Organizational Standards

Software Factory

Design Guide for Screens and Reports

Visual Basic, Version 6.0

Praxis Corporation

Version 1.0 November 29, 2004

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CONTENTS
1 Organizational Standards....................................................................1 CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL .......................................................................................................1
GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS........................................................................................................................3 Specific Design Consideration........................................................................................................................................3

Reference title: ..................................................................................................................................3 Text Boxes..........................................................................................................................................3 Combo Box. ......................................................................................................................................3 Frames................................................................................................................................................3 Labels. ...............................................................................................................................................4 Folders. ..............................................................................................................................................4 Fonts. .................................................................................................................................................4 Grid. ...................................................................................................................................................4 Error Messages. .................................................................................................................................4 Icons...................................................................................................................................................5
GENERAL FUNCTIONALITY CONSIDERATIONS.......................................................................................................5 Special Functionality Considerations ..............................................................................................................................5 TYPES OF SCREENS.........................................................................................................................................................6 Access screen...................................................................................................................................................................6 Primary Window or General Context Window...............................................................................................................7

MDI....................................................................................................................................................7
Secondary Windows ........................................................................................................................................................8

Updaters..............................................................................................................................................8 Triggers..............................................................................................................................................9 Catalogues........................................................................................................................................10 View.................................................................................................................................................11 Report...............................................................................................................................................13

INTERNET.........................................................................................................................................................................14

Colors...............................................................................................................................................14 Fonts. ...............................................................................................................................................14 Button...............................................................................................................................................14 Screens..............................................................................................................................................15

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GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

All windows must be assigned a name during execution. All windows must be associated with an icon that is assigned during execution. The names of the forms, field labels, button labels must be written as a sentence. Each screen or form must be non-redimensionable (no minimize or maximize), which is done through adjusting the BorderStyle property to FixedSingle (except the main screen or MDI). All capturing controls must be blank when designing. The button source and labels must be bold. All text boxes must be blank when designing and have Max Length in accordance with the related length of the field or data. The height must be 270 315 depending on the space and design of the "form" or "frame". The boxes within the frame must have the same size. The size of the buttons may vary depending on the space assigned to the form. The buttons contained in a frame must have the same size. When there are different types of information that may be grouped, each type of information must be placed inside a frame. If the Radio Button or Check Box is with the Text Box and the respective Label, the control text must be placed on the left side and aligned with the Label and the Box or the button must be aligned with the Text Box. If these controls are grouped in a frame where there are no controls with text on the left, the text must be placed on the right. When ordering the cotnrol Tab Index, the Frame, Pannel and Label controls must be considered as well. The default font is MS San Serif 8.

Specific Design Consideration

Reference title: This section includes the name of the system and its location in the top left corner of the screen. Text Boxes All text boxes must be blank when designing and have Max Length in accordance with the related length of the field or data. The height must be 270-315 depending on the space and design of the "form" or "frame". The boxes within the frame must have the same size. Numeric and alphanumeric data within boxes must be aligned to left.

Combo Box. Combo is an obligatory selection. The user must not be allowed to add values differing from those presented by the combo. The different selection option of the Combo allows the user to add a value different from that presented by the combo. Frames. When there are different types of information that may be grouped, each type must be placed in a frame. 1-3D folders must be used.
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Labels. The following format must be used for labels that require control: Capital First letter for each word; the labels representing read-only fields must be red. If the Radio Button or Check Box controls are placed beside a Text Box with a respective Label, the control text must be written on the left and aligned with the Label and the box or the button must be aligned with the Text Box respectively. If these controls are grouped in a frame without a text control on the left, the text must be placed on the right. Folders. It is recommended to group and organize the information in top Sstab folders. The bottom folders are allowed only when there is a large number of folders. 0-SSStyletabbedDialog must be used. Fonts. The default font is MS Sans Serif 8. The list controls require Courier New 8. The first letter of every object with text (Label, button, Radio Button, Check Box, etc.) must have a Shortcut (use the following letter if the first one is used for another control). Grid. TrueDBGrid is used as a standard in the application with MS Sans Serif. Also 1-3d and fixed single edge are used. Error Messages. The messages must be composed by three main elements: an icon, a message and a set of buttons. The icon must be placed on the left, the message on the right from the icon and the buttons below the message. b
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Icons. The following format must be used; Icon (bitmap) in the button: The icons are sized 16 X 16 and must be used in agreement with functionality.

Generate R Report

S Save

Clean

E Export Accept

E Exit

V View

U Update

C Cut

GENERAL FUNCTIONALITY CONSIDERATIONS

The first letter of every object with text (Label, button, Radio Button, Check Box, etc.) must have a Shortcut. Use the following letter if the first one is used for another control. When assigning a shortcut give priority to buttons. The data control must be included for handling catalogues (to move through RecordSet). To modify data (Catalogue), include the following buttons: Add, Delete, Save (Renew), Cancel. Optionally, you may include a button to detail information in a Grid. All the forms must consider a default button and an exit button (besides escape). Tabindex must be modified (if necessary) so that the movement among fields of the screen is left to right and top to bottom.

Special Functionality Considerations

A series of buttons will allow to perform maintenance operations (Record, View, Modify, Cancel, Save, Cut and Exit). Every text button must contain a quick access letter (Shortcut) throughout the application. The labels will be placed ahead every text box to indicate the type of information to be recorded. They are also used to name (the labels are black, MS San Serif 8). In the check box, the text is on the right. The Check Box is used to highlight two or more options of the same topic. The text boxes are used to open strings or to record a variable of the same type. Masked type controls are aimed to open fields that need a special type of a format, such as: a date, long, integer, double, etc.
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The Grid that opens the view data has a bar that helps to move among fields.

TYPES OF SCREENS

Access screen: The access screen dictates the policies required to access the system. Primary window or general context window: The primary window or the general context window organizes the functionality of the whole application. This window must be redimensionable. Secondary window: The secondary window handles the functionality determined in the application. This screen is located in the primary window. These windows are modal, non-redimensionable and of frequent use. Message window: The message windows are modal and non-redimensionable. They are composed of three main elements: an icon, a message and a set of buttons.

Access screen

The access screen dictates the policies required to access the system.

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Primary Window or General Context Window

MDI

MDI allows to control the whole system. Its main components are: Title and Icon of System A title has to be defined for the system and placed in the title bar of the main form and in that of message boxes. An icon miust be chosen and added to all forms comprising system. Application Menu It is located in the left corner of the window. The initial letter of each menu option must be capital. Menu Prefixes The prefixes of menu controls must spread beyond the initial label "mnu", an additional prefix must be considered for each nesting level; the menu title must be placed at the end of the name, e.g.: Menu File File File Format Action Open Send mail Send fax Character Name of controller mnuArchivoAbrir mnuArchivoEnviarCorreo mnuArchivoEnviarFax mnuFormatoCarcter
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Help

Contents

mnuAyudaContenido

Status Bar The status bar is comprised by the following pannels: o User o Date o Time

User name To identify the user who operates the system at the moment, his/her name that has been recorded on the initial screen will be displayed. Date and time of system The date and the time of the system have the following format: Date: dd/mm/yyyy. Time: hh:mm

Secondary Windows

The application developmet is usually focused on exploiting, using, and managing information. Under these considerations the secondary windows an be divided as follows: Updaters Updater forms Trigger forms Catalogue forms Report forms

The main functions of the updaters are: Record, Delete, View and Modify. There are three general sections:

In this section process buttons must be included. The Record and View buttons will be activated at the beginning, whereas the exit button will be activated at all times. In case there are more than two combos in the search criteria, it is necessary to have a Check Box that will serve as a filter when Viewing.
Section 2.General Results of Search Criteria.

Section 1. Search Processes and Criteria.

Displays the general result of different search criteria.

Section 3. Detailed Results of Search Criteria.

The section three contains several functions. At the beginning this section is blank and ready for a new record. Once a record is chosen in sections 1 and 2, the section 3 performs and displays the specific Record and Modifications. The Deleted records are not eliminated physically but logically.
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Internet:

Triggers

Any application that comprises processes must have a control screen showing the status of the processes. This is how the execution of specific processes is controlled and the status is verified (see the project PX0405NOMINANV because the PX0405-SIHOWEBN has no Triggers).
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The Triggers are comprised as follows: The View option is previously defined by the user. You may view the detailed records related to the performed processes and consult the history or logbook of previously performed processes. Once the process is initiated, the screen displays its status, progress and statistics. Once a process is chosen, this option initiates its execution. The function of this option is to cancel the process that is being executed. This option shows the status of the process and its description. There must be an icon for easy identification. Catalogues The maintenance buttons are: Add, Delete, Cut, Modify. The initial state of the form is Edit. There must be a button to exit the screen (ESCAPE). There must be a detail area (list). The operation Add uses a view form that automaticly validates the record details that may be added. Insert and Cut are automatic options. There is data control available for master navigation and a view button.
Status. Cancel. Execute. Verify. View.

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Microsoft Grey and Blue colors will be used as a standard.

Colors.

The default standard is MS Sans Serif 8.

Fonts.

Buttons.

The size of buttons may vary depending on the space assigned to the form, but the buttons of the frame must have the same size. The buttons may be used in accordance with functionality needs of the screen; the following sample shows a standard set of buttons.

Function
Preview

Button

Function
Delete

Button

Print

Cancel

New

Save

View

It is recommended that the module includes the view. Only when specifically required by the client or applciation may a separate view module be created. As mentioned previously, if there are more than two combos in search criteria, it is necessary to have a Check Box that serves as a filter when Vewing. The results of the view must include a grid of General results as shown below:

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Sample Internet View

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Report

The reports are designed with Crystal Reports, a tool which is structured as follows:

The Fonts to be used are: Concept Report Title Report Date Subtitles Detail Totals Slogan Pages Print Date and Time

Heading. Detail. Footnote

Logo, Report Title, Subtitles and Date. Detailed description of data. Print Date and Time, Slogan and Pages.

Tahoma Tahoma Tahoma Tahoma Tahoma Tahoma Tahoma Tahoma

Font Bold Bold Bold Bold Bold

Size 14 10 12 9 9 10 8 8

Color Blue Blue Black Black Blue (Grey Background) Blue Black Black

The reports may be both horizontal and vertical:

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INTERNET
Colors. The standard colors used in the application are: Blue: #003893 Orange: #e87511 Fonts. The standard font is Arial. The first letter of the titles and the contents of the pages must be Capital. Button.

The background of the buttons must be gray and the letters white, as shown below. The buttons must be placed in the right corner of the screen: View, Save, Delete, Modify.

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The button background on Web pages must be blue and the letters white: Color Blue Pantone 287U Color Blue R 12 C 100 G 46 M 68 B 130 Y 0 K 12

Screens.

All screens must include a watermark and the logo of Praxis. The screen components of the main web for the Timing System (SIHOWEB) must be distributed as follows:

Reference title: This section includes the name of the system (in this case: SISTEMA DE HORAS) that is centered on top section of the screen. Logo of Praxis : The logotype of Praxis is placed in the top left corner of this section. Buttons : The number of buttons depends on the activity to be developed. Search criteria
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o Results : The results of the search are shown by default. The last part may include general
data such as: id, name of required resource or action.

Slogan of Praxis : The slogan of Praxis IT, Commitment Unlimited is placed in the top right part of the screen. Menu : This part is composed of all options available in the system and includes a menu and submenus. Work area: All the screens the user may access are shown here.

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