Discussion- user Docs and User UI

[BJ Freeman]

I know I have enough on my plate, but i would really like to see a
different layout added to the current user docs.
The one thing we lack is an intuitive way to do things.

Up till now, a lot of data gets added using the xml files.

I think a section should be dedicated to those that want to use those
and how.

More I want to have a layout as to how to like added a product store,
though the UI.
Now one can fuddle their way through and then come to a drop down box
and not know where to go to put in the the data.
Like considerations for party groups and parties necessary for facilities
and Facilities that should to be defined before creating the Store
Ect.
then link back to the original Documents for where and how to access
those functions.

the other is to start adding popup windows for dropdowns that need to be
populated like an products you select a warehouse, will what if there is
no warehouse for this product yet. Like we do for finds but it just open
a new window for adding a warehouse.
or have a breadcrum trail so they can move back up the links to where
they were.

[David E Jones]

To make it more clear what you want, and set the stage for improvements, could you express what you're looking for in
terms of how it is different from what already exists? For these things I'm thinking of some of these documents:

http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBENDUSER/Apache+OFBiz+Business+Setup+Guide

http://docs.ofbiz.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=41 (the pages under this page for product management)

http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBENDUSER/Customer+Service+Representative+Role (especially the Visual* pages under this
page as an example of some newer/nicer docs)

BTW, part of the point of this question is to enable communication and progress by looking into what exists and then
working from there (ie the #1 rule: read before you write).

-David


BJ Freeman wrote:

> I know I have enough on my plate, but i would really like to see a
> different layout added to the current user docs.
> The one thing we lack is an intuitive way to do things.
>
> Up till now, a lot of data gets added using the xml files.
>
> I think a section should be dedicated to those that want to use those
> and how.
>
> More I want to have a layout as to how to like added a product store,
> though the UI.
> Now one can fuddle their way through and then come to a drop down box
> and not know where to go to put in the the data.
> Like considerations for party groups and parties necessary for facilities
> and Facilities that should to be defined before creating the Store
> Ect.
> then link back to the original Documents for where and how to access
> those functions.
>
> the other is to start adding popup windows for dropdowns that need to be
> populated like an products you select a warehouse, will what if there is
> no warehouse for this product yet. Like we do for finds but it just open
> a new window for adding a warehouse.
> or have a breadcrum trail so they can move back up the links to where
> they were.
>

[BJ Freeman]

David I did read, more than once the documents you have listed.
and in no why to I want to imply they are incomplete as far as information.
I call these type of documents, structured.

intuitive is more from a end user who does not read the documents and/or
does not understand the language as it relates to their way of doing
business. So they grasp on something they do relate to, like Products.

They are not understanding the language, like parties, when they are
thinking supplier tends to increase the learning curve.

for instance when describing electron flow, there is two movements
positive and negative charges. this is hard to visualize for most people.
but if you put water in a tube with air bubble and move the tube so the
ends are above each other in different positions, one can see the bubble
move and the water move around it. Then they have an association they
can work with.

to come back to ofbiz most people think, "I want to put a product in a
catalog". So they go to the products only to find there is no category
they can select.
So the intuitive thing would be to have a popup or a URL that directs
them to putting in the category, then direct them back to the product.

The same for the documents.
They can search on products, find the steps with links to the
categories, they read this then go back to the product steps.

I have some what over simplified the process but I believe it give the
intent of intuitive.

David E. Jones sent the following on 8/24/2008 6:23 PM:

>
> To make it more clear what you want, and set the stage for improvements,
> could you express what you're looking for in terms of how it is
> different from what already exists? For these things I'm thinking of
> some of these documents:
>
> http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBENDUSER/Apache+OFBiz+Business+Setup+Guide
>
> http://docs.ofbiz.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=41 (the pages under
> this page for product management)
>
> http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBENDUSER/Customer+Service+Representative+Role
> (especially the Visual* pages under this page as an example of some
> newer/nicer docs)
>
> BTW, part of the point of this question is to enable communication and
> progress by looking into what exists and then working from there (ie the
> #1 rule: read before you write).
>
> -David
>
>
> BJ Freeman wrote:
>> I know I have enough on my plate, but i would really like to see a
>> different layout added to the current user docs.
>> The one thing we lack is an intuitive way to do things.
>>
>> Up till now, a lot of data gets added using the xml files.
>>
>> I think a section should be dedicated to those that want to use those
>> and how.
>>
>> More I want to have a layout as to how to like added a product store,
>> though the UI.
>> Now one can fuddle their way through and then come to a drop down box
>> and not know where to go to put in the the data.
>> Like considerations for party groups and parties necessary for facilities
>> and Facilities that should to be defined before creating the Store
>> Ect.
>> then link back to the original Documents for where and how to access
>> those functions.
>>
>> the other is to start adding popup windows for dropdowns that need to be
>> populated like an products you select a warehouse, will what if there is
>> no warehouse for this product yet. Like we do for finds but it just open
>> a new window for adding a warehouse.
>> or have a breadcrum trail so they can move back up the links to where
>> they were.
>>
>
>
>

[BJ Freeman]

to take this one step further, I have been toying with the idea of some
way of linking the relationship of an entity into links when that entity
field is shown would link to the page.
yeah I know that at this time, that is not possible, but I am working on it.

BJ Freeman sent the following on 8/25/2008 2:39 AM:

> David I did read, more than once the documents you have listed.
> and in no why to I want to imply they are incomplete as far as information.
> I call these type of documents, structured.
>
> intuitive is more from a end user who does not read the documents and/or
> does not understand the language as it relates to their way of doing
> business. So they grasp on something they do relate to, like Products.
>
> They are not understanding the language, like parties, when they are
> thinking supplier tends to increase the learning curve.
>
> for instance when describing electron flow, there is two movements
> positive and negative charges. this is hard to visualize for most people.
> but if you put water in a tube with air bubble and move the tube so the
> ends are above each other in different positions, one can see the bubble
> move and the water move around it. Then they have an association they
> can work with.
>
> to come back to ofbiz most people think, "I want to put a product in a
> catalog". So they go to the products only to find there is no category
> they can select.
> So the intuitive thing would be to have a popup or a URL that directs
> them to putting in the category, then direct them back to the product.
>
> The same for the documents.
> They can search on products, find the steps with links to the
> categories, they read this then go back to the product steps.
>
> I have some what over simplified the process but I believe it give the
> intent of intuitive.
>
> David E. Jones sent the following on 8/24/2008 6:23 PM:
>> To make it more clear what you want, and set the stage for improvements,
>> could you express what you're looking for in terms of how it is
>> different from what already exists? For these things I'm thinking of
>> some of these documents:
>>
>> http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBENDUSER/Apache+OFBiz+Business+Setup+Guide
>>
>> http://docs.ofbiz.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=41 (the pages under
>> this page for product management)
>>
>> http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBENDUSER/Customer+Service+Representative+Role
>> (especially the Visual* pages under this page as an example of some
>> newer/nicer docs)
>>
>> BTW, part of the point of this question is to enable communication and
>> progress by looking into what exists and then working from there (ie the
>> #1 rule: read before you write).
>>
>> -David
>>
>>
>> BJ Freeman wrote:
>>> I know I have enough on my plate, but i would really like to see a
>>> different layout added to the current user docs.
>>> The one thing we lack is an intuitive way to do things.
>>>
>>> Up till now, a lot of data gets added using the xml files.
>>>
>>> I think a section should be dedicated to those that want to use those
>>> and how.
>>>
>>> More I want to have a layout as to how to like added a product store,
>>> though the UI.
>>> Now one can fuddle their way through and then come to a drop down box
>>> and not know where to go to put in the the data.
>>> Like considerations for party groups and parties necessary for facilities
>>> and Facilities that should to be defined before creating the Store
>>> Ect.
>>> then link back to the original Documents for where and how to access
>>> those functions.
>>>
>>> the other is to start adding popup windows for dropdowns that need to be
>>> populated like an products you select a warehouse, will what if there is
>>> no warehouse for this product yet. Like we do for finds but it just open
>>> a new window for adding a warehouse.
>>> or have a breadcrum trail so they can move back up the links to where
>>> they were.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>

[BJ Freeman]

bump this up

David E. Jones sent the following on 8/24/2008 6:23 PM:

>
> To make it more clear what you want, and set the stage for improvements,
> could you express what you're looking for in terms of how it is
> different from what already exists? For these things I'm thinking of
> some of these documents:
>
> http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBENDUSER/Apache+OFBiz+Business+Setup+Guide
>
> http://docs.ofbiz.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=41 (the pages under
> this page for product management)
>
> http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBENDUSER/Customer+Service+Representative+Role
> (especially the Visual* pages under this page as an example of some
> newer/nicer docs)
>
> BTW, part of the point of this question is to enable communication and
> progress by looking into what exists and then working from there (ie the
> #1 rule: read before you write).
>
> -David
>
>
> BJ Freeman wrote:
>> I know I have enough on my plate, but i would really like to see a
>> different layout added to the current user docs.
>> The one thing we lack is an intuitive way to do things.
>>
>> Up till now, a lot of data gets added using the xml files.
>>
>> I think a section should be dedicated to those that want to use those
>> and how.
>>
>> More I want to have a layout as to how to like added a product store,
>> though the UI.
>> Now one can fuddle their way through and then come to a drop down box
>> and not know where to go to put in the the data.
>> Like considerations for party groups and parties necessary for facilities
>> and Facilities that should to be defined before creating the Store
>> Ect.
>> then link back to the original Documents for where and how to access
>> those functions.
>>
>> the other is to start adding popup windows for dropdowns that need to be
>> populated like an products you select a warehouse, will what if there is
>> no warehouse for this product yet. Like we do for finds but it just open
>> a new window for adding a warehouse.
>> or have a breadcrum trail so they can move back up the links to where
>> they were.
>>
>
>
>