UI Improvements / Personalization?

[Zoltar]

I have a few suggestions for UI improvement on Databricks console --

Or maybe if anyone has figured out a way (using greasemonkey or similar scripts) to make some changes to Databricks UI -- i would like to know.

# 1 - Workspace Navigation

Can we have an option to navigate the Workspace folders and subfolders using a "Tree structure" similar to VS Code or Windows Explorer? Currently there are too vertical panels to move across horizontally and we quickly lose the top level folder context. The current UI also takes up too much space if we look at just two levels of folders and want it pinned.

See the VS Code and Explorer interfaces --

Or alternatively the JupyterLab interface (with the path displayed on top as breadcrumbs) --

 

# 2 - Bookmarks

Can the "Recent" links panel itself or a brand new "Bookmarks" panel be added to the main navigation panel on the left?

Make it expand/collapse vertically to save space -- and allow users to pin it open if they want.

If we are auto-populating this panel with "recents" then let users star/ping individual items in that list to make them stay there.

This list can be limited to 3-5 items for example. This will allow users to switch between 3-4 most commonly/recently used notebooks without a lot of clicking and navigational burden.

 

Alternative view from JupyterLab --

 

# 3 - Tabs & Panels

If we open more than one file, can we see them as tabs inside the Workspace?

 

Further could they be displayed in a "split" or "side-by-side" view?

a la JupyterLab --

 

# 4 - Quick Links on Notebook Cells

Is there a way to make the "Run Cell" option available directly as a single click instead of having to first open a dropdown menu?

I am thinking this can either be a preference setting for user, or a greasemonkey script that runs on user's browser (the latter though are not usually allowed on work machines)

 

[Hubert-Dudek]

Great ideas.

I know that regarding #1 new file manager is in development.

#3 I also proposed when we discussed possible improvements.

@Lindsay Olson​ @Jose Gonzalez​ @Prabakar Ammeappin​ maybe we can push it as user feedback as that are great ideas with description and screenshots attached.

[Prabakar]

This really good one. Let me take it to the product team and discuss it with them.

[Prabakar · Accepted solution]

I have raised a feature request for the same. https://databricks.aha.io/ideas/ideas/DB-I-5618

[Kaniz]

Thank you @Prabakar Ammeappin​!

You're a gem to the community. Keep going!

[Prabakar]

Thank you @Kaniz Fatma​  🙂

[Kaniz]

Indeed @Hubert Dudek​!

This one is taken to the product team.

Thank you @Raghuveer V​ once again!