RFE: Store and display User's query history

[cody-somerville]

RFE for 'User Query History' feature in Overpass Turbo to automatically store, manage, and access previously executed queries.

• Auto-save each executed query in a user-specific history.
• Provide an interface to review and manage past queries within Overpass Turbo.
• Enable users to 'star' or 'save' queries directly from the history interface, integrating them into the existing 'Saved Queries' mechanism.
• Consider using browser local storage for device-specific history or a server-side solution for cross-device synchronization.
• Ensure user control over history data with options to delete individual entries or clear entire history.

[mmd-osm]

Except for the auto-save and "star", everything you're asking for is already available today. That's what the "Save" and "Load" buttons are for. They're using both local storage, as well as a central storage, allow reviewing/manging/deleting past queries. I'm not clear what the auto-save and "star" would add to the story. I don't see a compelling reason to add such a feature.

[cody-somerville]

Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective on this RFE.

You're correct that the existing 'Save' and 'Load' buttons cover some aspects of managing past queries. They are akin to using bookmarks in a browser, allowing users to manually save and revisit their queries, easily referenceable by a name that makes sense to them.

The idea proposed here is more nuanced. It is analogous to the functionality provided by a web browser's history feature. This feature would automatically record executed queries, enabling users to effortlessly return to them at any time.
It’s particularly useful for revisiting complex queries that might not be immediately recognized as significant or where there is value in revisiting the evolution of the query as it is iterated on by the user.

Automatically saving every query offers a robust safety net, ensuring that users' work is preserved, especially in scenarios where they might forget to manually save a query or lose their work due to unforeseen events like browser crashes or power outages. I have personally encountered situations where I forgot to save a valuable query or lost it due to such disruptions.

This feature would add a layer of convenience and security that is currently missing but is highly valued in web browsing experiences and which is seen as complementary to the equivalent bookmark feature. Given the discussed similarities to the two analogues, I believe this feature would be intuitive for users to understand and use and provide similar complementary value, thereby enhancing the overall usability of Overpass Turbo
.
Later on, I could see further enhancements to how query history is shown such as indicating whether the query executed successfully, number and type of elements returned, thumbnail of map view where it was executed, etc. The star functionality is to make it easy to then convert query found in history to a “bookmark” (e.g. into a saved query).