The following controls are used across the whole browser interface and operate in a similar way wherever they are found. This article is broken down between output forms (record lists), and input forms (single record).
Output forms.
Typically, when you click a link on the main navigation in Synergist, a list of records is displayed in an output form:
Most of these conform to a consistent way of working with some or all of these controls present above the list:
Views.
This button allows you to switch between pre-defined views, each representing a different selection of records based on different filters. Depending on your access rights you may be able to save new / delete existing views from this menu as well.
Actions.
Many lists have actions available to them that are specific to that list and so are not made available via dedicated buttons. Very often the actions available on this menu will operate on the items you have ticked to select on the list.
New.
As you might expect, adding a new record to the list displayed starts by clicking the new button. Adding a new job requires you to be viewing the jobs list, adding a new client requires you to be viewing the client list.
Filter.
This button replaces the list with controls to allow you to refine the currently displayed selection based on new selection criteria. These controls are arranged into a concertina that can be collapsed / expanded to show controls in different categories. Once you have made you new selections click the apply filter button to return to the list, with the new selection criteria applied. This new selection criteria can now be saved as a view via the views button, if available.
Delete.
Delete the selected record(s), if allowed.
Search.
This text entry field allows to search for key words. Normally the name / code / description of the records in your current selection is searched. Type in the search term and click the magnifying glass. Note that this searches the entire selection, not just those records displayed on the currently viewed page - if your selection is 1000 jobs, but your view settings display these in pages of 50, the search is performed on all 1000 jobs.
A-Z and export
A-Z controls are common to most lists and allow quick filtering of the displayed data based on the first letter of the name of the records being displayed - client name, supplier name, contact name etc. Most lists also have an export facility to output the selected records as a text file.
Next to each record displayed in a list is a checkbox. Checking this "selects" the record without opening it in its input form; other actions, if available, can be executed on these selected records. The number of records you have selected is displayed in a bar immediately above the list:
Above the list is a checkbox which will select all records in the selection. Just like searching (see above) this is not just the records displayed on the current page, it is all records in the selection.
At the bottom of each list form is a control to set the number of records per page to be displayed, and next to it an indication of which records from the total selection are being displayed. To navigate through the selection use the forward / back buttons also at the bottom of the list.
Column headings in list forms can normally be used to sort the selection, a second click on the column heading will reverse the sort order. The entire selection is sorted, not just the records displayed on the current page.
Input forms.
Clicking on a record in a list opens that record in its input form. Each input form is different, displaying the fields relevant to the record in question, but there is still some commonality of design used.
On a complex input form like a job, or a client, there is too much information to display on a single scrolling page. In this situation the fields on the record are grouped together into separate pages, and each page appears as a tab within the input form. The names and uses of these tabs is determined by the record being displayed, but navigating from tab to tab is simply done by clicking on each tab as required.
If any printed outputs are available for the record being viewed, these will be available from a menu accessed via a print button. If there are any actions that are specific to the record type being displayed, these will be available via an actions button. If you wish to close a record without saving any changes, or if you have made no changes, use the cancel button. This will close the record and the main tab it is displayed in. The save and close button also closes the record but will save any changes made.
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