Feature Request: "Quick Actions Groups": Edit an Action Group Before Running

[mr_bug]

Would be useful to sometimes use an already saved Action Group (AG) as the basis for a temporary set of actions that need only be performed once (and not saved, similar to a Quick Action (QA)).

QAs are good but you basically always have to start from scratch and they can't be a series of actions unlike AGs. Why not allow "Quick Action Groups": AGs that are based off pre-existing saved ones and can be a one-off? For example, if I've got an AG that replaces all instances of the word "Electronic" and then splits upon "," into multiple fields, I could edit it before running and change the first action's replace term to "Rock", hit run, and the rest of the AG's actions will be performed the same.

This'd be an improvement upon temporarily duplicating QAs, running them, and then deleting them (or leaving them be and slowly crowding up the list with slight variations of one another).

Perhaps "Quick Action Groups" wouldn't be the right name for this feature, though I wouldn't be against such a feature that behaved just like QAs but for AGs (starts blank, and you build it from scratch), but I'd find it much more useful to allow using my own AGs as starting templates to perform a "QAG".

Thanks!

[ohrenkino]

@mr_bug

For example, if I've got an AG that replaces all instances of the word "Electronic" and then splits upon "," into multiple fields, I could edit it before running and change the first action's replace term to "Rock", hit run, and the rest of the AG's actions will be performed the same.

Isn't this more or less the behaviour when you open the Actions... dialogue, click edit and then edit all the actions that need changing?

@mr_bug

AGs that are based off pre-existing saved ones and can be a one-off?

Why should I loose a modification? So I would rather have it saved. So with a little planning and using the "copy" button for actions, the original is kept and none of the following work is lost.
Esp. if the modification not only applies to just one action in the group but to several - and the modification works - then I would be very glad to have saved this proven example.

Or I would set up a set of modular action groups and then compose them with the check boxes in front of the action groups to one batch job? So perhaps there are several action groups to replace certain words and then there is the central action group that does the split and whatever else. I would then tick only one for replacing and the central one. All the others can stay as they are and I don't have to type in the search words again and again (with all the errors that might kreep in) but simply select the proven action group.

It is now the question what has the priority: to get the result (that should be possible even today) or to follow one particular path (that is what this suggestion is about, I think).

[mr_bug]

@ohrenkino

Isn't this more or less the behaviour when you open the Actions... dialogue, click edit and then edit all the actions that need changing?

That's a fair point. In that case I'd want to name the AG more generically then, e.g. "Replace genre1 with genre2" indicating it's not an AG with a predictable output (as whatever values were last used, were saved, and will be the values used next run). I'd prefer having AGs with names that I can rely upon, e.g. "Replace Electronic with Rock", that I needn't ever save over (unlike in the previous case), just run once but with edited values. This way I can rely upon this AG to do exactly as it is named.

To be clear, I typically only ever use the drop-down arrow to run AGs, not the AG popup window list (as I only use that to batch-run several AGs). I think what's more in line with what I seek is for example holding Ctrl + clicking an AG from the drop-down triangle button and being able to edit it before running. This would keep things quick and non-destructive.

@ohrenkino

Why should I loose a modification? So I would rather have it saved. So with a little planning and using the "copy" button for actions, the original is kept and none of the following work is lost.

I don't want to save every set of actions I do. This is why Quick Actions exist for single actions - sometimes you want to do something only once. You wouldn't be forced to use this feature, and so you wouldn't lose anything if you continue to make AGs you'd like to keep as before: create a new AG, do your edits, run it to test it, modify it, repeat, etc. Perhaps a "Action Groups (Quick)" could have a button/checkbox to "Save to Action Groups", so a one-off run could be saved for future.

@ohrenkino

Or I would set up a set of modular action groups and then compose them with the check boxes in front of the action groups to one batch job? So perhaps there are several action groups to replace certain words and then there is the central action group that does the split and whatever else. I would then tick only one for replacing and the central one. All the others can stay as they are and I don't have to type in the search words again and again (with all the errors that might kreep in) but simply select the proven action group.

There are several ways to use the AG list in batch mode, in a modular way and not, but that's more than I was asking for I believe. Although, one thing I'd like to see for the AG list is a "Profiles" feature: a drop-down that I can select different combinations of ticked AGs for achieving different things.

@ohrenkino

It is now the question what has the priority: to get the result (that should be possible even today) or to follow one particular path (that is what this suggestion is about, I think).

I can just stick to duplicating AGs then deleting them if I must. I'd just find it'd more convenient to edit one on-the-fly. I could then cut down on the number of variations I have and my AG list wouldn't be longer than my screen is tall.