Create an UNDO button in Content Editor

(3)
I know that this request has been archived.  However, I would like to resubmit this request.  Having an undo button adds to the ease of use and familiarity among programs/platforms.  Ctrl-Z is an option, but not all users (including students) are familiar with this option.  When you change the formatting on a page and you decide you don't like it, it would be nice to have a simple icon that can lead you to go back for a do-over.
 

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38 Comments
Renee_Carney
Community Team
Community Team

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Thank you for your Feature Idea submission. We wanted to call your attention to   which was submitted in a different voting period, but archived due to lack of votes or inadequate response. You may want to reference this idea for any insight.

Your idea will be open for vote in the next voting cycle.

In the meantime, help your idea gain traction by posting a link to this idea in the comments of the other, archived idea (which will notify author and anyone who is following the idea) and share your idea to colleagues and peers who you think would be supporters, as well.

Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

I would undoubtedly take advantage of an Undo button in the RCE every time I create content (which is often) and I'm sure students would appreciate this feature.

biray
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

This idea has moved to the next stage and will be open for voting among the Canvas Community, from Wed. March 2, 2016 - Wed. June 1, 2016.

Check out this doc for additional details about how the voting process works!

jlg65
Community Participant

I completely agree with the need for this  @altheatechtools . There is actually a menu bar that includes Undo in the Content Editor but you need to know to press Alt F9 to view the menu bar - which as stated above many users do not know the keyboard shortcuts..

altheatechtools
Community Participant

Wow! That is incredibly helpful! Thanks for showing me that!

jlg65
Community Participant

You're welcome. It's a gem.

atentoni
Community Novice

I did not know that either!  That's great! 

In case it's helpful to anyone:  I had to experiment a little to get it to work.  I ended up needing to click somewhere in the editing box and then hold down FN + ALT + F9 to get the menu.  That was in Chrome. 

Maybe the FN button should have been understood, but I had to think about it.  🙂

jlg65
Community Participant

I was thrilled when I discovered this, so I'm happy to share.

The FN button must be necessary on a Mac. I'm on a PC and and from within the editing box simply Alt F9 works.

Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

...I ended up needing to click somewhere in the editing box...

That's the step I've been missing! It (click-in-editing-box-Alt-F9) works like a charm in Firefox on a Windows 7 PC, thanks!

atentoni
Community Novice

Interesting!  I was on a laptop PC.  I just tried it on my desktop PC and did not need the FN button.

pete1
Community Contributor

Out of curiosity, is this "undo" as in you hit "save page" don't like how it looks and can then undo. Or is it if you change something in RCE then undo it without  saving?

I for one would love a "preview" page, or the ability to "undo" once saving a page, as RCE does not necessarily replicate what the page will look like once saved. By the way I know there is a page history button for content pages, but I don't believe this exists for assignment pages.

pete1
Community Contributor

I have thought more about the preview page and believe it to be a waste of time! Not to worry. A little undo icon button would definitely be helpful to teachers / students not so savvy in the keyboard shortcuts.

kona
Community Champion

 @pete1 ​, undo as in while you're still using/editing things in the RCE. Once you click the save button there is no undo.

I think you have 2 new feature ideas in your comments, (1) preview page option - personally I'd LOVE this and (2) revision history for assignments!

James
Community Champion

 @atentoni ​,

The FN key is common from companies who think that you would more commonly use the controls for brightness, volume, swapping video output, toggling network, playing, pausing, etc, than you are to actually use a function key as a function key.

So, it's not that the sequence is Alt+Fn+F9, it's that your keyboard is configured to require Fn to treat the function keys as function keys, so to get the F9, you need Fn-F9. If your keyboard doesn't support those extra features (my desktop doesn't even have a Fn key), then it's usually not an issue.


One of the first things I do when I get a new computer that acts this way is to set it back to the traditional use. For a Mac, it can be done through system preferences, but most PC's require you to go into the BIOS to change a setting. Some keyboards have a Fn Lock that will allow you to lock the Fn Key on.

Here are some resources

dlyons
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

As many have noted CTRL/CMD-Z is an option in the RCE, but did you know you can also use the standard menubar Edit > Undo as well? Both of these behave the way you'd expect from any other text editor.

dbeeson
Community Explorer

From my perspective, this whole topic seems ridiculous.  It is 2016...why do we have to VOTE and campaign to a service WE ARE PAYING FOR to add a simple function that has been around since the last century!

For goodness sakes Instructure, ADD A FREAKING UNDO BUTTON in the rich text editor.  I know Ctrl+Z works and there are hidden menus but guess what, my 18 year old students don't!  They are submitting an answer in a quiz or completing an assignment and the most basic of all things, an undo button, is missing.  They are looking for what every other product has....a simple undo button like these: http://tinyurl.com/undoicon

I am done playing a game; will we or won't we get enough up votes.  This is a good example of the kind of thing other faculty throughout my state and I are constantly commiserating about in regards to Canvas.  Instructure, just FIX THIS!

pete1
Community Contributor

Hi @dbeeson ,

Yes it is 2016, yes instructure have the skillset to add an undo button, but they can not add every single item that is requested, that would be chaotic. Thats why there is this forum created so it can assist instructure to see the demand of certain items / themes of discussions etc.  Is there another method you believe would work better? I have also voted up on this because I think it would be beneficial, but i'm presuming there was also a reason it was not initially put on the bar.

dbeeson
Community Explorer

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your thoughtful response.  I do understand Instructure is capable of something like this but I do not like the system in place that feels like a game (get your friends and colleagues to up vote otherwise it will be ignored) method of pointing out a simple improvement made to a product my company pays for.  As seen here in the following link, this topic has already shown popularity on another thread but timed out just short of the "goal". 

If I were creating a product for sale that was missing a simple key feature that most any other competitor had and could be installed rather simply, would I just ignore it until I had enough complaints to justify me installing such a simple fix?  I worked in the tool design business for a few years.  If an end user came to us with a great idea that could be implemented at no cost and would provide even a marginal product improvement, we implemented as soon as possible.  That just makes sense!

Please do not get me started on the iOS app.  I am not even bothering to up vote needed improvements there.  If that doesn't get something soon, the problem will solve itself.

Thanks again Pete for your thoughts.

cfelton
Community Novice

Yasssss!!!!!!!

jbuchner
Community Contributor

We are paying for it too. I don't want an undo button in the menu.

And by We, I mean my employer, not me, technically I suppose, the students are paying for the software. Yet I see few suggestions from students here, mostly us, the faculty, the administrators.

There's a whole bunch of features that I feel a freaking obvious that are not done for whatever reason. It's the way it is. Feel free to develop your own software, or build your own team to develop the software if that's what it takes.