Alphabetical Folder Sorting In Bruno: Feature Request

Bruno, a powerful API client, is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its users. This article delves into a highly requested feature: alphabetical sorting for folders within collections. This enhancement aims to improve user experience, particularly for those managing large collections, and foster consistency across team workflows. Let's explore the benefits of this feature and how it can transform your Bruno experience.

The Case for Alphabetical Sorting

In the realm of API clients, organization is paramount. As collections grow in size and complexity, navigating through numerous folders can become a daunting task. Currently, Bruno lacks an inherent alphabetical sorting mechanism for folders within a collection. This can lead to a chaotic and time-consuming search for specific folders, hindering productivity and potentially causing frustration.

Implementing alphabetical sorting offers a simple yet effective solution. By automatically arranging folders in ascending order (A to Z), users can quickly locate the desired folder without manually scanning the entire collection. This seemingly small change can have a significant impact, especially for projects with extensive folder structures.

Consider a scenario where a team is collaborating on a large API project with hundreds of endpoints categorized into various folders. Without alphabetical sorting, team members must rely on memory or manually search for folders, leading to inconsistencies and wasted time. With alphabetical sorting in place, everyone can easily find the folder they need, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow.

User Experience Enhancement

User experience is at the heart of any successful software application. Alphabetical sorting directly contributes to a more user-friendly experience in Bruno. By providing a predictable and consistent folder organization, users can develop a mental map of their collections and navigate them with ease.

Imagine opening a collection and instantly seeing your folders neatly arranged in alphabetical order. No more scrolling through a jumbled mess or second-guessing the location of a specific folder. This simple feature eliminates cognitive overhead, allowing you to focus on the task at hand – building and testing APIs.

The ability to quickly find folders also reduces the risk of errors. When folders are disorganized, it's easy to accidentally select the wrong one, potentially leading to incorrect API calls or configuration issues. Alphabetical sorting minimizes this risk by ensuring that folders are always in their expected location.

Consistency in Team Workflows

For teams collaborating on API projects, consistency is crucial. A shared understanding of the project structure and file organization is essential for seamless collaboration and efficient development. Alphabetical sorting promotes consistency by providing a standardized way to organize folders within collections.

When all team members see the same folder order, it becomes easier to communicate and share information. Discussions about specific APIs or endpoints can be more precise, as everyone can quickly locate the relevant folders. This shared understanding reduces ambiguity and promotes a more collaborative environment.

Moreover, consistent folder ordering simplifies onboarding for new team members. Instead of spending time deciphering a custom folder structure, new members can immediately grasp the organization and start contributing to the project. This streamlined onboarding process saves time and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

A Toggle for Flexibility

While alphabetical sorting offers numerous benefits, it's essential to acknowledge that some users may prefer a different organizational approach. To cater to diverse workflows, the proposed enhancement includes a toggle or menu option that allows users to enable or disable automatic alphabetical sorting.

This flexibility ensures that Bruno can adapt to various project structures and user preferences. Users who prefer a custom folder order can simply disable alphabetical sorting, while those who value consistency and ease of navigation can enable it. This toggle provides the best of both worlds, empowering users to tailor Bruno to their specific needs.

The toggle option also allows users to experiment with different organizational approaches. You might initially prefer a custom folder order but later realize the benefits of alphabetical sorting. With the toggle, you can easily switch between the two approaches and determine which works best for your project.

Bruno 2.2.0 and Beyond: A Look Back

Interestingly, earlier versions of Bruno (specifically up to version 2.2.0) had alphabetical sorting as a default behavior. This demonstrates that the feature was once considered valuable and intuitive by the Bruno development team.

The fact that alphabetical sorting was present in previous versions highlights its potential benefits. Users who have experienced this feature in the past likely appreciate its contribution to a smooth and efficient workflow. Reintroducing alphabetical sorting as an option would restore this functionality and cater to users who prefer this organizational approach.

By bringing back this feature, Bruno can recapture the ease of navigation and consistency that users enjoyed in earlier versions. This enhancement would not only improve the user experience but also demonstrate Bruno's commitment to listening to user feedback and adapting to their needs.

Mockups and Implementation

While there are no mockups or images provided for this feature request, the implementation of an alphabetical sorting toggle would be relatively straightforward. A simple checkbox or menu item within the Bruno settings or collection options would suffice.

The toggle could be labeled clearly, such as "Sort Folders Alphabetically" or "Enable Alphabetical Folder Sorting." This clear labeling would ensure that users understand the functionality and can easily enable or disable it.

Under the hood, the implementation would involve sorting the folders within a collection based on their names whenever the toggle is enabled. This sorting could be performed automatically whenever a collection is opened or when a new folder is added or renamed. The performance impact of this sorting would be minimal, as it would only involve a relatively small number of folders.

Conclusion: A Step Towards a More Organized Bruno

The addition of an alphabetical sorting option for folders within Bruno collections is a significant step towards enhancing user experience and promoting consistent workflows. This feature addresses a real need for users managing large and complex API projects. By providing a predictable and standardized folder organization, alphabetical sorting simplifies navigation, reduces errors, and fosters collaboration.

The inclusion of a toggle allows users to tailor Bruno to their specific preferences, ensuring that the application remains flexible and adaptable. Reintroducing this feature, which was present in earlier versions of Bruno, demonstrates a commitment to user feedback and continuous improvement.

In conclusion, the implementation of alphabetical sorting in Bruno would be a valuable addition, empowering users to manage their API collections with greater ease and efficiency.

For more information on API client best practices and workflow optimization, consider exploring resources like the Postman Learning Center.