Improve navigation from the browse page to a definition

[pombredanne]

To me, the primary next step and purpose of the browse page is to go to a "definition" details (page or popup). This is true whether I am just browsing or working on curation.

On this page I am naturally drawn to the main text for a component: its name and version as these are the main data items in this list. If I click on this text I am taken outside of the site to the original package repository (such as https://crates.io/crates/actix-web or https://nuget.org/packages/32feet.NET/3.5.0.3 )

To get to a definition, there are only two tiny icons on the right (and away from the name and version that I am looking at):

• a magnifier (which is most often associated with a search function in most web app) and not so often with a link to a detail.
• a "copy link" button (which is a rather uncommon feature) as we should be able to open a link and not have to worry how this link can be copied: copy of a link is a basic builtin browser feature. (That later issue is handled in Replace 'Copy URL' with 'Open in new tab' #598 )

I would expect the main text to link to a definition and behave as a proper web link. The off site links to package repo pages should be available but not the primary link items.

[storrisi]

@jeffmcaffer @fossygirl what do you think about this topic?

I agree with @pombredanne about the link over the definition name. It happens quite often that you click it to expand the definition and it opens a new browser tab.
Probably we should switch the functionalities:

• click on the definition name: open the definition details
• click on a specific icon: open the original repo page

Or, instead, show the links only in the full details view.

I agree also with the copy function. We can implement something as proposed in #598
If we want to keep it, we should probably add a feedback once the button is clicked.

[storrisi]

@jeffmcaffer @fossygirl @dabutvin do you have any feedback on this topic?

[jeffmcaffer]

I don't have particular thoughts. We should get feedback from users and see what they think. The UI is for them. Would rather not change it randomly but if we design an experiment or have some UX expert input, by all means.

Do we have Google Analytics on this? Can we see how often people click where? Understand if they then click somewhere else?

[storrisi]

Do we have Google Analytics on this? Can we see how often people click where? Understand if they then click somewhere else?

Maybe Hotjar could be more useful than Google Analytics to understand this behaviors