script 'continue' button too small, how to make it more obvious?

[labyrinthian]

I apologize in advance if this is an inane newbie question, but its vexing me and I don't even know how to phrase this to search to find a solution.

I have a simple script that takes a user to a list in Preview mode, pauses so that they can look at the document and scroll through the pages, and then 'continue' back to the source layout. My problem is that the 'continue' button up in the top right is so small that my users just can't seem to find it, and they get stuck in the list layout. Not good design on my part. It is so unassuming up there in the top right, and the users are used to looking at larger icons.

Does anyone have any secret ways to work around that tiny 'continue' button after a paused script? Could I make the color neon or something to make it more noticeable? All thoughts appreciated!

[Vaughan]

Don't do it that way at all!

Open the preview in a new window (and the script ends there -- so no continue button). Users close the preview window when they are done.

[labyrinthian]

Don't do it that way at all!

Open the preview in a new window (and the script ends there -- so no continue button). Users close the preview window when they are done.

Good idea. So as a matter of general practice, do people just avoid pausing scripts altogether? Thank you for the response.

[IdealData]

I use extensive script pausing to ensure data validation during long data entry procedures, and multiple layout changes.

Incidentally, the ENTER key will also continue a paused script. It's a lot faster than navigating your mouse to the continue button!

[labyrinthian]

I use extensive script pausing to ensure data validation during long data entry procedures, and multiple layout changes.

Incidentally, the ENTER key will also continue a paused script. It's a lot faster than navigating your mouse to the continue button!

Brilliant! How simple, but that definitely works. Never would have occurred to me, thanks for the tip!

[Ron Cates]

You could also add your own continue button attached to the "Pause/Resume Script" script step to it to emulate the native continue button.

[bcooney]

You cannot access buttons in Preview mode, Ron.

[Ron Cates]

Oops. Didn't catch that it was in preview mode...

[Inky Phil]

FWIW, Ray Cologan did a demo of a floating navigation palette that made buttons available in preview mode as far back as .fp5. The demo file can be found here

http://www.nightwing.../demos1.html#d2

Don't know if it can be adapted to the more recent versions but I seem to recall that the technique was fairly simple but incredibly clever, as is the case with most of Ray's work

Hth

Phil

I just converted this solution to FP7 to see if it worked and it did... and it made me smile it is so elegant. I have attached the file in case it helps.

[Vaughan]

In FMP 9 and earlier, viewing summary reports required changing to preview mode. Since FMP 10 and later displays summaries in browse mode there is no real compelling reason to do a print preview IMHO.

So I'm kinda wondering whether there is any need for this at all...

[LaRetta]

But sliding only shows in Preview.

[Lee Smith]

Sliding?

Was this requested in another topic?

[LaRetta]

Yes, I think it was, Lee. :^)

I thought the need for preview was because "simple script that takes a user to a list in Preview mode, pauses so that they can look at the document and scroll through the pages, and then 'continue' back to the source layout."

I wasn't thinking summaries as much as text set to slide which only works in Preview mode, as you know. Thanks for questioning it for us ... we aren't clear on the type of report labyrinthian is using.

[Lee Smith]

hi labyrinthian,

I notice that you haven't been on for a few days, and probably missed

Since FMP 10 and later displays summaries in browse mode there is no real compelling reason to do a print preview IMHO.

i.e. "Creating dynamic reports in Table View" so maybe this might work better for you http://www.filemaker...w_data.4.9.html?

Lee

[labyrinthian]

Sorry for my absence for awhile (been ill), but thanks for these ideas!

The reason we are using Preview mode is that the viewer needs to look at a list that is sorted by sub-summaries. Preview mode is helpful because it may be printed, and give the user an idea of how many pages they're dealing with, and the option to print only selected pages.

In Browse mode of this same list, I had trouble creating buttons to return to the previous layout. For some reason the buttons I create don't appear in Browse mode, though I can see them in Layout (this may just be something I don't know how to do correctly?).

So perhaps Preview isn't necessary in all cases, but even if I wasn't using Preview mode, I'm having problems with the list in Browse mode too. Thank you all for the great feedback (and your patience with a newbie)! I will look into using Table view.