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We still have our extensive array of panes. Now we have five
main panes, the main window, and several other panes that you
use occasionally. The main panes are the Solution Explorer,
Toolbox and Properties Box.
The Explorer Pane items are sorted alphabetically, with the
exception of referenced libraries. This can make it quite
unintuitive. We feel that it should probably be sorted according
to branch content, with the most common usage at the top.
Historically this has been Maps (Processes), Forms, etc.
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From the Solution Explorer
items can be selected by
double-clicking (this can be
set to single-clicking in the
options).
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Clicking on a container object in the explorer bar does not open
the editing window for items that are edited together in a grid,
such as connections and roles. We often get caught by that, but
it is something we shall learn.
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From the Toolbox items may be
selected, and then clicking on the
main window adds an element of
that type. Alternatively items may
be dragged and dropped to the
main window.
The main usage is in Maps, Forms
and Visual Scripts.
In effect this replaces the Toolbar
from Version 7.
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Here the properties of any
element can be edited. There
are many types of property,
such as the following:
Formula, using the Formula
Editor (more later) or
Intellisense.
Lists
Dropdowns
Checkboxes
Text Fields
And there are also ‘buttons’ to
create, edit and delete scripts.
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The property box categories,
like the toolbox, can be rolled
up or collapsed.
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Unlike other panes, the contents can be sorted alphabetically as
well. This may make it easier to find certain properties. But we
suspect it will be used only rarely.
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You can also see the full
description of the selected item
in the lower pane. This is very
handy and avoid you having to
expand the Explorer bar too
much when learning to use new
elements.
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The additional two main panes
are:
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the Business Objects list where
you can view add variables
from attached Business
Objects, as well as set the
parameter(s) for the Business
Object to filter the result set,
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and the Repository explorer.
This last I tend to close as I
will have one repository almost
all the time. We may have
three, Development, Testing
and Production. Typically we
would not allow access to
Production from the same PC,
but read-only access may be
granted. In some strict
environments we will have a
fourth for integration testing.
Typically we will open the pane
separately to use this.
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From the Repository pane you can drag and drop libraries to
include, or in fact ‘reference’ in your project. What is not obvious
is that you have to drag a version. Dragging the main container
seems to work, but it in fact does nothing. We assume doing
that should reference the latest version – at least that would be
the result if you followed the Principle of Least Astonishment™
You also have a local offline storage for libraries. This is a neat
way to keep your libraries stored offline. The list of services is
stored in an XML file in the Designer directory. We hope there
will be some way to edit these settings without resorting to
editing XML, however!
Overall they are fairly similar in purpose to the same in Version 7,
although the Toolbox used to be a toolbar, and serve the same
purposes.
We tend to dock the properties box on the left and toolbox on the
right for two reasons. Firstly it keeps the properties closer, and
that reduces ‘mouse miles’, and secondly because the toolbox is
often hidden, whereas the properties box is not. Keeping the
properties box to the left prevents the main window jumping
around when the toolbox disappears.
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1. Designer User Interface
