[Free Extension] Smart Filter: faster, clearer filters in list views

[Alexis]

Hi everyone,

I published Smart Filter; a free extension that makes the list view filter bar quicker to use.

• Filter icon: Replace the 3 dots icon
• The menu stays open: add several filters in a row without reopening it.
• Results update immediately: changing a filter runs the search. No "Apply" button.
• Active filters are visible: a counter on the filter button shows how many conditions are in use.
• Fields are easy to find: quick search ignores case and accents, and the fields you use most move to the top.
• Saved filters stay readable: selecting one shows its conditions, and a notice tells you when your edits no longer match the saved version.

Requires EspoCRM 10.0.3 or later and PHP 8.3+.
Tested on 10.0.3 and 10.0.11. License: GPL-3.0-or-later.







Download the extension : latest release on GitHub (ZIP), then install it from Administration > Extensions.


Feedback and bug reports are welcome

[yuri]

Control + Enter can be used for fast update.

[Alexis]

Thank you yuri. I did not know this shortcut.
I made the auto-update because it was a small complaint I heard from my users. They are used to automatic search as they type. And they seem bothered to do another action to click on "Apply". And to be honest, our users aren't comfortable with keyboard shortcuts

[yuri]

Auto-updating filters may actually have the opposite effect on usage speed. It was considered back in the day and the current design was deliberate. When we edit a filter for a field with multiple options like Enum, we add values to the filter. We can update the list either on each added item or when the filed loose focus. For the former, the problem is that it runs unwanted refresh which may be slow. For the latter, the problem is that it not that obvious from the UX point of view.

For users who prefer super fast navigation with shortcut keys (which Espo caters for) the current UX is pretty fast. Maybe we could also add a shortcut key to show the filters dropdown.