Why is it impossible to remove an attachement from a post after you add it?

[forex4noobs]

I write a post, attach an image, decide I don't want an image any more.... but I cannot remove it. Why?

[ETDeadShot]

I can conferm this issue on vB 5.1.2 as well. See attached images for issue.

First image has photo and you can delete it
Second image has no picture, but your options are to add a photo or cancel. No option to continue without a image.

[Mark.B]

If you use the camera icon, then you are posting a photo content type, which requires a minimum of one photo.

[Wayne Luke]

Use the attachment icon on the right of the toolbar in order to attach images to a post. Use the Camera icon to create a Photo Gallery. However even in a Photo Gallery you can delete images if it is allowed by the Admin. Simply edit the topic and there will be a link labeled remove to the right of each image. Click it and the image will be deleted from the gallery. To allow the deletion of images after the edit time limit set Settings -> Options -> Message Attachment Options -> Allow Deletion of Attachments Beyond Edit Time Limit to Yes.

[ETDeadShot]

The issue is, if you use the photo button, you can not delete the pic. EVEN during the edit time. Only way to remove it is to remove the entire post.

[webjocky]

The issue is, if you use the photo button, you can not delete the pic. EVEN during the edit time.

to expand on this - the issue is only relevant if you are attempting to remove the LAST photo attached when using the photo button. After you click the little trashcan icon, the "Continue" button disappears and all you can do is click cancel. If you edit the live code to make the "Continue" button reappear for testing, VB throws an error that "You must have at least one image..." or along those lines..

[ETDeadShot]

We have turned off the ability to create a photo gallery and photo until this is fixed. They can use attachments tell then.

[Mark.B]

It won't let you delete the final one....you can delete photos from a photo gallery content type, but not the final one, as this content type requires at least one photo.

This is by design and is the same for other content types (eg link content types).

What is more likely to happen, and there's a tracker entry for this already, is the ability to switch content types. Thus you'd be able to change the post to a different content type that did not require a photo. Then you could delete the photo (or possibly any photos might get automatically removed when you switch content types, depends how they decide to handle it).

Not sure when/if that will get implemented, but that's the way it would get done. Ability to remove mandatory items from a content type is not likely to happen.

[ETDeadShot]

So how does a admin delete the "gallery" without deleting the post? That's what is needed. Or the ability to remove a gallery. Guys this is a opps/bug. I can not imagine a feature that can not be removed.

[webjocky]

From a user experience point of view, this proposed solution is quite ugly. A user should be able to click "Edit" on the post and then "Remove" on the content (regardless of type) and completely remove that content from the post.

[ETDeadShot]

For the record, we are a software QA company. I'm not just shooting off the cuff here.

[Mark.B]

The post and the gallery are two facets of the same thing. One cannot exist without the other.

Appreciate you don't like the design, but it's not a bug, it is designed this way.

As I mentioned, what is needed is the ability to switch content types. There's a request in for that, though I don't have any timescales. That would resolve the issue properly.

[ETDeadShot]

If a post is made, it's a post. If a picture is added it becomes something other than a post? Really? Just add the ability to admin remove a inappropriate image. A single button and function. Just allow the continue to be there like the Photoshopped image below.

[Mark.B]

The support team cannot make any changes to the software, we can only advise on how it currently works.

You're welcome to post suggestions into the tracker, which are reviewed by the development team:
vB5 Improvement request

http://tracker.vbulletin.com/secure/CreateIssue.jspa?pid=10091&issuetype=4

[ETDeadShot]

Done. http://tracker.vbulletin.com/browse/VBV-13327