Make it easier for users to discover the "replace file" functionality

New proposal

May I suggest updating the text of the error message above from "A file with this name already exists"

to:

"Error: A file with this name already exists. To replace an existing file, first select the file. Then choose "Replace" from the options that appear."

That would be a more informative answer for people new to the GitLab UI.

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Original description

Currently non-coders are unable to replace identically named files within a repo with new files that have been modified outside of GitLab. This makes it impossible, for example, for a graphic designer to upload a simple logo edit.

Further details

Currently edits to existing files may be made only through git using the command line, or using the text editor tool within the GitLab web interface. This makes it cumbersome and difficult for non-coders to contribute files, especially multimedia files. By contrast, the ability to update an existing image or text file through the web GUI is standard for GitHub. Our team was surprised to learn this feature was not implemented here. This is an issue for projects such as ours, designed to facilitate collaboration between artists and coders. More importantly, it is an issue for educational projects designed to include novice coders. If the goal is to make GitLab an inclusive platform for the next generation of programmers, keep a robust web interface is important.

Proposal

Implement the ability for authorized users to replace identically named files using the web GUI, rather than blocking this action.

What does success look like, and how can we measure that?

Success should be fairly cut and dried, but involves a comparable degree of functionality and ease of use with github.com in this area. I recommend informal usability testing if possible.

Links / references

See comment discussion on https://twitter.com/Thematizer/status/1047017601703038980

Invite you to directly compare functionality on github.com