X3 inquiry ergonomics

Introduction

Software developed with X3 technology is organized in functions, each function corresponds to an entry in a menu. These functions present a standardized ergonomics, and follow different templates. Inquiry is one of these templates (the others are the objects managing and the processes).

It should be noted that this documentation describes the ergonomics linked to the inquiry whether the inquiry is done via a Windows™ workstation or a Web browser. In version 5, the two ergonomics are very close, there is no behavior difference in the interface between the inquiry modes.

This ergonomic is characterized by:

• The entry of selection criteria directly in the inquiry header.
• The display, on one or several tabs, of a group of fields coming from a group of tables, taking into account the selection criteria entered earlier.
• When useful, the inquiry is displayed as a graphic. The display of the present ation can be settled or not; it can display along with the table (on the right, on the left, above, under), or after int the same place as the table. For more information on the use of graphic dynamics, please refer to: Graphic representation.
• With the possibility to modify the criteria entered and to modify others which appear by default with the aid of a dedicated button. Amongst these criteria appears the possibility to choose another set of inquiry screens, identified by a screen code.

The inquiry management can be set up by the user, by means of the setup function of the Inquiry screens.

The different elements in this management are described in the following document.

Entry into an inquiry: criteria entry

In the inquiry header, are displayed all the criteria that can have default values depending on the context. This way, when entering a inquiry, the main table of this inquiry may include a range of lines displayed already by considering these criteria.

In all cases, it is possible to enter new criteria values in the header of the screen, then to launch the search of the lines, and to cause their display via a button.

According to the case, it is also possible to refresh (i.e. reread the presented information and to redisplay with the same set of criteria) by using the Display/Refresh menu or the button .

The inquiry itself

This inquiry can be made on one or more tabs. A group of lines is displayed presenting the selected data.
The number of lines presented is limited by the setup.

Navigation in the results list from the search

When the number of lines in the data base is greater than the number of displayed lines, the buttons and enable the viewing of the previous and next lines. and make it possible to go back to the first lines and display the last lines.

Accessible functions by right-click

• In general, many zooms can be done on the inquiry lines. These zooms can be viewed by right click on a line. They can be contextual (for example, a zoom on an accounting posting will only be displayed if the line selected for the zoom is linked to a posting). It is possible to link another inquiry in a cascade fashion, or in object management in inquiry mode.
  
• Amongst the generic functions available using the right click on the lines in the grid, is the Search function, which is used to search for information in the grid. The cursor moves to the first cell of the grid containing the searched for information.

Search criteria modification

When the inquiry has a main criteria (customer, account, item...) with a fixed value, the radio buttons (next/previous/first/last) make it possible, if they are un-grayed, to change the value of the main criteria (for example, go to the next customer, the next item, the first account... depending on the context).

All modification of the criteria present in the screen header is possible at all time. The lines can be refreshed via the button .

The Criterion button

This button makes it possible to enter the value of the principal criteria, but also the value of the additional criteria not present in the screen header. These criteria are, in a general fashion:

• selection criteria defining the information that must be displayed.
• sorting criteria, if necessary
• an inquiry screen code (the different screens accessible by the user are selectable here). It should be noted that the inquiry screen presented by default at the start can depend on the context (notably in accounting).

These criteria can be saved under a code, using the following button . The button makes it possible to recall a Memo that has already been recorded. It should be noted that a memo is always specific to a user (no global memos in this case), and that the memo named STD, if it exists for the user, is automatically used on entering the inquiry.

Finally, the button makes it possible to delete a previously saved memo.