I just upgraded from 2.7 to version 2.8 and hate the new dialed number manipulation rules list that replaces the old dial patterns and dial rules text box entry.
It was so simple to manipulate in the text box. You could simply copy 100 numbers to notepad, do your manipulations and copy everything back. Now each number is in it’s own box and it’s impossible to copy everything from one trunk to another or make global changes in a text editor.
While this may be a step forward in looks, it is definitely a step backwards in functionality. Any reason for this change? I would prefer to enter the dial patterns for trunks and outbound routes the old way again in a text box. If enough users comment maybe we can get this reversed.
there are a few threads discussing this quite a bit as there was a small population of people who are very displeased with it (similar to your comments).
I would suggest looking for the main thread (you’ll have to search, I don’t recall where it is exactly).
In response to that thread, I add the ability to use a CSV file to load dial patterns since in most cases, people who do have a need to manage so many dial patterns are often better serviced to manage it in something like a spreadsheet. I suggested that based on feedback form some testing of that version (which is sitting in core in the 2.9 branch) we could back-port it.
I have seen very little response form that thus despite concern brought up (quite heatedly if you go look at the threads), there has been almost no follow-through from the concerned parties wrt to evaluation the proposed CSV file option.
There was also a very simply module written that could upload with a textarea as previously though it is very limited and only provides a subset of the full functionality.
So go look for that thread and feel free to resurrect it.
Thanks for your quick reply. I’ll look for the other threads. With regards to the csv upload option I would suggest that it’s better than nothing but you would also need an export to cvs option to make it work and personally I would still prefer to go back to the old text box system. (If it aint broke don’t fix it).
If it’s only a gui change then maybe you could offer both options for data entry with a flag on that page.
go read the other threads, there are a range of opinions and reasons and best to comment there.
as far as exporting to CSV, for someone who is going to manage such a list, it’s most likely that they will manage it in a spreadsheet. The export might only be needed the first time for someone transitioning and there are anyhow other ways you could export it (it’s all in a much more straight forward db table then in earlier versions when it would have been ‘impossible’ to easily pull out.