Using Help

[Using IFS Enterprise Explorer Clients] [About IFS Enterprise Explorer User Interface]

Explanation

Help gives you access to user documentation and other information sources that can help you make the most out of using IFS Applications.

The following types of Help is available:

• Field help. A "What's this" text describing how to use the current field.

Figure 1: Example Field help/"What's this"

• IFS Online Documentation. This is the complete IFS Applications user documentation where you can find both application related information and the Technical documentation. It contains the IFS Application process models, activity descriptions, window descriptions etc. The fastest method to reach IFS Online Documentation is to click F1. It will display the online documentation for the current page you have open and you have the option to browse by using the documentation Navigator or the Process Models. IFS Online Documentation may also be reached via the Help panel and link Page help or via the File Menu Help/IFS Online or via the Navigator Help/IFS Online. Read more about using IFS Online Documentation

Figure 2: Example IFS Online Documentation

• Tips & Tricks videos. A number of short videos explaining how to use IFS Enterprise Explorer, the user interface for IFS Applications. You can reach the videos directly via the web site  Tips & Tricks Videos, via the link Tips & Tricks in the Help panel or via File Menu Help/IFS Online. Create a Shortcut with the link to the web site to get quick access.

Figure 3: Tips & Tricks videos web site

There are different options to reach the available help types;

• Use the Help Panel. >>
• Use Field help/"What's This" >>
• Use the Menu Bar. >>
• Use the Navigator. >>

Prerequisites

You have to be logged on to the IFS Enterprise Explorer.

System Effect

N/A

Window

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Related Window Descriptions

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Procedure

Use the Help Panel

You open the Help panel from Help in the Context pane

Figure 4: Help using context pane

By default the Help panel will open displaying the field description of the field/column where you currently have focus.

In the Help Panel you have the following options:

• All fields: When checked, this will show all the field descriptions for the page you currently have open.
• Page Help: Click this link to open the IFS Online documentation. It will open displaying the documentation related to page you currently have open.
• Tips & Tricks: Click this link to open the website where the IFS Enterprise Explorer Tips & Tricks videos are published.
• Custom Help:  Click this link to open the page which is configured to be the target via Configure Custom Help.
• Font Size tuning: Click either of the icons to change the font size of the text displayed in the Help panel.

Configure Custom Help..

Via Configure Custom Help you can set up links to your own documentation. Right click on the Configure help link and the context menu below will be displayed.

   Figure 5: Context menu on Help pane

Select Configure Custom Help and the dialog below is displayed:

Figure 6: Configure Custom Help dialog

In this dialog you enter a static URL or predefined parameters as in the below example.
 

Ex: //help.domain.com/<Language>/<Page>.htm#<Field>

In this example:

<Language>: is replaced by the code for language currently used in IFS Applications.
<Page>: represents the current application page.
<Field>: is the currently focused field.

You can verify the given URL by clicking on Open link. Click OK button to save the configuration.

Use Field Help/"What's This"

The field help or What's this text is a short description about the usage of a field/column. There are different methods to open the field help/"What's this" text.

• Click Shift + F1 key. The cursor will change to a question mark , place the cursor on the field or column you want more information about. The text will be displayed in a textbox.
• Open the Help panel. By default the Help panel opens with the field help/"What's this" text of the field/column where you currently have focus. The help panel has a check box called All fields. Check this check box to show the field help for all the fields/columns in the currently open page.

Use the Menu Bar

There are many help options available via the Menu bar. Click the Alt key to open the File Menu and click on Help, the context menu below will be displayed:

Figure 7: Help menu in Menu Bar

Options in the context menu:

• IFS Enterprise Explorer Help: Takes you to the IFS Online Documentation help page for IFS Enterprise Explorer.
• IFS Applications Help: Takes you to the start page of IFS Online Documentation.
• Tips & Tricks: Takes you to the Tips & Tricks video web site.
• Help: Takes you to the page description in IFS Online Documentation for the page currently open
• What's this: Opens the Field help for the currently selected field. Read more here.
• IFS Online: Takes you to he IFS global web site.
• openIFS Community: Takes you to openIFS which is an online community for customers, partners and IFS employees.
• IFS Portal: Takes you the IFS Portal which is a secured network zone with services and systems accessed over Internet. With an account, you can easily login once through www.ifsworld.com to IFS and all available services.
• About...: This shows you the current client version of the IFS Enterprise Explorer. This might be useful information when you report a support case to IFS.

Use the Navigator

There are some help options available via the Navigator under the node Help.

Figure 8: Help in the Navigator

Help nodes in the Navigator:

• IFS Enterprise Explorer Help: Takes you to the IFS Online Documentation help page for IFS Enterprise Explorer.
• IFS Applications Help: Takes you to the start page of IFS Online Documentation. IFS Online: Takes you to he IFS global web site.