Design Approach

[Ocean West]

There are many different design approaches since many times form follows functions

but also there is a good argument that forum should precede function and putting on a different

mental cap when developing sometimes when you come to a cross road as to where to put the priority.

I have in the past developed the standard solutions where the user goes from a menu to a list view to a form view. Then on the form view - sees portals to other tables. they can click on the portals and go to the related table.

Other times I have done the other method of going from list to form to a related list of data.

Now with multiple windows of any size is it is not always necessary to clutter your layout with too much data. You can always take them to another screen. Showing only the small bit of data that you need to see.

But this design approach may become confusing to some people. Just because you can do it doesn't mean you should or if you do

[Ender]

I'm from the "tabbed menu", "List to Form to Portal" camp, but I'd love to see a good implementation of a multi-window approach. If someone comes up with one, please post a sample.

Version: Developer v7

Platform: Mac OS X Panther

[Charles Delfs]

Well with the implementation of so many more script steps accessable directly from buttons, the pop up window will be easy to implement even with existing solutions. on thing that may be confusing to the end user is many open windows, especially when they have clicked on the source window and left the pop up one open, then went to a new record.

My guess is that general design approach will be to have conservative use of them. but just like drop shadows and roll-overs were in HTML, if it's new designers will use the crap out of it.

Most other apps follow general OS guides and IF there is a pop up window it is Modal.

Charles

[Ocean West]

I too use the List to Form To Portal... but I am beginning to reevaluate my thinking.

It seems there are a lot of layouts that become redundant as in my case the only thing that changes between the forms is the "tab" graphics and the corresponding portal. Most of the header stuff remains the same showing you were you were, where you are and where you can go from here.

If however I take advantage of the multiple windows. The main form doesn't have to hog all the screen real estate. It can be only a few hundred pixels tall. With buttons that spawn lists or other forums for the required information. Since the data on this layout is coming from the table assigned to the layout . IT can be reused in many other places.