A long list of shape data does not stay in position filling in a dropdown

[Visisthebest]

I am running in to a pretty important usability issue with the shape data editor (for the end user).

The list of data items for this application is a lot longer than the shape editor window, if the user fills in a dropdown later in the list it always shifts position to put the item filled in to the end of the visible list items.

This is very awkward however for users that have to fill in lots of values quickly, it makes filling in a long list very user-unfriendly.

When you fill in a long list, you want it to stay in position. Now, after filling in one dropdown value you have to scroll down after each dropdown. Even more annoyingly, because scrolling still has focus on the dropdown when you use the keyboard to scroll down you change the value you just entered.

Are there ways to avoid this, or to otherwise help users fill in lots of data (a lot of dropdowns in this case) with the shape data editor?

Ideally someone knows a solution, but a good workaround would be great too!

[wapperdude]

...sitting in my rocking chair, those Visio issues won't leave me alone...

Long lists seem problematical no matter how you slice them.  Slice them???  Hmmmm.  Off the top of my head, no thinking involved, how about multiple shapes?  Each shape has a smaller portion of the main list.

[Visisthebest]

Thank you Wapperdude yes that is one option, we can even make it so the shape data of one shape (a smaller list of data items) is pushed in to the main shape shape (that has the long list) each time a value is changed.

Hopefully there is another option to deal with this as well. A custom winform is another solution of course, or working via Excel import/export.

[Yacine]

I am not sure if I understand. Can you upload an example?

Otherwise 2 ideas
1) cascading dropdowns that subdivides the range of entries into categories, possibly over multiple levels
2) write a custom form in winform or VBA

[Visisthebest]

Yacine it is really easy to simulate, in Define Shape Data just keep pressing New and you'll have 30 or more data items in a few seconds.

Try to edit them in the data editor, the problem is also there when editing strings, and you'll see the position of the items in the shape data editor shift each time you press enter. This is the problem, makes it very hard to fill in long lists of data terrible UX this way.

I am considering making a generic WinForm solution for this issue.

[Yacine]

I kinda understand that you let your users edit not only the value, but the whole definition of the prop section?
Usually users open the shape data window and edit only the values of the props.