Research and Development BAAN V User Interface
Contents
1. BAAN is a multi user large scale database environment so relative positioning of the scroll box could cause performance problems Hence the scroll box is displayed at three positions only top halfway and bottom 2 2 6 X Status bar In addition to a toolbar the BAAN windows contain a status bar to show information that does not require a reaction such as a message concerning a successfully completed action The status bar contains a message area and four status fields Message Area This area shows information whenever available and messages that need not be confirmed Messages requiring confirmation are displayed in a dialog box Messages can be triggered by the program script using the command mess string messcode 14 0 Status Field The status fields display the status of the process like Modify or Add and the state of the keyboard the Caps Lock and Num Lock keys BAAN V User Interface BddN s 2 User interface components 2 3 Dialog window Dialogs have a title bar in common with list windows Specific components of this window type are form tabs and form buttons SE ttadv3 005000 Forms 000 Attributes Documentation English BAAN Tools Application Development 310050001 Link to Language I gt Description Forms by Package Verson Form Tab Desc abe LL gt Form Attributes Form Type i lsingeocc main Occurrences Option Set WM Horieontel Step Size T r Default B2. The field check box is positioned in front of the label and left aligned in the column The check box and its label are not separated by spaces The check box must be displayed as two characters Check boxes are grouped if possible A label is separated from the associated field by a single space Colons are not used Incase two From To range fields are placed on the same row there should be five spaces between those fields In case more range fields are placed beneath each other in two columns there should be five spaces between the largest From field and the To field The other pairs of range fields are left aligned with these two The box type for forms is Normal BAAN V makes no distinction between main and sub sessions The first label is positioned at row 4 column 4 The outer size of a form is 22 rows by 80 columns The inner size the space actually available for designing is 18 rows by 78 columns BAAN 5 Forms Rules for sequencing of fields The standard input sequence is from top to bottom and from left to right Display fields showing a description are positioned to the right of the associated field and displayed upon entry in that field If the description cannot be positioned as described above it is positioned under the associated field and both fields are left aligned The from to range fields are placed in pairs next to each other When there is insufficient room to do that the f
3. and options must be shown in an intelligible way Finally the application must be as interactive as possible The user must be allowed to intervene for example by interrupting a process Directness Users must be able to see the effects of their actions Availability of information and options make users jobs easier Consistency Consistency in the application ensures that existing expertise can easily be applied in new tasks Consequently users learn faster and can devote more time to their work because they do not have to spend effort on learning new UI functions It is essential therefore that the UI is standard throughout the entire application This standardization allows users to familiarize themselves with the system as well as making the interface predictable Forgiveness Users like to explore the application by trial and error A good UI anticipates this attitude and provides a limited set of options displaying a warning in case of potentially dangerous situations that might result in a loss of data integrity or allowing actions to be undone Feedback The application must always confirm what is performed after a user has initiated an action There is nothing more frustrating for a user than looking at a screen that apparently does not show any reaction The average user will not wait for more than a few seconds for a UI to respond This confirmation will also prevent repeated input of commands Aesthetics The design of
4. and activate the form command to start window 3 The consequences of this action are The data in window 2 are not refreshed by the detail information of the selected record In window 3 the children of the selected record are shown Starting sessions in 4GL With the function start session you can start other sessions from a program script This function can be called from anywhere in the script and is not restricted to any section This function is the replacement for zoom to start main session and other functions for starting sessions The syntax of this function is string start session long mode const string session code const string zoomname const string returnfld The arguments have the following meaning Argument Description mode Can be either MODAL blocking the parent until child is exit or MODELESS two concurrent sessions session code The code of the session to be started zoomname The name indicating the calling process This name is used in the zoom from sections in the called process Beware that if this argument is not filled no zoom from sections are executed not even the zoom from all section returnfld The name indicating the variable that is returned by the function The contents of the variable are copied in the return value of start session This argument is only applicable if the mode is MODAL If an empty string is given the exit value of the zoom process is returned Note that this a
5. what the user sees is an important aspect of application development Visible attributes provide valuable information On the other hand each attribute on screen is liable to divert the user s attention It is up to the designer to create a pleasant working environment that clearly contributes to the user s perception of the information without being distracting This document presents important rules and guidelines for the design of the application s UI BAAN V User Interface BddN ii 1 User interface principles ml Simplicity A UI must be easy to learn and use and it must provide access to all functionality of the application Expanding functionality while maintaining the UI s simplicity is difficult to accomplish An effective design considers both aspects A few recommendations to keep the UI simple are Limit the information on the screen to what is necessary for proper communication For example use short clear cut texts as action prompts A clear layout and presentation contributes to the ease of use Limit the number of menu items and required actions per screen 1 2 Object action model In a graphical UI environment the object action model is the standard First the user selects an object and then the action to be performed on that object In the Baan environment an object is a record The record is selected in a multi occurrence main window Then an action such as update insert or delete is selected D
6. BAAN V m User Interface User Manual U7034B US BAAN Research and Development User Interface m User Interface BAAN User Interface Document information Document Number U7034B US Group User documentation Name User Interface Edition B Date June 1997 1997 Baan Development B V All rights reserved The information in this document is subject to change without notice No part of this document may be reproduced stored or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical for any purpose without the express written permission of Baan Development B V Baan Development B V assumes no liability for any damages incurred directly or indirectly from any errors omissions or discrepancies between the software and the information contained in this document User Interface BAAN User Interface m User Interface BAAN BddN Table of contents 1 User interface principles 1 1 Design principles 1 2 Object action model 2 User interface components 2 1 Introduction 2 2 List window 2 2 1 Title bar 2 2 2 Menu bar 2 2 3 Toolbar 2 2 4 Grid 2 2 5 Scroll bar 2 2 6 Status bar 2 3 Dialog window 2 3 1 Button area 2 3 2 Form tab 2 3 3 Label 2 3 4 Field 2 3 5 Drop down combo box 2 3 6 Check box 2 3 7 Group box 2 3 8 Zoom area 2 4 Progress indicator 2 5 Message box 3 Sessions 3 1 General 3 1 1 Coding 3 2 Multi occurrence sessions 3 2 1 Usage 3 2 2 Coding 3 2 3 Programm
7. The attributes of this label are Hill print effect is No Alignment is Left Standard group box labels are Selection Range For print and processing sessions which require a selection Print Commands For print sessions that require some command setting Process Commands For processing sessions that require some command setting Between the vertical left group box line and the fields in the group box one space must be reserved Between the vertical right group box line and the labels and or fields in the group box a minimum of two spaces must be reserved Multi occurrence forms A multi occurrence form is used to present the data of multiple records In BAAN V multi occurrence forms are based on a grid Form layout For an example of the layout of a single occurrence form see paragraph 2 2 List Window Programmer s information Additional rules for the development of single occurrence forms Amulti occurrence form is up to 132 positions wide The following exceptions are allowed History or summary sessions may feature multiple 132 column forms Multi occurrence editing sessions feature a single 80 column form A multi occurrence form can contain multiple view fields A multi occurrence form only contains horizontal occurrences The initial number of occurrences is 13 BAAN m 5 Forms The columns in a multi occurrence form are separated by two positions The lengt
8. art synchronized child and synchronization is only done when calling the function synchronize with child 2 Dialog Synchronization This model is handled by the standard program The time of synchronization cannot be influenced in the User Interface script This makes it easier to program but also less flexible than child synchronization BAAN V User Interface BddN m 4 Programming sessions An example with both types of synchronization is displayed below n nenne Amm Dialog Synchronization ER nmi Er NNU US Tom erenler ave La ars a SUR B a Form dior pter Ej Lan ihataw HL LUGD a i dri Synchronized Dialog SO 1 Parent MO Child Synchronization lajes Poe 209 xo Maler eas lees petin nnn mer tm bos testen Dee Dialog Synchronization REFERENSER p Samer Pesce A RES ad I ESA Synchronized Dialog SO 3 Synchronized Child MO 4 3 1 Dialog synchronization Overview Dialog Synchronization synchronizes two processes with the same main table The synchronization occurs between the multi occurrence parent session and a single occurrence dialog Every time an occurrence in the parent is double clicked dialog is updated with information from the selected record For example the multi occurrence form displaying a list of items and the single occurrence form displ
9. aying a single item The multi occurrence session can also be used as a zoom dialog In this case the session will appear as a display only modal dialog with an OK and a Cancel button Parent session Multi occurrence The main window is a multi occurrence display only window The records can be browsed using the scroll bar or the Page Up and Page Down keys A record is selected by clicking it with the mouse Once a record has been selected the standard program automatically opens the secondary window if one of the following actions is initiated Insert record Edit record Duplicate record Double clicking a record opens the secondary window with the standard program in edit or display mode depending on the authorizations BAAN V User Interface ig BAAN m 4 Programming sessions A display only action can be selected from the menu bar which automatically opens a display only secondary window The remaining actions in the main window do not call a secondary window Secondary windows if any are closed along with the main window If a record has not been saved the user is prompted to save it now ttstpq0109 Forms AN Do you want to save the changes you made Yes No Synchronized dialog session Single occurrence Depending on user authorization the secondary window is either a single occurrence display or a single occurrence maintenance window This window can contain multiple forms A s
10. ble fields unless its replaces single occurrence window A multi occurrence window with editable fields holds no more than three editable objects and one display object per row The maximum width is 80 characters A multi occurrence window with editable can not have more than one form page System messages and help text Error messages describe the erroneous situation with a short unambiguous text A help option is available when presenting an error message The help text describes the cause of the error and explains how the situation can be avoided or resolved 8 3 2 Windows feel BddN A session that starts from the menu browser shows a multi occurrence window A multi occurrence window initially presents all data in the information view unless the developer can expect more than 1000 entries with the same primary index key In this case the developer should create the possibility to narrow the view using a non editable text field view field showing a particular key value which all presented entries share The Insert and Modify options on a multi occurrence window start a single occurrence session A zoom button on a single occurrence form will show a multi occurrence window that displays only those occurrences that may be selected The default action double mouse click on a multi occurrence entry is Modify if the window is not started using a zoom browse button The default action double mouse click in a multi occurrenc
11. cord This is always done in synchronization with a multi occurrence session Edit parameters The single occurrence edit session is the standard for BAAN V Single occurrence with edit facility This type of single occurrence session is mainly used in synchronization with a multi occurrence display session If a record has more fields than fit on an 80 positions multi occurrence form editing and displaying of all record data is done in a single occurrence session Single occurrence display Once in history data can no longer be maintained If a multi occurrence display session is not feasible the object action model can be implemented featuring a single occurrence display session BAAN V User Interface BddN 3 Sessions 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 1 3 4 2 BAAN V User Interface 3 4 E Single occurrence parameter setting Each module has only one set of parameters This configuration makes it illogical to access parameters through the object action model It must be possible to start the single occurrence parameter sessions directly from the menu browser Coding The following table shows the function codes and process types per single occurrence session usage Usage Edit ppmmms1nns000 Display ppmmms nns000 Parameters ppmmms1nns000 Programmer information The following information on the session description and the session form applies to all single occurrence sessions Session Descriptio
12. d For example when tecom010 beca and tccom010 dsca are single occurrence fields these fields can be disabled as follows disable fields tccom010 beca tccom010 dsca To display tccom010 beca and tccom010 dsca as read only fields in a grid the following code can be used disable fields READONLY tccom010 beca actual occ tccom010 dsca actual occ For disabling an array field tfmod100 perd 10 the code could look like disable fields tfmod100 perd 10 Note that for arrays no extra argument is added You should use parentheses in the field name If no array element is specified all elements are disabled BAAN V User Interface BddN Dt 6 Programming form fields m Segmented fields can be disabled by adding the segment lt id gt string to the field name For instance if the first and second segment of the field tcibd001 dfit must be disabled the following command should be used disable fields tcibd001 dfit segment 1 tcibd001 dfit segment 2 Note that if you want to disable all segments you leave out the segment names disable fields tcibd001 dfit Finally UTC fields can be disabled by appending date or time to the field name For instance to manipulate the UTC field ttadv500 fidt ttaad500 fidt 0 display ttaad500 fidt date display ttaad500 fidt time disable fields ttaad500 fidt date ttaad500 fidt time The functions can be used in the following sections be
13. d When set to Field a special field of type Button should be created on the form and there is no button created on the right side of the form Specifies whether a menu session or function should be started Code of the Menu Session or Function Shortcut key assigned to the command Label that should be displayed on the button or menu item Help topic for this Form command Option indicates whether a separator will be added after this button or menu item Checkbox that indicates whether the command is shown as a button on a single occurrence form The minimal authorization a user needs to perform this Form Command Indicates whether the standard program should perform an update update db before this command is started or not Default is Yes An option that provides a means for automatically enabling and disabling commands according to the number of records selected this is only meaningful in an overview session 2 Dump the form 3 Adda new function in your UI script function extern test function message This is the test function This function should have the name as specified in the above session and should be extern If these requirements are not fulfilled an error message will appear X ttstps0350 Forms D Function test function for this Form Specific Command could not be found BAAN V User Interface 7 2 BAAN m 7 Programming form commands 7 3 Compatibility The old
14. e more information about possible causes and remedies for the reason for which the message was displayed Use the message box in situations in which it will relay useful additional information Make use of the message Help much as possible in order to help the user continue his work Consider the Message Box Help as additional assistance and not as a successor to the What s This kind of help Try to understand the situation of an inexperienced user when writing the help text BAAN 3 Sessions 3 1 General Technically a session is the combination of a main table a program script a form and reports Session codes and names are essential because they constitute the framework of the application software and corresponding documentation In BAAN V five types of sessions are distinguished Multi occurrence sessions Single occurrence sessions Processing sessions Print sessions Graphical sessions For each of these types the coding naming and start option are addressed 3 1 1 Coding The basic code layout for a session is ppmmmsfnnp000 pp package code mmm module code S submodule code f function code nn sequence number p process type The values of the function code and the process type depend on the session type and are discussed accordingly A process type can be m multi occurrence s single occurrence 3 2 Multi occurrence sessions In a multi occurrence sess
15. e window started by using a zoom browse button is closing the multi occurrence window and returning the selected entry to its parent A single occurrence window is closed if its multi occurrence parent is closed A warning is given to if the user intends to close a window holding edited data Window objects buttons text fields menu item s checkboxes and so on that can not be modified must be made read only Window object buttons text fields menu item s checkboxes and so on that are temporarily not applicable or irrelevant due to a combination of values in the form must be disabled grayed out BAAN V User Interface 8 3 8 User interface checklist BAAN V User Interface es BAAN
16. econdary windows features no menu bar or toolbar In the title bar the common Windows 95 buttons for Close and Field Help are available The form can contain buttons to start the following actions Save record Form commands Session help Query by form Undo Because the secondary window is modeless the main window remains active while the user is working in the secondary window which means that the following actions are still possible in the main window Selecting another record Deleting a record Inserting a record The standard program makes sure that after a record has been saved the data in the secondary window matches the data in the main window Implementation Dialog synchronization can be implemented as follows 1 Create two separate sessions One contains the multi occurrence form with menu bar and tool bar and a window type of list window The other session contains the single occurrence dialog of type synchronized dialog 2 Add to the before program section of the multi occurrence session the following code before program set synchronized dialog ses code Where ses code is the session code of the synchronized single occurrence session BAAN V User Interface BddN TR 4 Programming sessions m New variable synchronized reason In the synchronized dialog a new variable is set synchronized reason This variable is read only and indicates the command that caused the synchroni
17. epending on the action a secondary window is usually opened that provides detailed information on the record and allows the user to view or change it depending on the user authorizations BAAN V User Interface BAAN 2 User interface components 2 1 Introduction In BAAN V there are six types of windows 1 List Window 2 Synchronized dialog 3 Dialog 4 No window 5 Modeless window with menu bar toolbar 6 Modal window with menu bar toolbar List window All multi occurrence sessions should be of this type When this type is used it can be used for both multi occurrence sessions with menu bar and toolbar and for zoom sessions without menu bar and toolbar One definition is sufficient It depends now on the start mode which you get A modeless multi occurrence display or edit with menu bar and toolbar A modal multi occurrence display with the buttons but without menu bar and toolbar The user interface components of the list window are detailed in the next paragraph Synchronized dialog and Dialog window These types are used for the synchronized single occurrence forms and for all type 4 forms These forms will have no menu or toolbar You can specify buttons on these forms They will be positioned on the right hand side of the form For describing their user interface components both window types will be grouped together in the paragraph below on dialog window No window These forms are started in the same ma
18. er Information 3 3 Single occurrence sessions 3 3 1 Usage 3 3 2 Coding 3 3 3 Programmer information 3 4 Processing sessions 3 4 1 General 3 4 2 Coding 3 4 5 Programmer s information 3 5 Print sessions 3 5 1 General 3 5 2 Coding 3 5 3 Programmer s information 3 6 Graphical sessions 3 6 1 General 3 6 2 Coding 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 2 4 24 24 24 25 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 6 User Interface v User Interface User Interface vi 4 1 4 2 4 3 44 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 5 5 6 1 6 2 6 3 6 4 7 1 7 2 7 3 7 4 8 1 8 2 Programming sessions Introduction Zooming from fields Synchronizing sessions 4 3 1 Dialog synchronization 4 3 2 Child synchronization 4 3 3 The synchronization process step by step Starting sessions in 4GL Forms Introduction General 5 2 1 Coding 5 2 2 Form descriptions 5 2 3 General programmer s information Multi occurrence forms 5 3 1 Form layout 5 3 2 Programmer s information Single occurrence forms 5 4 1 Form layout 5 4 2 Programmer s information Free format form 5 5 1 Form layout 5 5 2 Programmer s information Programming form fields Introduction Disabling fields 6 2 1 Overview 6 2 2 Implementation Total fields in a grid 6 3 1 Overview 6 3 2 Implementation Segmented fields 6 4 1 Overview 6 4 2 Implementation Programming form commands Introduction Implementing a form command C
19. erent attributes can be assigned to the segments Implementation After reading the form dump all fields have to be checked for the presence of a segmented domain connected to it If so the field should be split into the segments and for each segment an object has to be created with an optional zoom area These objects have to be sorted in a separate array The standard program will only check the field and carries out the field sections if the focus goes to another field A change of the focus within the fields will not lead to the field sections being carried out Known restrictions are There should be enough space on the form to enlarge the field area Ifa segment is set to numeric only digits 0 9 are allowed Field Specific Commands will not be activated for segmented fields In other words characters without carriage return cannot be tested in the on input section of the script Zooming on the segment level will not trigger the field zoom sections BAAN 7 Programming form commands 7 1 Introduction In BAAN V the ten user options the zoom sessions and the cont process command are merged into a new type Form Command The number of Form Commands for each form is in theory unlimited but the user should be able to comprehend all these commands Other advantages of Form Commands are Automatic enabling disabling of the command depending on number of selected records Automatic removal of the command
20. ession A check box is used to support options that are either on or off and is displayed as a square box with an accompanying label When the choice is set a check mark appears in the box Check boxes are typically used for independent or nonexclusive choices The check box should be displayed to conform to the Windows Interface Guidelines Here you will be reminded that the label should be placed on the right side of the box directly behind it The label currently displayed on the left should be removed The check box can be checked or unchecked by clicking on the label 2 3 7 Group box A group box is used to cluster functionally related information The title of the group box describes a collective feature of the clustered elements 2 3 8 Zoom area These small triangles allow you to zoom in on the field The cursor changes into a magnifying glass as is displayed in the figure above if it appears above this area 2 4 Progress indicator This window shows the user that the system is processing data in the background A response time of more than a few seconds is not acceptable which is why feedback is provided in the form of a process indicator The essence of this busy window is not to show the expected duration of the process but merely that the system is doing something Process indicator control is triggered by the application developer The progress indicator can contain user defined labels The percentage bar and correspondi
21. essions are also used to display for example the costs history of an item or a project budget Such display sessions by definition cannot be synchronized with another session unless programmed explicitly by an application developer 3 2 2 Coding The table shows the function codes and process types for each usage category Usage Selection ppmmms5nnm000 1 Edit Mom ppmmms1nnm000 Overview ppmmms5nnm000 3 2 3 Programmer Information Synchronized with single occurrence session Session Name Because of the object action model and the new authorization facilities the difference between maintenance and display sessions no longer exists for the end user These factors are why these words are no longer allowed in session descriptions Consequently the description of a multi occurrence session is identical to the table it acts upon Session Form A multi occurrence session that is synchronized with a single occurrence session contains a form of up to 132 positions The form contains the most important fields of the record so that the user can select the proper record One criterion to include fields in a form is that they are part of the primary or the alternate key of the table which enables the user to apply different sorting criteria Synchronization link To indicate to the standard program that the multi occurrence session must be synchronized with a single occurrence session in the before program section of the mu
22. fixed codes and lengths as defined in the Software Coding Standards Reserve the maximum number of positions for label fields The absolute minimum for a label field is three positions because it is not always possible to devise an adequate abbreviation in all natural languages The maximum height for a label field is three lines If multi occurrence layouts contain label fields of more than one line all other label fields in the same row have the same number of lines reserved In such cases one line labels and two line labels are always top aligned Try to avoid three line labels Labels are left aligned Labels in multi occurrence forms are aligned according to the field domain BAAN V User Interface 5 3 5 Forms 5 3 5 3 1 5 3 2 BAAN V User Interface 5 4 Rules for using fields are Fields in a form are left aligned The only exceptions to this rule are interrelated numeric fields in a column for example unit prices and total price Such fields are aligned at the decimal point Rules for group boxes on forms Fields that are functionally related are grouped in a group box One or more group boxes constitute a form Ifa form has only one group box the group box as such is omitted because the form takes over the grouping function Key fields are not underlined or grouped in a group box A group box has a label in the top line starting three positions from the left corner
23. fore display object After the data has been read from the database fields can be initially enabled and disabled in this section before the fields are displayed on the form when field changes This will work for browsing through records and for moving to the next field after input Note that the before program section cannot be used These functions and sections make it possible to disable a field conditionally as soon as another field changes This results in a good Windows look and feel The field is now disabled immediately instead of at the moment it receives the focus as was formerly the case with attr input false in the before input event The attr input variable has therefore become obsolete and should be replaced by using the disabling enabling functions as follows In new forms use the enable disable field functions In old forms the attr input must be replaced by disable fields fattr currfld For the fields where this is done also add enable fields fattr currfld to the after field section A conversion tool can help with the old forms by automatically replacing the attr input by the enable disable function BAAN V User Interface ig BAAN m 6 Programming form fields 6 3 Total fields in a grid 6 3 1 Overview In BAAN V it is possible to add a total line to the grid whicit54 DO ieventery by M asefauze AL ecotun item 15707 fm E Loa ods i Heb HEJ 5s enia aan 6 3 2 Implementati
24. form definitions are converted to the new definition with a conversion tool After this conversion the User Options continu process and form zooms are all converted to the new Form Commands 7 8 1 User options The User Options are converted to Form Commands of type function The name of this function is exec user O or another number for other User Options The standard program provides an extern function exec user 0 that executes the before on and after choice of the choice user 0 section 7 3 2 Continue process The cont process command is also converted to a Form Command of type function The name of this function is exec cont process The standard program provides an extern function exec cont process that carries out the before on and after choice of the choice cont process section 7 3 3 Form zooms The Form Zooms are also converted to a Form Commands but they are of type session The name of this session is taken from the zoom field of the choice field 7 4 Disabling a form command Disabling Form Commands is very simple The argument to disable commands is the name of the function the code of the session or the code of the menu For example disable commands test function ttadv3500m000 Note that Form Commands can also be enabled and disabled by the standard program according to the number of selected occurrences BAAN V User Interface BAAN ms 7 Programming form commands BAAN V User Interface
25. g and the zoom window is closed The zoom window can contain the following buttons Buttons on Zoom Window Button Action OK Export the selected record and close the zoom window This should be the default button CANCEL Close the zoom window without exporting the record to the calling session FIND Search for a specific record SORT BY Change the sort order of the records QUERY Display the records matching a user defined query DISPLAY Open a modal secondary zoom window This window is a single occurrence display only window that shows details of the record An OK button is available to close the window NEW Open a modal secondary zoom window In this single occurrence edit window a new record can be inserted PRINT Open a print dialog ROTATE Change the currency format CURRENCY HELP Display the session The main zoom window and the secondary zoom window are modal types so the window must be closed before the user can continue in another window 4 3 Synchronizing sessions In the object action model several windows are shown simultaneously These windows can be synchronized In other words actions performed on one of the windows will have a direct effect on the other window There are two independent synchronization models implemented in Baan V 1 Child Synchronization This model is intended for synchronizing two processes with different main tables The child controlled session is started with the function st
26. h of the label field for a column is equal to or larger than the length of the column field A blank row is inserted between the view fields and the label fields of the multi occurrence section A blank row is inserted between the label fields and the first record 5 4 Single occurrence forms A single occurrence form is used to present the data of a single record 5 4 1 Form layout For an example of the layout of a single occurrence form see paragraph 2 3 Dialog Window 5 4 2 Programmer s information Additional rules for the development of single occurrence forms Asingle occurrence form can comprise multiple forms A blank row is inserted between the last primary key field and the first record field Units like kg are positioned between the label and the field in a separate right aligned field A description in a form following the table field is separated from it by two spaces Forms should be used instead of arranging fields in multiple columns If columns cannot be avoided they are separated by two spaces 5 5 Free format form A free format form is used to enter data for processing and print sessions A free format form resembles a dialog it has no menu bar toolbar or message status bar This form does however contain the following buttons Continue preferably with a more descriptive label like Print Cancel Save Defaults Get Defaults Make Job Help A free format form is used to en
27. hat option is chosen when the checkbox is marked Text fields and other editable fields Text fields and drop down combo boxes are preceded by a descriptive label and may be succeeded by an additional label describing a currency a unit or a format Buttons The label on a text button describes the action it performs with a single verb infinitive A button may only have the label Cancel if it is capable of ending a dialog and an can undo of all actions performed so far in that dialog A button may only have the label Close if its only action is to close the window A window can only show one of the buttons Close Continue or OK at the same time A window does not show a Close and a Cancel button at the same time The label on a text button or menu entry contains an ellipsis if using the option starts a dialog in which more input from the user is required An OK button or a button to perform a specific action such as printing on a print dialog is the top first button in a window A help button is the bottom last button in a window Child cluster within a cluster group box frame a label and its text field count as one child cluster BAAN V User Interface 8 2 BAAN 8 User interface checklist Multi occurrence specific A multi occurrence window does not contain text buttons In a multi occurrence window each column is preceded by a descriptive label A multi occurrence window does not contain edita
28. i BAAN 8 1 8 2 8 3 8 3 1 User interface checklist Introduction This checklist should be used as a validation tool for examining forms windows in the BAAN V environment The statements in the checklist are derived from the Standard UI and Microsoft UI guidelines Usage Processing sessions and print sessions are to be considered as single occurrence windows in this checklist Statements Windows look Sizes dimensions and positioning Initial window size shows all essential information and action buttons Initial window size is not bigger than necessary Initial window size is big enough to show the toolbar and menu bar if present on one row each Window objects buttons text fields menu item s check boxes and so on which present user or system data are wide enough to show all possible occurrences Resizing the window is prohibited disabled if it does not result in enlarging or narrowing the information view Specifically dialog and single occurrence windows may not be resized but multi occurrence windows may Scrollbars are present if the information view exceeds the actual window view All editable objects combo boxes text fields check boxes and so on and clickable objects are horizontally and vertically aligned Toolbar menu bar status bar A dialog does not contain a toolbar a menu bar or a status bar Labels and titles The window title briefly describes the type of inf
29. ield proc start synchronized child ttadv4127m000 ttadv420 vers ttadv422 vers ttadv420 rele ttadv422 rele ttadv420 cust ttadv422 cust ttadv420 cpac ttadv422 cpac ttadv420 cmod ttadv422 cmod ttadv420 flno ttadv422 flno BAAN V User Interface BddN TS 4 Programming sessions 4 3 3 4 4 BAAN V User Interface 4 6 E The synchronization process step by step In the picture on page 4 2 four windows are shown windows 1 and 3 are main windows multi occurrence parent sessions and windows 2 and 4 are secondary windows single occurrence dialog sessions Window 1 and 2 form a set operating on a certain main table and window 3 and 4 form a set operating on another one The windows of each set are synchronized using dialog synchronization The sets themselves are synchronized using child synchronization Three synchronization processes will be described step by step To display all four windows Start up the window 1 for instance from the menu Open window 2 for instance by double clicking a record in window 1 Select a record in window 1 Using a form command on window 1 start window 3 Open window 4 for instance by double clicking a record in window 3 Select another record in window 1 and by double clicking perform the default action The consequence is that in window 2 the data of that record is displayed Again select another record in window
30. ields are positioned beneath each other In the latter case all from fields are placed in one column and all to fields in another If a field can only be entered dependent on the value of another field this situation is considered an input hierarchy The hierarchy is indicated by putting dependent fields below their determining fields Enabling or disabling the dependent fields shows the user whether the fields are accessible or not If a field has mandatory input that must be available elsewhere in the system a zoom command is available to a dialog with these values For numeric values such a zoom command is considered useless Make the zoom user friendly in order to prevent the user from making unnecessary mistakes Use a query extension to build the subset of zoom data Rules for Labels and Fields The general rules governing the use of labels are BddN The recommended label field length is 20 positions For column headers a length of 15 positions is recommended In the layouts of menus forms and reports reserve the maximum number of free positions for label fields taking into account the following Reserve at least the label text in the development language multiplied by the highest label length multiplication factor for the primary languages Reserve positions for top bottom left and right margins as well as between fields Additional rules for label length Frequently occurring generic labels have
31. in window as their parents Modal and Modeless window with menubar toolbar These window types are for backward compatibility only They should not be used in new sessions and are not discussed separately here BAAN V User Interface BAAN 2 2 User interface components 2 2 List window Apart from the form definition displayed in the window each main window has a title bar a menu bar a toolbar a status bar and optionally a secondary toolbar These components will be discussed in the following paragraphs Language 2 English Package BAAN Tools Description Forms Forms by Package Version Forms by Package Version Forms by Package Version Forms by Package Version Forms Form Field Data Form Field Data Form Field Data Form Field Data Form Field Data 3100m0003 3100s0001 3100s0001 3100s0002 3100s0002 3100s0003 31010001 310150002 310150003 3101s0004 310150005 n n n n s n in S Message Area Status Fields Scroll Bar 2 2 1 Title bar The title bar contains the name and code of the BAAN application the company number of the BAAN user and the default windows controls If the title bar must show the session code this feature can be activated using the User Data session 2 2 2 Menu bar Commands are distributed over the menu groups There are three ways to activate a command from the menu bar Access keys Press Alt underlined characte
32. ion multiple records are shown simultaneously in a grid 3 2 1 Usage Multi occurrence sessions can be classified according to usage For selecting in the object action model Such sessions are synchronized with a single occurrence edit session This is the standard for BAAN V For editing Such sessions cannot be synchronized with single occurrence sessions For viewing Synchronized with single occurrence session In the object action model the multi occurrence session is used to select the object from the data in the main table and subsequently carry out an action This is the preferred way to use multi occurrence sessions BAAN V User Interface BddN 3 Sessions Multi occurrence with edit facility Because the most important criterion for a Windows application is its usability in some situations a multi occurrence session with edit facility is allowed The only condition for a multi occurrence edit session is that all columns of the grid must fit on an 80 position form Because all fields fit on the multi occurrence form a single occurrence display of the data is not necessary If the fields do not fit on an 80 position form the solution is to synchronize a multi occurrence display session and a single occurrence edit session Examples for such sessions are those in which master tables with only a code and a description are maintained Multi occurrence display In the BAAN applications multi occurrence s
33. lti occurrence session use the command BAAN V User Interface iu BAAN 3 Sessions set synchronized dialog session code of SO session Multi occurrence with edit facility Session Name Because a UI must be consistent the word maintain may not be part of the session description Consequently the description of a multi occurrence session with an edit facility is identical to the table upon which it acts Session Form As stated earlier a multi occurrence session with edit facility can have no more than a single 80 position form containing all fields Multi occurrence display Session Name Because a UI must have a consistent presentation the word display cannot be part of the session description For historic data the session description will become for example Sales Order History For other listings the session description will be for example Cost Price Summary Session Form A multi occurrence display session can contain multiple forms of up to 132 positions In essence the session consists of a series of sheets with a grid The grids are only filled with data when the sheet is active resulting in better performance 3 3 Single occurrence sessions In a single occurrence session the data of a single record is shown 3 3 1 Usage A single occurrence session can be used to Edit modify insert a record This is always done in synchronization with a multi occurrence session Display a re
34. multiple forms are possible The first form at minimum contains the selection ranges for the data to be processed Other data that is relevant for the process such as commands that can be toggled using check boxes can be placed on a second or later form A process is started by pressing the Continue button The label on the Continue button must show the process action A Cancel button must be available as well Progress Indicator A progress indicator informs the end user about the progress of a process Print sessions Print sessions are used to print data in reports which are sent to an output device General In a print session no database data is changed Coding The following table shows the function codes and process types for print sessions Usage Print ppmmms4nnm000 A print session usually processes multiple records which is illustrated by process type m Programmer s information Session description The session description must show that it is a print session Session Form The format of the form for a processing session is free and multiple forms are possible The first form at minimum contains the selection ranges for the data to be printed Other data that is relevant for the process such as commands that can be toggled using check boxes can be placed on a second or later form It must be possible to start the process by pressing the Continue button The label on the Continue button is OK A Ca
35. n The difference between maintenance and display sessions no longer exists so these words are no longer allowed in the session description Consequently the description of a single occurrence session is identical to its associated synchronizing multi occurrence session Session Form A single occurrence session can contain multiple 80 position forms Forms are functionally identified by a description Consequently fields are grouped on forms according to their function Processing sessions Processing sessions submit data from multiple tables to operations and subsequently store it as new records in other tables Processing sessions are also used to print items such as error reports or invoices General Sessions like printing invoices and the associated financial transactions are not print but a processing sessions The session description must reflect this behavior Coding The table shows the function codes and process types for processing sessions Usage Processing ppmmms2nnm000 A processing session usually processes multiple records which is illustrated by its process type m BAAN 3 4 3 3 5 3 5 1 3 5 2 3 5 3 3 Sessions Programmer s information Session description The session description describes the action taking place For example the description for an invoicing session would be Invoice Sales Orders Session Form The format of the form for a processing session is free and
36. ncel button must be available as well Progress Indicator A progress indicator informs the end user about the progress of a process Since performance is an issue here it is not recommended to use the total number of records to be processed The most important consideration is that the user gets feedback BAAN V User Interface BddN is 3 Sessions m 3 6 Graphical sessions In a graphical session data is displayed in non character format 3 6 1 General Graphical display may be available for A graph chart for capacity availability An object browser for tree structures A network structure for networks A planning board 3 6 2 Coding The table shows the function codes and process types for graphical sessions Usage p Cede Synchronized with Graphical ppmmms7nnm000 not In a graphical session data is usually shown for multiple records which is illustrated by process type m BAAN V User Interface d BAAN 4 Programming sessions 4 1 Introduction In this chapter several mechanisms are described that start one session from another Zooming from an input field a Synchronizing sessions Starting a session from a 4GL script 4 2 Zooming from fields The user can zoom in on an input field to retrieve a record for example the unit corresponding to an item In that case a modal multi occurrence display only window is opened the selected record is exported to the main window by double clickin
37. ng label are optional The process indicator replaces the BAAN IV processing forms Fields showing the process progress or special progress forms are no longer allowed More details are available in the Data Access Layer documentation BAAN V User Interface BddN is 2 User interface components m 2 5 BAAN V User Interface 2 6 Message box If you usie the mess messcode 1 command a message dialog with a message specified in the data dictionary can be displayed In addition the icon that belongs to the message is also displayed as an Information message a Warning or a Critical message icon Information Provides information about the results of a command Offers no user choices Warning Alerts the user to a condition or situation that requires the user s decision and input before proceeding such as an impending action with potentially destructive or irreversible consequences Critical Informs the user of a serious problem that requires intervention or correction before work can continue avoid this type as much as possible It is possible to define help text that will be displayed when the user chooses the Help command button within the message box The user assistance provided by a Help command button differs from the typical What s This form of help Command button help should provide an overview summary assistance or explanatory information about the displayed message For example this help can provid
38. ns In a window the form description is not displayed The session description is shown in the title bar Forms are used to group data for the user so form descriptions must be clear The following rules apply If there is only one type of data covered by the form a description is considered redundant Selection sessions are a good example However it is advisable to enter a form description anyway In multiple forms The data is distributed over the forms by function Each form is given a description that covers the data contained in it This setup avoids descriptions such as General 1 or Miscellaneous 2 General programmer s information This section addresses the general guidelines First for the development of forms then for the input and display sequence for labels and field alignment and finally for group boxes Rules for form development The general rules governing the development of forms are All forms with the exception of graphical forms are created from standard form types Additional rules are provided in the chapters below Accentuating sections of the form by means of labels in reverse or underlined mode is not allowed All forms for a session have the same size and box attributes Key fields are in the same position across forms Fields representing an On Off Yes No 1 0 True False or any Boolean value are implemented using a check box For check boxes the following applies
39. ompatibility 7 3 1 User options 7 3 2 Continue process 7 3 3 Form zooms Disabling a form command User interface checklist Introduction Usage Statements 8 3 1 Windows look 8 3 2 Windows feel BAAN m User Interface Aboutthis document This document describes the standard user interface UI for BAAN V The BAAN V UI uses the Object Action Model to accomplish a complete Windows look and feel This model is the standard for the BAAN V UI Purpose of the Document The purpose of this document is to inform the application developer about the backgrounds the principles the standards and the use of the BAAN V UI so that applications can be developed efficiently and effectively Scope of the Document This document works in close relationship with the Data Access Layer for BAAN V the Coding amp Text Standards the Programming Standards the Documentation Standards the BAAN V User Interface Reference Manual References This document is based on the following publications The Windows Interface Guidelines for Software Design Microsoft Press 1995 Functional Design of the User Interface for BAAN Bravo BAANIV GUI Developer s Guide BAAN IV GUI User s Guide Standard User Interface TRITON Tools 5 0 Overview Chapter 1 addresses the design and interaction principles a UI must meet Chapter 2 addresses the UI components a developer can use to implement the interaction principles discu
40. on You only have to modify the UI script in order to add a total line to your grid 1 Add the following code fragments in your UI script before program fattr total line true 2 For every update of the total fields add display total fields field1 value1 field2 value2 Where field1 and field2 are defined as multi occurrence form fields on the form and declared in the UI script Of course this can also be a table field Restrictions Total have the same display properties as the field above Array fields fields cannot be disabled or enabled they are always read only The total fields cannot be displayed in the total line Example before program fattr total line true before display object totali totali whwmd000 amnt1 total2 total2 whwmd000 amnt2 if actual occ filled occ then display total fields whwmd000 amnt1 total1 whwmd000 amnt2 total2 endif BAAN V User Interface BddN ais 6 Programming form fields 6 4 6 4 1 6 4 2 BAAN V User Interface 6 4 Segmented fields Overview Field Segmentation is a feature used for dividing a form field into multiple segments This feature offers the possibility to structure the data within a single field The definition of this segmentation is performed at the customer s site by means of a session With this session the user can specify which domains have to be displayed into different segments In addition diff
41. ormation shown and or its functional use and does not contain the words Maintain Display or Edit All visible text is written in regular font no underlining reverse video italic bold and so on 1 information view part of the virtual information space the user is authorized looking at BAAN V User Interface BAAN 2 8 User interface checklist Group boxes and checkboxes Information is functionally clustered and positioned within group boxes if the window does not hold a grid The title of a group box describes a common feature of its items and does not contain the word Data All group boxes within a window have the same width If group boxes are positioned next to each other the total width of them is equal to the width of the widest group box in the window The maximum number of child clusters in a group box is seven The minimum number of child clusters in a group box is two The group box labels and form page labels are unique within the window view and they are identical to similar and or comparable labels used in other windows views These labels do not contain an index 1 2 3 a b c All checkboxes are positioned within a group box Checkboxes are not preceded by a label unless it is the first checkbox of a cluster of functionally related checkboxes and the label describes a mutual or collective feature Checkboxes are succeeded by a descriptive label This label describes in a positive sense w
42. r mnemonic to open a menu group followed by the underlined character of the item in the menu group Mouse Click on a menu group and hold down the mouse button Drag the mouse to a menu item and release the button Shortcut In many menu groups commands have a shortcut key Press this key to start the corresponding command For example Ctrl E is a shortcut key for Modify BAAN V User Interface 25 BAAN m 2 User interface components The following menu groups are session specific View Used to change the sort order of the records The current order is marked with a check mark Application Contains all form commands 2 2 3 Toolbar The toolbar provides another way of starting the most frequently used commands If the mouse pointer moves over a button a short explanation is displayed in a ToolTip 2 2 4 Grid In BAAN V the multi occurrence window is replaced by the grid The grid provides the end user with much broader functionality For example the user can specify how wide the columns in the grid should be It is also possible to split the screen 2 2 5 Scroll bar Multi occurrence forms usually have a scroll bar for scrolling through the table A scroll bar offers the following facilities To scroll Do this One record up down Click the up down scroll arrow One screen up down Click the scroll bar above or below the scroll box To start end of table Drag the scroll box to the top or bottom of the scroll bar
43. rgument should be the name of a variable not the variable itself BAAN 5 Forms 5 1 Introduction The user accesses a session through the corresponding window The form is the part of the window that provides the database access so forms must be developed from the user perspective In BAAN V three types of forms are distinguished 1 Single occurrence forms 2 Multi occurrence forms 3 Free format forms The common aspects of the form types are addressed first followed by the characteristics per individual type Similarities are The codes of the forms The names of the forms The guidelines for form development Form commands The differences occur in Commands Buttons Form layout This chapter will be concluded with a paragraph on a new grid feature totals in grid 5 2 General This section addresses the common aspects of the form types the coding and naming of forms and the guidelines for form development 5 2 1 Coding Form coding format ppmmmsfnnp000c pp package code mmm module code S submodule code f function code nn sequence number Dp process type C form sequence number In this coding format c can be any number from 1 to 9 or any letter from a to z The first 13 characters of this code usually match the code of the corresponding session BAAN V User Interface BddN TM 5 Forms 5 2 2 5 2 3 BAAN V User Interface 5 2 Form descriptio
44. sessions that operate on different main tables The primary key of the parent s main table must be a subset of the primary key of the child s main table For example the parent session uses orders where the primary key is the order number and the child session uses order lines where the primary key is the combination of the order number and the order line number The order number in the order lines table is a foreign key referencing the orders table Implementation Child synchronization can easily be implemented by calling the following function function long start synchronized child const string session code string parent var string child var The first argument is the session code to be started as child Other arguments come in pairs the first of these two is the variable name of the parent main table and the second is the equivalent variable in the child table For every synchronization event the child variables get their values from the parent variables and a refresh is done synchronize with child user x child id Note that if the user x child id process does not exist the child x id value is set to 0 declaration long _ field proc before program field proc 0 function extern field process called by Form Command if field proc then synchronize with child field proc endif Note field proc is a reference variable that is set to zero when child cannot be found if not field proc then f
45. ssed in the previous chapter Chapters 3 address the standards for developing sessions and chapter 4 and describes methods to start sessions especially zoom facilities and synchronization Chapter 5 addresses the standards for developing forms chapter 6 gives information on working with form fields and chapter 7 on working with form commands Chapter 8 provides a checklist for the BAAN V UI User Interface BddN E User Interface BAAN i 1 User interface principles 1 1 Design principles A well designed UI is based on a development process that is centered around users and their activities The user perspective is an important aspect of application development in general and this chapter addresses vital UI features for the user Application command Users must have the impression that they are in control of an application not that they are controlled by the application For the UI this consideration has the following implications In the relationship between a user and a computer the user carries out the actions and plays an active part whereas the computer or the application is passive In other words the application can automate many actions but it is up to the user to select and initiate the appropriate action For example the cursor must not jump to the next form automatically this type of action must be initiated by the user Not all users have the same skills and expertise so that is why the application actions
46. ter data for processing and print BAAN V User Interface BddN US 5 Forms 5 5 1 5 5 2 BAAN V User Interface 5 6 Form layout ttadv3400m000 Print Forms 000 Language Package VRC Form v adv3500m0001 adv3500m0001 7 Programmer s information Additional rules for the development of free format forms Multiple forms are possible Group boxes are advised for the Selection Range and the Print Commands or Process Commands Sort by functionality should be implemented by means of an enumerated The progress box is replaced with the Progress Indicator 6 Programming form fields 6 1 Introduction This chapter introduces a number of enhancements to the handling of fields on forms 6 2 Disabling fields 6 2 1 Overview It is possible to enable and disable fields using functions in a 4GL script When disabling a field it can be either disabled or read only The difference between these modes can be seen in the next picture amp Form Input Input Field Read Only Field Always Read Only 6 2 2 Implementation To use these functions the following statements have to be added to the script disable fields long mode field lt field gt enable fields lt field gt field Where mode is either disable default or read only and lt field gt isa field name followed by an occurrence number only if field is a multi occurrence fiel
47. utton IV Standard Command as D Drop down Combo Box Zoom Area with special cursor Group Box 2 3 1 Button area At the right hand side of single occurrence form windows an extra button area is available for standard and form commands 2 3 2 Form tab When there are multiple forms linked to a session their presence is indicated by tabs shown in the window These tabs should have labels that clearly indicate the general contents of their respective forms 2 3 3 Label In a GUI environment labels and associated input fields are left aligned Labels referring to domains are aligned according to the domain 2 3 4 Field Fields can be displayed as input field display field disabled field read only field The last two modes can be programmed using a set of functions See chapter 6 for more details BAAN V User Interface idi BAAN m 2 User interface components 2 3 5 Drop down combo box This box allows you to select an enumerated value The key combination for opening the drop down combo box is Alt J Closing the box without changing the original value is performed by clicking outside the box or by pressing Esc 2 3 6 Check box These small boxes represent a Boolean type field true false yes no 1 0 on off and so on The value can be changed with the mouse or by pressing the spacebar key combination The relevant domains can be set using the Maintain Domains to be Displayed as Check Box s
48. when the user has no authorization The commands can be enabled disabled from the UI script with a meaningful mnemonic On form level it is possible to specify if a Save command has to be performed prior to running the Form Command It is possible to hide Form Commands on dialogs not displayed as button Print sessions are also implemented as Form Commands The bind type for print sessions is Print 7 2 Implementing a form command There are three steps to add a Form Command to your form 1 In the forms session select the menu item Form Commands and insert a new Form Command ttadv31185000 Form Commands 000 ID EI Sort Sequence BddN Bind Type Group Field Number Activate a Menu Session Function Short Cut Label Help Topic Authorization Group Execute Save Command Availability wmm x ma I Test Test 7 Separator M Show as Button Display m No Always bad BAAN V User Interface 7 1 7 Programming form commands The fields on this form have the following meanings Field ID Sort Sequence Bind Type Activate a Menu Session Function Shortcut Label Help Topic Separator Show as Button Authorization Group Execute Save Command Availability Purpose Just an internal number to differentiate between Form Commands Indicates the order for the buttons and menu items to appear For non dynamic forms this type can be set to Form or Fiel
49. zation event ADD SET DUPL OCCUR MODIFY SET DISPLAY SET This variable is available in all sections in a synchronized dialog Note that this variable is not set in synchronized children because the synchronization there is caused 4GL code instead of a form command Using view fields Synchronization between a multi occurrence session with view fields Form Type 3 and a single occurrence session Form Type 1 requires special treatment 1 Define the Form Type of the single occurrence session as type 3 multi occ view main with one occurrence 2 Leave the Form Type of the multi occurrence session as type 3 3 The view fields should be made of Field Type display and the Multi Occurrence flag should be No 4 The Multi Occurrence flag of the occurrence fields should be Yes To summarize Form types Parent form Dialog form type 2 type 1 type 3 type 3 with 1 occurrence Session settings To implement a successful synchronization the settings of the session data should be as follows Session Settings Session Type Display Maintain Start Option 44 get defaults 0 no start option Window Type List Window Synchronized Dialog Main Session Yes No The session setting Main Session means that it is possible to start the session from the menu browser BAAN V User Interface is BAAN m 4 Programming sessions 4 3 2 Child synchronization Overview Child synchronization can be used between
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