direxions + 2011 – how to create happy end-users how to create happy end-users presented by: jane...

DireXions+ 2011 – How to Create Happy End-Users

How to Create Happy End-Users

Presented by:Jane Raymond


Presentation Outline• Widgets• SpellCheck• AutoComplete• Query Enhancements• Listbox & Grid Enhancements• And More…• For the Developer


Widgets• Create different shaped Windows using Transparency masks

• Bitmap can effectively define window shape• Select background color to become a ‘Transparent Mask’• Window frame can be removed or changed dynamically

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SpellChecker• Integrated Spell checker• Ability to spell check text fields such as:• User input fields• Labels• Control text• Help data• Tips

• Supports English, French, German, Dutch and Spanish


SpellChecker• Interface based on open source 'aspell' program

• Product is available for Windows and Linux• Generally comes pre-installed on Linux• Windows Can be downloaded from http://aspell.net/win32

• Don’t forget to install language packs as well

• Provides callable interfaceCALL "*plus/spell/spell", ctl, lang$, text$, site$

• Site$ can be pipe to aspell on a PC or Linux

• Nomads has built in interface based on:• %SPELL_SITE$ - Site/pathname to aspell• %SPELL_POPUP$ - Popup menu item with & • %SPELL_MIN_LEN – Minimum input field length to offer spelling• %SPELL_LANG$ - Language to use

(Notes included)

http://aspell.net/win32


AutoComplete• AutoComplete Input Fields• Enter partial text values and have the

system provide the rest• String values only

• Three methods:• Autofill• Preset entries• Recorded entries


• AutoFill• Predictive text base on related query• System highlights next/default input

• Multi-Line Definition• Attributes – Auto Fill enabled/must match/not empty• Associate Query

AutoComplete


AutoComplete• Preset entries• Input matched with key of application data file• Application data files are on server• When entering text, matches are displayed in a droplist

• Auto Complete Definition• Specify data file name, key (case sensitive), prefix• Set to Read-Only and Process on Server• Define list contents and return value (can be different)

• Multi_lines and Grid cells


AutoComplete• Recorded entries• Current input matched with previous entries• Useful for non-key input fields• Each entry is stored in a local keyed file

• Key must be defined as case insensitive

• When entering text, matches are displayed in a droplist

• Expiry date can be set to purge entries after n days• Multi_lines only• Uses Auto Complete

Definition


Query Enhancements• Data copy and export options• Hidden Columns• Column Filters• Favourites• Search Feature• Export / Import Profile

Accessible by right-click menu or buttons


Query Enhancements• Copy / Export Options• Copy column data, records to clipboard• Export data to file

• Comma-separated (.csv)• Symbolic link (.slk)• Microsoft 2003 XML (.xml)• Tab delimited (.txt, *.*)

• Export data to Spreadsheet• MS Excel 2003 or later (or equivalent such as Open Office)

• Set %Nomad_Query_Suppress_Export=1 to disable


Query Enhancements• Hidden Columns• Developer/Designer establishes potential columns• Selects which columns by default are visible/hidden

• When query runs, user can hide/show selected columns or reset original default columns• System can remember user choices


Query Enhancements• Column Filters• Filter can be applied against each column• Filters can be disabled and saved


Query Enhancements• User Favorites• Allows user to select specific records to display• Typical uses are:

Salesperson’s customersTop selling productCommon GL accounts codesMost common state/province codes

• Toggle to show only selected records or all records• Saved by file/query and user • Set %Nomad_Query_Suppress_Favorites=1 to disable


Query Enhancements• Search Feature• Searches query data and stops at each occurrence

of search string• Next, Prior, Match case options• Search restricted to currently displayed columns

Version 10 Feature


Query Enhancements• Export / Import Profile• Profile consists of a user’s …• Hidden column settings• Column filters• Favourites

… for specified queries• Export selected settings to an .xml file• Import selected settings from .xml file

Version 10 Feature


Query Enhancements• Query Display Enhancements• Optional OK and Cancel buttons• Font size setting available• Line height• Set number of lines high• Can accommodate larger font

Version 10

Feature

• If set > 1• Columns can word-wrap• Can use $0A$ in a formula to break data over

multiple lines• Show more information without horizontal scroll


Query Enhancements

Version 10

Features

iNomads Query system updated with previous Query Enhancements


Query Enhancements• Documentation available at:• http://wiki.pvxplus.com

General TopicsNOMADS Query Enhancements

http://wiki.pvxplus.com/

http://wiki.pvxplus.com/index.php/NOMADS_Query_Enhancements_v10


Listbox Enhancements• Multiple images• The ReportView control allows for the inclusion of multiple

bitmaps within the data• Begin column data with the 'PICTURE' mnemonic to insert

images, e.g. ‘PICTURE’(0,0,0,0,”!Star”)

NOTE: Images should be the same size


Listbox Enhancements• List_box ‘LinesPerRow Property• Specify the height of the row for ReportView list boxes• Text is automatically word-wrapped (recognizes $0A$)• Show more information without horizontal scrolling

• Nomads List_box definition• Display section has Lines per row entry

Version 10 Feature


Listbox and Grid Enhancements• Add a System Popup Menu to any grid or

listbox (except for treeviews)• Menu Options:

Copy Column Find...Copy Selected Record Find NextCopy All Records Find Previous

Export All Records to File Print

Version 10 Feature


Listbox and Grid Enhancements• Copy options• Place data on the Windows clipboard. • Available copy options are dependent on listbox type and,

in iNomads, on browser type (Internet Explorer only).

• Export all records to File• Format options:

• Comma-separated (.csv)• Symbolic link (.slk)• Microsoft 2003 XML (.xml)• Tab delimited (.txt, *.*)


Listbox and Grid Enhancements• Find options• Search the contents of the listbox for occurrences of a

specified string.

• Print• Outputs a formatted version of the listbox contents to the

viewer in Nomads, or a PDF file in iNomads.


Listbox and Grid Enhancements• Add to all listboxes and grids:• Set global variable %LIST_POPUP to non-zero.

• Add or remove the system popup from individual listboxes and grids:• Set the System Popup option in the listbox or grid Popup

Menu definition to 'on' or 'off'.• Overrides the %LIST_POPUP setting, unless the 'Default' setting is

selected.

• Set popup menu as a program : *plus/winutl/listpopupNote: The popup menu associated with the grid in general is affected, not cell-level popup menus.


Listbox and Grid Enhancements• If a listbox or grid already has a popup menu

assigned to it …• A new menu group, List Options... is added to the

bottom of the existing popup menu to access the additional options. • To change the text of the menu group, load the desired

menu text into the %LIST_POPUP$ variable.


Listbox and Grid Enhancements• To suppress popup menu options:• Set %LIST_POPUP_SUPPRESS_OPTIONS$ global variable to

indicate options to be suppressed• Any combination of "C", "E", "F", and/or "P" will cause the Copy,

Export, Find and/or Print items, respectively, to be suppressed.

• For example, %LIST_POPUP_SUPPRESS_OPTIONS$="CE"

will cause the Copy and Export items to be suppressed, while the Find and Print items remain available.

• This setting will apply to all listbox and grid system popup menus for the session.


Listbox and Grid Enhancements• To use the Export All Records to File feature

without using the system popup menu:

CALL "*plus/winutl/listpopup;Export_to_File",

ctl_no, exportfile$

Where:ctl_no - CTL value of the listbox or gridexportfile$ - path of the resulting file. The file extension will indicate the type of export (.txt or none = tab-delimited file, .csv = comma separated, .slk = Symbolic link, .xml = Microsoft 2003 XML)


And More…• Background Images• Company logos• Watermarks

• (Nomads only)• Define in Nomads panel header


And More…• Window Frame Styles• Controls the type of frame or border for the

current window. (Nomads only)• Options are:

Default (uses current settings)Thick border with captionThick with no captionThin with no captionNo frame or caption


And More…• Transparency• Set window transparency • 0% (opaque) to 100% (invisible)

• Nomads only

• Callable program• CALL "*plus/winutl/transparency;Slider"

• Define in panel header


And More…• Hyperlink Buttons• Resembles Web page links• Provides hover colour change• Allows for font style and alignment

• Supports Left, Right and Center alignment of text

Normal style Hyperlink (Web-style)


And More…• Rich Text Control


And More…• Security - Views & Report Writer• Based on NOMADS security

• Restricts access to editing definitions• Restricts access to processing

• Report Writer Security Interface• Alternate user interface

• Front end to Report Designer and Report Wizard• Restricts access to input sources (based on Views groupings)• Restricts access to other report definitions (based on directory)


For the Developer• The Designer• Dual mode designer operation• Historical folder/panel based editing• Property sheet maintenance

• Property sheets can be floated outside main window


• Query Definition• Updated column selection interface

For the Developer

Version 10 Features

• Recognizes embedded dictionaries in files defined using file name

• Views support• Views may now be selected as data

sources


For the Developer• File Maintenance - User-defined exit points• Simplify the tailoring of maintenance program• Allow data validation, file cross-reference check,

alternate file updates, etc..• Exit points are: Typical logic

FM_INIT - Before initialization Check securityFM_POST_DISPLAY - After screen initially displayed Open other filesFM_POST_READ - After a record is read from file Get related dataFM_PRE_WRITE - Before a record is written Verify dataFM_POST_WRITE - After record is written Update related filesFM_PRE_REMOVE - Before a record is removed Verify allowedFM_POST_REMOVE - After record is removed Update related filesFM_WRAPUP - During wrapup Close files

(Notes included)


For the Developer• Cascading Language Suffixes• Easier to implement multi-language systems• Specify alternate language suffixes to try when a library or

panel used with a PROCESS directive cannot be found.• Specify a library without a language suffix with a PROCESS

directive, in which case the default and alternate suffixes are tried in turn.

• Default and alternate suffixes defined in Nomads System Defaults or set in the %Nomad_Def_Sfx$ and %Nomad_Alt_Sfx$ variables.

Version 10 Feature


For the Developer• Cascading Language Suffixes• PROCESS "MYPANEL","scrnlib.xx"

If the default suffix is set to "es" and alternate suffixes to "fr,en,", then the system will attempt to find the panel in the following libraries until successful:

1. scrnlib.xx 2. scrnlib.es 3. scrnlib.fr 4. scrnlib.en• If no library is specified, as in:

PROCESS "MYPANEL",""then the last accessed library is used. If the last accessed library is 'scrnlib.xx' and the default and alternate suffixes are as above, then the system will attempt to find the panel in libraries in the same way as the first example.

• If a library is specified without a suffix, as inPROCESS "MYPANEL","scrnlib"then the system will attempt to find the panel using the default, then the alternate suffixes:

1. scrnlib.es 2. scrnlib.fr 3. scrnlib.en


For the Developer• Old things made easier• Panel definitions now have easy-to-use settings for:

• Enter-Tab• Off – Pressing Enter does not move focus• On – Enter key behaves like a Tab key• Default setting uses value in %Nomad_Enter_Tab• On/Off settings override value in %Nomad_Enter_Tab• Defined in panel header under Attributes

V10



• Timer• Timer runs while the panel is active

• Timer suspended while panel does not have focus• Existing logic using %Nomad_Timeout and CTL -1900 is still

supported• Only one timer can run at any time.• Defined in panel header, under Other in Property Sheets and

Logic in Folder Style

V10



• Status Bar Segment Settings• Define up to 3 additional optional status bar segments• Applies to current panel only

• Display text in individual segments using PRINT ‘MESSAGE’ (text$, seg_no)

• In panel header definition, under Attributes check Status Bar and then define the segments in Status Bar Segments

V10


The Payoff

Multiple new features

+Minimal implementation

=New product in record time


Thank you

Lunch Time12:00 – 1:30

direxions + 2011 – how to create happy end-users how to create happy end-users presented by: jane...

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