Feature summary (what you would like to be able to do and where):
I was kind of surprised to learn this was not reported before, so reporting it now. Dialog windows in Codex should be draggable and should probably be draggable by default on large screens (probably not on mobile).
See also T434355 for making non-modal dialog windows.
Use case(s) (list the steps that you performed to discover that problem, and describe the actual underlying problem which you want to solve. Do not describe only a solution):
- Gadgets for taking notes (and needing to copy something to the window). Here it might also be important to be able to move away the window, so that notes can be to the side of edit window, or to copy text from below the window.
- Checking refs in the editor (and needing to be able to interact with the editor below the window). Default gadget on plwiki for refs. Again might need to not only be non-modal, but might neeed to move a way the window to one side or the other.
- Write about current article when submitting a nomination (for deletion, for a medal, for did-you-know column). This window is big, so moving the window is especially important.
Benefits (why should this be implemented?):
Good for active editors and other power users who still use PCs daily. Note that on PCs (and Macs), most windows are actually non-modal. Also note that while readers tend to use mobile devices, active editors still tend to use desktop computers or laptops to edit Wikipedia.
For example, at the moment I see 73 mobile edits out of 500 actions (486 edits in total) on enwiki on RC (link below). That is about 15% mobile edits and 85% other edits (taking 486 as 100%). It is a random sample, but this is also what I hear from active editors at conferences: people do make edits and perform other actions on mobile, but these are relatively rare – typically when waiting for a train, etc., or when there are no other options for them. Most of the time active users use a larger screen on which windows are not taking the whole screen.
