Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
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DanielMAdams
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Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:34 pm

Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

#1

Post by DanielMAdams »

I'm the Ward Clerk in a home ward. Since the MLS changes recently I can't change the calling order even for standard callings. It doesn't make sense that callings should be alphabetical so I'm assuming there's a mistake somewhere either in the software from headquarters or in the ward computer itself. For example, someone was just made High Priest Group Second Assistant in my ward but that position had been vacant for awhile so wasn't listed. I could add the calling but after I updated with the brother newly called he is automatically last after the Assistant Secretaries. I have no way to move him up right after the High Priest Group First Assistant. This has to be a mistake. There used to be a Change Calling Order by the Add Calling but the Change Calling Order is no longer up there. In time without some way to solve this problem, the callings will look increasingly disorganized. Please help. I don't really think this is supposed to be happening.
eblood66
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Re: Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

#2

Post by eblood66 »

I'm afraid that it is intentional. See this post from one of the MLS developers. This is part of the process of eventually being able to edit callings in LCR.
jonesrk
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Re: Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

#3

Post by jonesrk »

In LCR the standard callings will display in a predefined order, but that wasn't part of the data that was being sent to MLS, so they can't use the same display order.
scgallafent
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Re: Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

#4

Post by scgallafent »

DanielMAdams wrote:It doesn't make sense that callings should be alphabetical so I'm assuming there's a mistake somewhere either in the software from headquarters or in the ward computer itself.
MLS 3.7.4 changed the "other callings" panel for each organization so that it is sorted alphabetically. There is no mistake -- this is by design.
DanielMAdams wrote:For example, someone was just made High Priest Group Second Assistant in my ward but that position had been vacant for awhile so wasn't listed. I could add the calling but after I updated with the brother newly called he is automatically last after the Assistant Secretaries. I have no way to move him up right after the High Priest Group First Assistant.
The "leadership" panel for each organization should be sorted in "order." If the high priest group first assistant, high priest group second assistant, and the assistant secretaries are all listed in the leadership panel (top panel on the window) and the callings are not in the "correct" order and you have not clicked a column header to change the sort order in the list, something is not working correctly. In that case, contact the service center to report the issue so that they can pass it on to the developers for review. If the callings are in the middle panel ("other callings"), they default to alphabetical order.
DanielMAdams wrote:This has to be a mistake. There used to be a Change Calling Order by the Add Calling but the Change Calling Order is no longer up there. In time without some way to solve this problem, the callings will look increasingly disorganized. Please help. I don't really think this is supposed to be happening.
No mistake. The "Change Calling Order" link was intentionally removed. This was not a change made on whim. There was quite a bit of work devoted to how to best handle this. Here is the reason behind this change:

The data used to sort callings into a specific order in MLS is specific to MLS. That information is not used by LCR to determine the order in which callings should be displayed. CDOL specifies a defined sort order for callings based on the calling type and LCR will use that order to list standard callings in the specified order within each sub-organization.

Once a unit makes the transition to editing callings using LCR, the ability to edit callings in MLS is disabled. Leaving the ability to change the display order in MLS made no sense since that would only affect MLS and not propagate back to LCR because (1) LCR doesn't support a custom ordering of callings and (2) the read-only data in MLS is not sent back to CDOL.

With the recent change to organization structure, many organizations now have multiple sub-organizations. For example, the Primary now has sub-organizations for Primary Presidency, Music, Unassigned Teachers, Cub Scouts, and one sub-organization for each Primary class. The MLS user interface combines all of the non-presidency sub-organizations* into a single panel. Since CDOL specifies the sort order for callings within a single organization, MLS would be attempting to combine the disparate sort orders for multiple sub-organizations into a single list. After some experimentation, we determined that the best solution for MLS was to display callings in that panel in alphabetical order. That eliminates the issues caused by mixing multiple sort orders and provides the best solution for allowing a user to find a specific calling.

* This is a slight simplification of how things actually work, but it's good enough for the purpose of this discussion. Since someone will eventually tinker with custom callings and come back and complain this isn't exactly how it works, I'll just note here that it isn't exactly how it works, but explanation of that is outside the scope of this discussion.
russellhltn
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Re: Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

#5

Post by russellhltn »

scgallafent wrote:Once a unit makes the transition to editing callings using LCR,
Is this expected to be connected with the HT/VT transition or will it be separate?
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
scgallafent
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Re: Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

#6

Post by scgallafent »

russellhltn wrote:
scgallafent wrote:Once a unit makes the transition to editing callings using LCR,
Is this expected to be connected with the HT/VT transition or will it be separate?
Callings and home and visiting teaching are all one big switch. Put on your seat belts! :)
russellhltn
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Re: Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

#7

Post by russellhltn »

scgallafent wrote:Callings and home and visiting teaching are all one big switch. Put on your seat belts! :)
Do we know yet if the switch will be at the ward or stake level?
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
scgallafent
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Re: Can't Organize Even Standard Callings

#8

Post by scgallafent »

russellhltn wrote:Do we know yet if the switch will be at the ward or stake level?
I haven't heard a final decision. We'll have a better feel for it after the first units are put on the beta.
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