bpmn-js-properties-panel#875.

[smbea]

I'm assigning to you @nikku since you already had a look. Feel free to un-assign if you can't look into it

[nikku]

This seems to be a little bigger in complexity, as lists are special (not handled using the default sorting mechanism.

We'll go ahead and remove automatic sorting all together from the properties panel, as discussed in bpmn-io/properties-panel#311 and linked conversation.

[nikku]

Moving this issue back to backlog as we did not find the time to wrap it up.

[AlexanderSkrock]

Hi there,
I would like to ask about the current state of this issue. Also I had a look into the referenced draft pull request, but I was not able to find out what's missing.

@nikku , if you could potentially spare some time to wrap it up for me, I would volunteer to further work on this issue.

Kind regards
Alexander Skrock

[nikku]

@AlexanderSkrock we decided to remove alphabetic sorting all together. It does more harm than good and we regret that past decision today 🙈.

There exists a draft PR (bpmn-io/bpmn-js-properties-panel#875) which is stuck, because the topic caused a number of nasty side-effects on other features of the properties panel (such as focussing entries). What we want to do is to remove alphabetic sorting completely from the core (bpmn-io/properties-panel#311).

If you want to take a look into that and assess if it is something you'd want to contribute, please feel free to do so.

[AlexanderSkrock]

So, just to verify that I get you right, @nikku , should we set shouldSort to false by default as mention in your linked issue or did you mean to completely remove the option to use sorting?

Either way, I would give it a try to implement and then analyze occuring focus issues , when I have some spare time.

[nikku]

We want to remove shouldSort completely:

• If a consumer uses it print a console.warn that it is no longer supported
• Automatically all items stop to sort, in all places in the properties panel
• If sorting is desired, then on the domain level you have to sort your inputs (list of variables, ...)

[nikku]

This has been implemented via bpmn-io/bpmn-js-properties-panel#1047 and needs to be integrated into the modeler.

To be shipped with v5.24.0 🙂