Improve Navigation Between Sharing and Properties/Fields in the PAW Book Editor

Dear team,

Idea Short Name

Allow direct switching between Sharing and Properties/Fields

Problem Statement

In the PAW Book Editor, users can access different configuration and management areas, including Properties, Fields, and Sharing.

The current interaction is asymmetric:

Properties / Fields → Sharing
works directly.

Sharing → Properties / Fields
does not.

Once the Sharing panel/flyout is open, Properties and Fields cannot be accessed directly. The user must first close Sharing before the Properties or Fields sections become available again.

The key usability issue is therefore not the visual overlap itself, but the lack of direct, bidirectional navigation between Sharing and the Properties/Fields area.

Real-Life Scenario

A user is editing a Book and is working with a selected widget.

The user opens Properties or Fields and then opens Sharing.

Sharing is displayed successfully.

If the user now wants to return to Properties or Fields, they cannot simply select the respective configuration area. They first have to close Sharing and then access Properties or Fields again.

This creates an unnecessary close/open cycle whenever the user needs to switch between Book configuration and sharing-related tasks.

Current Behavior

The current navigation is effectively one-directional:

Properties / Fields → Sharing

is possible directly.

Sharing → Properties / Fields

requires the user to manually close Sharing first.

Even if Properties or Fields were already active before Sharing was opened, the user cannot directly return to them while Sharing is open.

Expected Behavior

The user should be able to switch directly between Sharing and the Properties/Fields area at any time.

For example:

Properties → Sharing → Properties

and

Fields → Sharing → Fields

should both be possible without requiring an additional manual Close Sharing action.

If the existing PAW design requires these areas to occupy the same UI space, selecting another area can simply replace the currently displayed one.

The important requirement is that the navigation works in both directions.

Recommended UX Direction

The preferred solution is to make the existing panel/flyout interaction bidirectional.

When Sharing is open:

• the controls/navigation for Properties and Fields should remain available and actionable, or an equivalent mechanism should provide direct access to them;

• selecting Properties or Fields should immediately switch back to the corresponding Inspector section;

• Sharing can then be closed or replaced automatically according to the existing PAW UI model.

Likewise, opening Sharing from Properties or Fields should continue to work as it does today.

This does not require Sharing and Properties/Fields to be visible simultaneously.

The goal is simply to allow the user to switch between the two areas without having to manually close Sharing first.

Context Preservation

Switching back to Properties or Fields should preserve the user's current Book editing context.

In particular:

• the currently selected widget should remain selected;

• the relevant Properties/Fields context should remain available;

• the user should return to the configuration context they were working with before opening Sharing.

The user should not have to reselect the widget or re-establish the relevant configuration context.

User Impact

This affects users who configure and maintain Books and need to switch between widget/layout configuration and sharing-related tasks.

The impact is particularly noticeable when users repeatedly move between Properties/Fields and Sharing during Book design, testing, maintenance, or review.

The current behavior introduces an unnecessary interaction step and makes navigation asymmetric.

Workaround

The current workaround is to manually close Sharing before accessing Properties or Fields.

This adds an unnecessary Close/Open cycle every time the user needs to return to the Book configuration area.

Business / Usability Value

Providing direct bidirectional navigation would:

• reduce unnecessary clicks;

• eliminate the repeated Close/Open cycle;

• make navigation consistent in both directions;

• preserve the user's editing context;

• improve the efficiency of Book configuration and maintenance.

This is a usability enhancement and does not address a functional limitation of the Sharing feature itself.

Acceptance Criteria

1. Properties → Sharing → Properties

• Properties is open for a selected widget.

• The user opens Sharing.

• The user can directly return to Properties without manually closing Sharing first.

• The selected widget and relevant Properties context are preserved.

2. Fields → Sharing → Fields

• Fields is open.

• The user opens Sharing.

• The user can directly return to Fields without manually closing Sharing first.

• The relevant Book/widget context is preserved.

3. No additional manual close required

The user must not be required to explicitly close Sharing before accessing Properties or Fields.

Scope

This request concerns the interaction between the Sharing panel/flyout and the Properties/Fields area within the PAW Book Editor.

It does not concern the functionality of Sharing itself or folder-level/other permission-management interfaces outside the Book Editor.

Non-Goal

This request does not require Sharing and Properties/Fields to be displayed simultaneously.

The enhancement can continue to use the existing PAW single-panel/flyout approach, provided that users can switch directly between the areas.

Priority

Medium

This is not a functional blocker, but it introduces unnecessary interaction for users working with multiple Book configuration areas.

Summary

The current behavior is confirmed to be by design. The proposed enhancement is therefore intended to improve the user experience rather than correct a functional defect.

The key issue is the lack of direct, bidirectional navigation between Sharing and Properties/Fields.

Users should be able to move between:

Properties ↔ Sharing

and

Fields ↔ Sharing

without first having to manually close the currently active Sharing panel/flyout.

The implementation can remain consistent with the existing PAW design. The essential improvement is that the user must always have a direct way to switch back to the other configuration area.

Thanks in advance.

With best regards,
Vitalij