M213: Guidance Descriptions on the Operating Screen (HTML/JavaScript)

 

By writing a [Description] for Data Items within the Process Modeller, you can display notes beneath the Data Items in the Input form. Since you can set HTML and JavaScript as well as plain text, various things that enhance business efficiency such as emphasising "business precautions", displaying URLs to related sites, and displaying counters for the number of input characters, etc. can be realised.

 

1. Usage Example of the Description (Input hint)

a. Indicate Input Examples

Control variations in the input format by giving input examples

b. Indicate Reference Value

Reduce variation due to the subjectivity of the operator by describing a judgement or selection criteria

c. Warning and Reminder

Instil operational policies and annual goals within the organisation

• As a way to reduce input mistakes it is also effective to set an [Initial value] that automatically enters default data (M207)

Tutorial: Design a User-Friendly Input Form

2. Overview of Description Mechanisms at each Step

a. Description of each Data item

An explanatory note of the editable item displayed on the form will be posted directly beneath the item

b. Description of Guide Panel type Data Item

The Guide Panel is a Data Item specifically for descriptions and notes. It can be set as either visible or non-visible at each Step

• [Guide Panel] is a special Data Item for showing a description (M205)

3. Setting up Description

a. Post static tips

Describe information to help the business operation in plain text or HTML

b. Post Descriptions Dynamically

 

Change the contents of the description by referring to data being input using JavaScript

• Setting display changes or data communications using JavaScript is done at your own risk
• Use "Questetra Form JavaScript API" to get / set the values of the input fields.
• To avoid conflicts with what is used in Questetra, define your own function's name/element ID to start with "user_".

R2132: Questetra Form JavaScript API
R2131: HTML Tags Available for Operation Form

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X. Workflow-Sample

• Travel Request Flow
• Hours-worked Report Flow
• Inquiry Handling Process
• Translation-Time Measurement
• Article Creation Flow
• Contract Approval Process
• Lending Management Process

Z. More Info: Example of Decoration Using HTML

a. UI Decorator

You can easily create HTML for [Guide Panel] to decorate the interface with.
Guide Panel Decorator

Z. More Info: Example of Decoration Using JavaScript

 

Please note;） Simple operational verification has been conducted on exemplified codes, but operation in every environment is not guaranteed. Be sure to use it at your own risk when using it. Please also use it after acknowledging in advance the possibility that it will stop working in future product updates. Decoration Examples (2020-11-20)

a. jQuery Library

When describing the "Input Hints" in JavaScript, the library of "jQuery" are available. (It is not guaranteed that all behavior of operations are properly.)

b. Characteristic of jQuery

jQuery is a library that can simplify the coding of JavaScript. (first edition 2006) Since it is easily to configure the input screen change depending on the situation, such as a "input into form" or "operation of clicking", it allows you to pursue the improvement of the input efficiency in accordance with your business. It is described in the syntax, i.e. jQuery("div.column").click(function(){ jQuery(this).css( "background-color", "lightgray") }); (Basic knowledge of JavaScript will be needed.)

c. Notes in "Input Hint"

Although all of HTML / JavaScript in the [Description] of each data item will be loaded, [Description] will not be loaded if the permission of the Task has been set as [display only] or [hide] in the Process. (However, HTML / JavaScript in the [Description] of a Guide panel type data item will be loaded if set as [Display only].) There is a possibility that the input screen becomes unstable by improper JavaScript / jQuery. $ cannot be used as alias. As a rule, meta-characters such as "[" (bracket) and "(" (parenthesis) are needed to be escaped with "\\" (two backslashes)（Official Selectors）