Request for the way 1Password handles moving items with linked attachments.

skippingrock

Hello, as I mentioned in another post, I have a request in the way items moves (or copies) are handled within 1Password account vaults.

Attachments vs Linked Documents

I still prefer the way attachments are handed in the standalone version (as part of the item it is attached to), but I do appreciate the reasoning behind why they're handled differently (that being able to have larger files and the ability for the files to be linked to multiple keychain items).

But where the old method shines is when you want to move a keychain item with attachments from one vault to another. In the old style, it was really easy for me to share say the new entry for my child's new passport with my spouse or other family members and along with it my scan of the passport. When you do this in the new format, the attachments (or rather, linked files) are not copied along with it nor are its associations.

I have to remember to separately copy the all the linked files in the documents section to the other vault as well and then delve into the documents section of the other vault to re-link them.

This touches on another topic.

The Documents Category.

This category has become a nightmare to manage.

There is potential for having many similarly named files (sometimes even with the exact same name!). I have no way to know from the document itself what keychain items might be linked to the file. If I want to update the with a newer version I have to upload a the new one as a different file and then try and find all the keychain items that linked to the old one and then re-link them to the new one. This issue is even more trying on iOS because we cannot see the creation or modification date to know which item is newer.

I do not seem to have the ability to be able to drag another file from the Finder to 1P Document in Edit mode to replace the existing file or to be able to open a file from 1Password in an editor, make some changes and have the saved version uploaded into 1Password to replace the old one.

(If you've ever used Cyberduck, Yummy FTP or other FTP program, you'll know what I'm talking about. You can download a file stored on the server to a local folder and have it open in a text editor to make edits. The FTP program watches that file and anytime you save that local document, that save gets automatically uploaded to the server. When you are done editing, you can delete the local copy knowing that the last save is on the server.)

What I'd like to see:

1. to go into a Document item and see all of the keychain items that link to it.
2. When moving or copying a keychain item with linked files, I'd like to be given the option to also copy (or move) the linked files. (When a move is requested 1Password would check and warn you if there are any other keychain items in that vault that are also linked to that file or those files.)
3. to edit a Document with an editor on my Mac a have the save replace the existing file in the Document item.
4. to replace a file by dragging (or choosing from a file dialog box) another file from the Finder to the Document entry in 1Password (while the entry is in Edit mode) or on iOS to be able to choose a file from iDisk. I could be given the option to keep the original file's name or to update the entry with the new file name and updating any items linked to it with the new name.
5. to have the option to have the Documents hidden when viewing All keychain items.
6. to be able to create groups or tag based smart folders to bring some sense and hierarchy to the viewing this Category.
7. to be able to see the creation and modification dates of Documents (and for that matter the dates for any other keychain item) in 1Password for iOS.

Thanks as always for considering my suggestions.
If any of these can be done now, please do share how!
-SR

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1Password Version: All
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: All
Sync Type: 1Password cloud

AGAlumB

@skippingrock: I really hate to respond in such trite fashion to such an epic post, but you really said it all. I can promise anything, but these are very much things we're discussing as well. There are technical and usability challenges, but we run into the same issues you do (and have taken the time to enumerate here) and want to find solutions. It's true that Documents are awesome because of their flexibility and the ability to link many things together, but you're 100% right that attachments were easier to work with in many ways (especially when moving between vaults). We don't want to throw out Documents, because we've only scratched the surface, and their flexibility offers a lot of room for improvement. But a big one of these is ease of use. We've got some things we're working on in this area, and more we're thinking about for the future as well, and it's really good to get this kind of feedback on where you'd most like to see improvements here. Thank you! :)

skippingrock

Hello @brenty, thank-you and no, your response was not trite at all. I'm glad to see that you feel 100% the same way.
I do also like Documents rather than attachments, and wouldn't want to see them thrown out either.
Perhaps some sort of hash table could be included with the document's entry.
An item that links to the Document would not need to know of all the other items that link to the Document, just the Document itself.

So, if and when a user decides to copy an item that has a linked Document, the item could say to 1Password,
"Oh, wait! I'm linked to (a) Document(s)! We should ask if the user wants to move these."
The 1Password could return to the user and say:
"Hey, you've got some Documents linked to this item you are copying. Do you want to copy them too? Yes|No?"
Then 1Password copies the item and, if chooses to copy the Documents to, copies the Documents and creates a new Hash table for the copied Document in the other Vault stating that the copied item it is linked to.

And, if and when a user decides to move an item that has linked Documents, the same as above happens, except before the Document gets moved, it would look at it's Hash table and see if any other items were linked to it as well. If there wasn't it would say, "Let's go! And thanks for not forgetting me!".

But if there was other items linking to it, it could say to the item and 1Password:
"Whoah! Not so fast partners! I'm linked to other items here! Does the user want to, 'Move me anyways, Leave a copy of me for my other mates, Stop and rethink this, Or move us all?" … … Hmm, maybe not the last item, we'd be leaving one nightmare and moving into a recursive nightmare, but maybe it wouldn't be that bad. It just might take a moment to "Hash it out" (literally).

As this would give us the ability to move just a Document.
That would give us the ability to say, "Hey, I'm linked to other items! Do you want to copy/move them too, or leave a copy of me for them?"

I love Hashing through problems! :chuffed:
It's fun.

AGAlumB

I love Hashing through problems! :chuffed: It's fun.

@skippingrock: lol Indeed! One of the challenges is that items get a new UUID when copied to another vault. This is important so we don't end up with collisions and data loss (due to overwriting), but it definitely presents some challenges when it comes to usability.

"Hey, you've got some Documents linked to this item you are copying. Do you want to copy them too? Yes|No?"

I like this a lot.

Or move us all?" … … Hmm, maybe not the last item, we'd be leaving one nightmare and moving into a recursive nightmare, but maybe it wouldn't be that bad.

But you're right that there are a lot of things to consider, and that's why we haven't done anything big in this space yet. ;)

I really appreciate your passion for this, and I'll be sure to bring up your feedback/suggestions with the team! :)

d2walker

Please keep working on this! I do miss the ability to link documents to another category. The big ones for me are my Driver's License, Passport and insurance. Thanks!

bundtkate

@d2walker: As brenty mentioned, this is a project that's on the larger side, so we will probably be working on it and tweaking for some time. It's also something that will require a fair amount of time and resources so finding the right time when we have enough of both to spare will definitely be a factor. Of course, your feedback is always valuable as it gives us an idea of where our customers most want to see improvements and helps us focus our efforts, so thank you for sharing! I'll be sure to pass it along. :chuffed: