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Windows Operating Conventions

The Regulation E Management System software operates in a Windows® environment and utilizes the standard operating conventions. Below are some of the Windows® conventions that are used.

 

 Command Buttons:

 

A command button, sometimes referred to as a push button, is usually rectangular in shape.  The user clicks the button with the mouse to initiate a command. An example of a command button is displayed below:

 

 Radio Buttons:

 

Radio buttons, also known as option buttons, appear as a set of small circles.  Only one choice can be selected in the set.  When you select a radio button, a dot appears in the middle of the circle.  When the button is not selected, the circle is empty.  An example of a radio button appears below:

 

 

 Check Boxes:

 

Like the radio button above, check boxes support options that are either on or off.  Unlike the radio button, multiple selection of the check boxes can be made.  A check box appears as a square box.  When the box is selected, a check mark appears in the box.  When the box is not selected, the check box is empty.  An example of a check box option appears below:

 

 

 Combo Boxes / Drop-down List Boxes:

 

This box is designed to select only one item from the list.  The list is displayed when the down arrow to the right of the box is selected.  When the drop-down list is closed, the text box displays the current value.  An example of a drop-down list box, closed and opened, is displayed below.

 

       

 

 Tab Controls:

 

Tab controls are like dividers in a filing cabinet.  When the user clicks on the tab, the screen focus changes to that tab.  An example of tab controls are displayed below.

 

 

 Scroll Bars & Boxes:

Scroll bars are vertical or horizontal bars at the bottom or on the right side of a screen.  If the screen has more information than can be displayed at one time, then scroll bars are used to roll down or over to display the remaining data. The scroll boxes, located at either end of the scroll bar,  can be used  to quickly display the additional items by clicking, each click will move the screen up or down one item.  An example of a scroll bar and scroll box is shown below.

 

 

 Dialog Boxes:

 

A dialog box displays an exchange of information between the user and application.  The example dialog box below is titled Save As.  You can export data to a specific location.

 

 

 Message Boxes:

 

Message boxes are an important part of the Regulation E Management System software.  They display important information about a particular process or condition.  Please read all messages.  An example of a message box is displayed below.

 

 

 Pop-up Menus:

 

Pop-up menus display commands of a particular object and are used to minimize screen clutter.  Pop-up menus are accessed by right clicking your mouse on an object that supports pop-up menus.  An example of a pop-up menu is shown below.

 

 

 Window Displays:

The Regulation E Management System windows can be positioned to view other data behind them.  The positioning of the windows is based on the position of the Institution Selection screen.  When entering the program, move the Institution Selection screen to the position you want to operate in.

 

 

Regulation  E System Operating Conventions

To make the Regulation E Management System program effective and easy to use, there are deviations from the standard Windows® user interface conventions.  These deviations do not disable the standard Windows convention, which can still be used.

 

 Use of ENTER key for data entry:

 

To make data entry more efficient, especially entry of numerical data, the operation of the ENTER key is the same as the TAB key.  

 

 Use of Shortcut Keys:

 

Wherever possible, shortcut keys facilitate quick command execution without having to use the mouse. If a letter in a word is underlined, access that option by pressing and holding the [Alt] key while pressing the letter in the word that is underlined.  An example of this is displayed below where the key combination of ALT S will display the Setup screen.

 

 

 Pre-defined Entry Sequence:

 

With the use of the ENTER key, we have defined an entry sequence that takes the operator through a quick data entry sequence, but not necessarily covers all items on the screen.  It Is recommended to use the ENTER key to move from field to field.

 

 Focus Highlights:

 

There are a few screens in the system, that by necessity contain much information.  To provide additional help to the user, a yellow focus highlight surrounding the area with the current input focus is used.

 

 SAVE Button Enables/Disables:

 

The SAVE button was implemented to indicate to the user when information was changed.  It is disabled (grayed out) by default and will enable when information has been changed.  The user needs to select the SAVE button to save the changed information permanently.

 

 Text Colors:

 

Another slight departure from standard Windows® convention is our choice of text colors.  We use black text in any field that can be edited by the user, and show read-only fields with blue text.

 

 Entering Dates:

 

Throughout the program, dates should be entered using the format mmddyyyy.  Example: March 31, 2008 will be entered as 03312008.