This document provides an introduction to the SyteLine 7 user interface training guide. It outlines principles for successful learning, including the importance of doing detailed and big picture activities before and after class. It also provides an overview of the manual's structure and how it applies a training model. Navigation aids for SyteLine are summarized, including hot keys and how to use the power bar. Finally, the document establishes the objectives and prerequisites for the course.

1. SL7 User Interface
SyteLine 7
First Edition
MAPICS, Inc.
1000 Windward Concourse Parkway
Suite 100
Alpharetta, GA 30005-8001
www.mapics.com

2. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide
Copyright © MAPICS, Inc. 2003
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the USA December 2003
Restricted Rights Legend
Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to
restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in
Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013,
and Rights in Data-General at FAR 52.227.14, as applicable. Name of
Contractor: MAPICS, Inc., 1000 Windward Concourse Parkway, Suite 100, Alpharetta, GA 30005-8001.
SyteLine is a trademark of MAPICS, Inc. All other product names used in this manual are trademarks,
registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective companies.
Classroom Training Materials - SyteLine
General Technical
SyteLine 101 Crystal Reports
SyteLine User Interface Developer’s Workshop
SyteLine 7.03 Differences Forms Personalization
System Administration Overview
Manufacturing & Operations
Bill of Material/ECN SyteLine Suite of Products
Co-Products and By-Products Business Process Management
Customer Order Entry Business Intelligence - Administration
Estimating Business Intelligence - Impromptu
Human Resources Business Intelligence - PowerPlay User
Inventory Business Intelligence - Transformer
Job Shop Manufacturing Configuration - Basics
Order Entry - Advanced Concepts Configuration - Modeling
Planning Workflow
Planning and Scheduling Workshop
Purchasing
Repetitive Manufacturing
Return Material Authorization
Scheduling
Accounting & Financial
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Costing
Financial Reports Workshop
General Ledger
Multi-Currency in SyteLine
Multisite Workshop
Payroll
Projects

3. Contents_________________________________________
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Manual Guide .................................................................................................................................. 3
How to Use This Manual ................................................................................................................. 4
Principles of Successful Learning ............................................................................................. 4
Manual Section Structure.......................................................................................................... 6
Feedback .................................................................................................................................. 6
SyteLine Navigation Helps ..............................................................................................................8
Hot Keys Chart.......................................................................................................................... 8
SyteLine's Power Bar ............................................................................................................... 9
Course Objectives & Prerequisites ................................................................................................11
Objectives of This Course .......................................................................................................11
Prerequisite Courses...............................................................................................................11
Note to the Instructor...............................................................................................................11
Navigation for this Course .............................................................................................................11
Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Hot Keys and Power Bar ...............................................................................................................14
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 14
Understanding the Explorer ...........................................................................................................15
Customizing Your Explorer .................................................................................................... 16
Exercise - Navigating and Customizing the Explorer ............................................................. 17
Understanding the Main Menu ......................................................................................................18
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 20
Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Form Types ...................................................................................................................................22
Multi-View Forms - Items Example ........................................................................................ 22
Grid Only Form - Price Codes Example................................................................................. 22
Query Form - Order Shipments Query Example.................................................................... 23
Form-Only Form - Order Bookings Report Example.............................................................. 23
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 24
Setting the Initial Command ..........................................................................................................25
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 25
Opening Forms ..............................................................................................................................26
All Forms (Explorer) ............................................................................................................... 26
Open Form Button.................................................................................................................. 26
Navigating the Tree (similar to existing SyteLine navigation) ................................................ 27
Right-Click/Details.................................................................................................................. 28
Opening Forms - Workspaces .......................................................................................................29
Exercises .......................................................................................................................................30
Exercise 1 - Using Workspaces ............................................................................................. 30
Exercise 2 - Opening Forms .................................................................................................. 30
Opening Forms Review .................................................................................................................31
Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Querying the SyteLine Database...................................................................................................34
Retrieving Filters .................................................................................................................... 34
Saving Filters ......................................................................................................................... 36
Applying Saved Filters ........................................................................................................... 37
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 37
Challenge ............................................................................................................................... 38
Adding, Deleting and Modifying Records ......................................................................................39
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 1

4. Contents
Adding Records Using a Form ............................................................................................... 40
Adding New Records - in the Grid.......................................................................................... 41
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 42
Linked Forms.................................................................................................................................43
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 44
Advanced Exercise - Rapid Purchase Order Entry ................................................................ 45
Section 4: Odds and Ends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Notes .............................................................................................................................................48
System Notes - "Reusable Notes" ......................................................................................... 48
Class Notes............................................................................................................................ 49
Notes for Current.................................................................................................................... 49
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 50
Graphing Record Sets ...................................................................................................................51
Printing and Exporting Form Data .................................................................................................52
Print Preview .......................................................................................................................... 52
Exporting to a File .................................................................................................................. 53
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 54
Diagnostics ....................................................................................................................................55
Configuration (CTRL + F12)................................................................................................... 55
Log Files ........................................................................................................................................56
Interpreting the Log - SyteLine Only Example ....................................................................... 57
Interpreting the Log - with the Server Logged On .................................................................. 58
Publishing a Form to the Web .......................................................................................................59
Exercise ................................................................................................................................. 59
Wrap Up for the Day ......................................................................................................................60
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5. Preface __________________________________________
Manual Guide
Section Topics
• Training Model
• Principles for Successful Learning
• Manual Sections
• Feedback
• SyteLine Navigation Helps
• Course Objectives and Prerequisites
Section Objectives
After completing this section, you will be able to:
• Apply successful learning concepts to this course
• Recognize basic navigation used in SyteLine
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 3

6. Preface
How to Use This Manual
This manual was written with the intent to guide the student through the four parts of this
standard training model:
1. Introduce the topic.
2. Walk the students through a simplified version of the process or concepts they need to
learn to give them their bearings.
3. Provide the student with exercises that help them discover the topic in depth.
4. Wrap up the topic.
Each part of the training model is important, but the heart of this method revolves around
two learning principles that the student and teacher must keep in mind. These principles
are: (1) We learn how to do a thing by doing it, and (2) we need to learn both the details
and the big picture, both application and concept.
This means the students need to perform detail and big picture activities to learn this
material. Just listening and understanding is not enough. You can read more about what
detailed and big picture activities are in the section on principles for successful learning.
Now, no course can make anyone an expert. But the more the instructor helps the students
through the activities that help them learn, the more the course will help the student down
the road of expertise.
Principles of Successful Learning
The training model above applies learning principles. But is that everything the student and
instructor do to make sure the maximum amount of learning takes place? That's a topic for
a whole book, if not a series. But we can summarize much of that by realizing that learning
is a biological process.
Your Brain Is Not a Computer
Our brain is more like a muscle than a computer. Learning is not something we store in a
file; it's something we grow. Just because we see, hear, or even do something doesn't
mean we'll remember it. We must exercise our learning consistently. If we only work out
during class, we're going to develop our learning like weekend warriors develop their
stamina. Here are a few powerful things you can do grow your learning before and after
class.
BEFORE
• Get into SyteLine and become familiar with the areas you will be working in during the
course.
• Read SyteLine manual and passages from texts related to the business topics.
• Answer and preparation questions your instructor might have given you.
• Write up your own questions.
AFTER
• Right after class-create quick review & recall notes
• Next day-perform detail and big picture activities
• Next week-perform detail and big picture activities
• Next month-perform detail and big picture activities
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7. Preface
Detail & Big Picture Activities
In each of our classes you perform detail and big picture activities. These activities
constitute a workout. Your learning will grow through these activities, but just as with
muscles, working out once won't produce long-lasting effects. You need to work your neural
paths again. When you perform detail and big picture activities you're working out again.
Not only will these activities reinforce what you've learned, they will often help you
understand more.
Big picture activities help you summarize and see relationships between the details of a
topic. They help you create a pattern to fit information into. Big picture activities include
things like creating mind maps, process flows, relationship diagrams, and outlines.
Detail activities help you understand navigation, specific fields, the effect of various
parameters, and the steps of each business process--they require you to get into the
system. Detail activities include things like setting up a BOM, taking a customer order and
shipping it, running reports, and tracing accounting.
Again, the first post-class workout you will want to perform is clarifying and consolidating
your notes. You will forget. But you can drastically cut the amount you forget and your recall
work by taking 10 minutes to create clear notes.
Learning is Growth
A number of studies have confirmed the idea that learning is a biological growth process
that requires repetition.
RECALL
A number of studies have found that:
• Without review, people forget between 46% to 80% of what they've learned within 24
hours
• When tested six weeks after a class, students who took a 5-minute review test after
their class recalled one and a half times more than the students who had no review test
immediately after class.
• People learn and recall more when they: (1) structure what they've learned in their own
words, (2) recite their learning, and (3) distribute practice over many periods versus
doing it all at once.
BREAKS
Studies have also shown that people recall more if they take breaks every 20-50 minutes.
Psychologists believe that it takes neural traces from about five seconds to 15 minutes to
jell or consolidate. This is how they explain topics becoming clear during a break or
immediately upon returning and why we recall more immediately after a learning period
than at the end of a learning period.
We really do need to let information "sink in."
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 5

8. Preface
Manual Section Structure
This manual applies the learning principles and the training model explained above. Each
major topic should have 3 parts to it--an (1) Introduction, (2) Discovery, and (3) Wrap Up.
Section Part Definition
Introduction A presentation or activity to give students the big picture about topic or
hour.
Discovery Guided Practices
A step-by-step guide through the topic. Usually the instructor guides the
class through each step; however, students may perform each step on
their own or in couples or small groups.
Reference
Explanation of the key concepts, forms, fields, and processes of the
topic. Teachers will draw your attention to key concepts in their
introduction and the guided practice, but they may not cover every item
in these sections.
Exercises
Opportunity for the students to explore and practice.
Wrap Up An exercise that helps the student structure their knowledge. The wrap-
ups usually take the form of a list of key discussion questions or a mind
map. In both cases, the teacher will lead the class through the wrap up.
A mind map is a method for taking notes that allows you to show
connections between various concepts.
It will be the teacher's responsibility to adapt this manual to each audience by adding or
taking away from what is found.
Feedback
As teachers we create lesson plans and handouts and do all sorts of things. But we won't
know how successful our efforts are unless we look for feedback. Feedback is simply a
statement of the effect our actions have.
Body language and performance measures like the ability to complete an exercise,
quizzes, and tests all provide feedback. However, there may not be a direct link between
our teaching and a student's performance or body language. Maybe a student has lost
interest because they stayed up until 5 a.m. playing computer games on their laptop.
Maybe they finished the exercise because they came in early and taught themselves the
material. Something that complicates all this is that often what helps one student doesn't
help another. We'll never know the direct effect of our teaching if we look only to
performance measures and body language for feedback.
The most accurate feedback comes from the students themselves-they can tell us what
helps and what hinders them. They can tell us what is clear and what is not. The students
can tell us exactly when they were bored or confused or spinning their wheels.
As a teacher it is my responsibility to welcome and solicit feedback. As a student it is your
responsibility to give it.
The best way to give feedback is to leave ego and value judgements out of it. Instead of
slamming or praising the teacher (you're doing this when you use words like "great,"
"terrible," "on the ball," etc.), talk about cause and effect. Here are a few examples.
"Your MRP handout [cause] really clarified the term 'explosion' for me [effect]."
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9. Preface
"At the beginning of the session today you moved fairly quickly through the forms [cause].
I was just trying to keep up with the navigation and couldn't even think about the concepts
[effect]."
"I liked how Fred taught us [not too useful]. He did a wrap-up [cause] that really brought
things together for me [effect]. And he made sure we took regular breaks [cause], and it
seemed that I was able to concentrate better in the afternoons because of that [effect]
Cause and effect. Helpful feedback focuses on how our teaching affects you. And knowing
the effects our teaching produces allows us to modify our efforts to deliver the kind of
service that helps you the most.
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 7

10. Preface
SyteLine Navigation Helps
Hot Keys Chart
Hot Key Action
Ctrl / 1 Toggles view from Grid/Form to Grid Only
Ctrl / 2 Toggles view from Grid/Form to Form Only
F1 Field level help
F2 Full Field display
F4 Filter in Place Begin/Retrieve Data
F5 Refresh
Ctrl / F5 Refresh Current
Ctrl / F4 Close Current Window
Ctrl / N New Record
Ctrl / D Delete
Ctrl / S Save
Ctrl / F8 Activate Next Collection
F8 Next Record
F7 Previous Record
Ctrl / X Cut
Ctrl / V Paste
Ctrl / C Copy
F6 Activate Second Pane
Ctrl / Home Cursor Home
F12 View Diagnostic's Log
Ctrl / F12 Configure Diagnostics
Ctrl / TAB Switch to another open form
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11. Preface
SyteLine's Power Bar
Used to open a form
Save modified data and close the form
Close active form and do not save data
New record
Filter (similar to QBE, you will query on the form fields and not from a list of fields)
Elevator buttons/toggle between records on active form
Publish or render form
Notes for current record - Empty
Notes for current record - Has notes associated
About the SyteLine form
Display help for a field on a form
Enter UDFA/Design
Close form and re-open based on changes made in Design
The Help Tip displays in the lower left hand corner of the application (Status bar)
even when your selection is not active.
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12. Preface
Required, System-generated and Read-only Fields
Any field that is required for a window will have a yellow background. A
green background indicates a system-generated field, and a gray
background is read-only.
Standard GUI fields
Check box indicating YES or NO
Radio button to select one option from multiple choices
Drop-down box to select one option from multiple choices
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13. Preface
Course Objectives & Prerequisites
Objectives of This Course
After successfully completing this User Interface course, students should have the basic
knowledge to implement the following:
• Navigate around the SyteLine 7 Explorer
• Find Forms
• Set up My Folders
• Set up Workspaces
• Enter, Modify and Deleting Records
• Add Notes
• Reuse System Notes
• Graph Record Sets
• Export Data to a File
• Publish a Form to the Web (Rendering)
Prerequisite Courses
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Note to the Instructor
You are responsible for selecting the topics and activities that meet the needs of your
students. Depending on your class, you may not be able to cover all the material in this
manual in one day. Make sure you talk to your students when planning the class and
carefully select the topics you want to cover.
Make sure you assess the speed of the class half way through and then make any
necessary adjustments so you cover what you and your students have determined has the
highest priority.
The exercises for this class have been designed to generate discussion and student
involvement. Many of the exercises do not have "check" figures. You are to provide that
feedback by doing the exercises along with the students. Then they can check their
answers against yours.
We caution you not to substitute lectures and presentations for the exercises. Students will
learn the most while doing the exercises. A good time ratio for lecture to student work is
30%:70%.
Consider using the review exercises found in the appendix as part of your end of class wrap
up.
Navigation for this Course
SyteLine groups navigation for data, process, and report forms by business function.
Therefore, you'll minimize the time it takes for you to get your bearings, if you (1) identify
the major functions covered in this course, and (2) identify which data, process, and report
forms are grouped into that function.
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 11

14. Preface
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15. Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer _______
Objectives
When you finish this section, you will be able to:
• Use the Main Menu
• Use the Form Menu
• Open and use the SyteLine Explorer
• Recognize and navigate through the "new" tree structure
• Use the Auto-Run and My Folders
• Use the "Hot Keys"
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 13

16. Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer
Hot Keys and Power Bar
Use the Hot Keys Chart on page 8 to familiarize yourself with the key combinations you can
use as shortcuts in the SyteLine user interface.
Use the Power Bar explanation on page 9 to see what the buttons on the toolbar at the top
of the SyteLine window are used for.
Additional toolbar buttons are discussed in the Personalization and Custom
Forms sections.
Exercise
Take a few minutes and use the buttons on the top of the screen. You may need to open
a form to activate some of the toolbar options.
The Help Tip displays in the lower left hand corner of the application (Status bar)
even when your selection is not active.
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17. Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer
Understanding the Explorer
• Master Explorer - Contains all folders (menu items) as SL 6 plus an All Forms Folder
which contains every Form in the system.
• Public Folders - Used by Site Developer ONLY(Admin) to store forms or groups of
forms for users.
• User Folders - Used by Admin to view Auto Run, Pre Load and My Folders of all users.
• My Folders - Use this to create your own customized set of folders. The site developer
may copy and paste folders from user to user.
• Auto Run - When you log on, forms listed in the AutoRun folder are displayed as
opened, cascaded windows.
• Pre-Load - When you log on, forms listed in the PreLoad folder are automatically
retrieved from the database into memory so they display more quickly when you
open them later.
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 15

18. Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer
Customizing Your Explorer
Right-Click - New Folder
Use standard Windows commands to customize the Explorer. Right click for standard
options like cut, copy and paste. Embed new folders into other new folders to make a more
complex filing system thus making navigation more simple. See below.
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19. Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer
Exercise - Navigating and Customizing the Explorer
This exercise is designed to familiarize you with the SyteLine Explorer. Follow the steps
below for a demonstration and visualization on how to navigate in SL7.
1. Open SyteLine with SA user ID.(Or if you have one already, try using it)
2. Expand the Master Explorer Folder and click on the folders one at a time, starting with
All Forms and ending with Vendor. The tree structure is similar to the Main Menu in
previous versions of SyteLine with a few exceptions.
3. Click All Forms and place your cursor in the right pane with the collection of forms,
previously known as screens.
4. Type Items, but do it quickly; the timeout period is relatively short. To test this, type it
and enter the form name highlighted: ______________________
Now type em - what form is highlighted? ___________________
Now type items again.
5. Click Enter; this opens up the Items form. Close this form.
6. Using the tree on the left, navigate to PO Receiving. (Vendor/Purchase Orders/PO
Activities.) Receiving is on the right when you click on Activities on the left.
a. Which activities are in this folder? _________________________________
7. Click the Users folder. Put separate forms of your choice into the Auto Run and Pre
Load Folders.
8. Close SyteLine and reopen SyteLine. Log in as yourself.
9. Click My Folders.
a. Are the forms you selected in their folders?
b. What other forms are in there?
c. Which one opened up for you upon login?
10. Click All Forms.
11. From the View Pull Down menu, select Large Icons.
a. Small icons
b. List
c. Details
12. Which view shows the Form Name and its HungarianName? _________________
13. Right-click My Folders and select New Folder. Name it My Purchasing Folder.
14. Add Purchase Orders, Purchase Order Lines, GRN, GRN Lines and Purchase Orders
Query and Purchase Order Lines Query.
15. Create another folder inside of your purchasing folder and call it Purchasing
Activities.
16. Add any applicable forms you like to this folder, i.e., Purchase Order Receiving,
Vendor Item Cross Reference, Generate GRN Lines and anything else you would like.
Bonus Challenge
Create a working folder for a Customer Service Representative.
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 17

20. Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer
Understanding the Main Menu
The Main Menu pull down menus are:
• Form
• Actions (only when a form is displayed)
• Edit
• View
• Options
• Window
• Help
The screen shot below shows the slightly different view when a form is open. Notice the
Actions entry on the Main Menu, just to the right of "Forms".
Form
• Open - Open New Form
• Print, Print Preview, Export to File - All three are used to export current collection of
records or go back to the db and retrieve all records and print or export them into a file.
• Close form with changes saved
• Close form with changes unsaved
• Definition - Create new form. Edit or delete current form - this will depend on your
editing permissions and whether this is a standard form. These cannot be deleted.
Copy, create and edit a template. Unload global objects - while in edit mode you should
do this when you change the scope of your editing so you don't adversely affect the
next form or group of users for which you are updating a form. Publish current form to
the web, renders the current form as a web page. This will be covered in more detail
in the Customization class.
Actions
• Refresh (F5) - Updates entire record set, you are not likely to get the same set of data
when the record set returns, default is 200 records.
• Refresh Current (Ctrl + F5) - Only refreshes the current record.
• Filter-In Place (F4), by Query (Ctrl + Q) - Apply saved filter
• Next, Previous, First, Last
• New (Ctrl + N) - Start new record
• Copy (Ctrl + C)
• Save (Ctrl + S) - Save all records, this is when validation occurs
• Save Current - Only saves and validates current record
• Delete (Ctrl + D) - Deletes current record, won't occur until you save or save current
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21. Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer
• Validation - Check current record for errors.
• Notes, Notes Class, Notes for current - Enter or view notes. More information on
notes can be found in the Notes section of this document.
• Graph - Graph the current record set. You are prompted for the fields to graph and
their labels.
• List functions - This used to be its own menu option. Now all list functions are
contained under the Object Name menu option.
Edit
• Find value in collection - Locates the record by the search criteria you specify.
• Replace value in collection - Search the current collection and replace the value that
you specify.
• Sort Collection - Standard Windows functionality, same as double clicking on a
column header in the grid, it will organize the collection by the column's data values
• Repeat Find - Find the next occurrence of Find value in Collection.
View
• Toolbar, Status Bar, Explorer - Check or uncheck to view or hide selection.
• System Notes - View notes designated for the entire system.
• Hide, Show, Activate First or second Pane - Ctrl + 1 or 2 or F6 to switch panes
without changing the form view.
Options
• Set Base Font - Set the defaults for form fonts.
• Wildcard - Set the wildcard character, default is an "*".
• Responses to Prompts to Save - Options are Prompt, Save and Discard. Designed
to allow the user to either acknowledge saved changes or save without a prompt.
• Clear Fields on New? - Check to have all unrequired fields bland when inserting a new
record. Clear this item to default last value displayed in field.
• Prompt Entering Edit Mode - Check this field to be prompted to save run-time data
prior to entering Edit Mode.
• BPM Executable - Enter the path and filename of the executable for BPM.
• Report Viewer Configuration - Identify the program used to view reports on your
system and where the reports are located.
• Change Cap on Data Records, Drop Down - Set the max number of records that may
be returned.
• Show configuration name on Caption - Display the database name on top of
SyteLine.
• Edit Colors - Change color preferences on forms, More details can be found in the
Personalization Class.
• Snap to grid setting - In edit mode, adjusts the component to the number you specify,
it is rounded to the nearest number of pixels.
• Show hidden components in edit mode - Whether you want to display hidden
components while in edit mode.
• Prompt to save form size/splitter position - In edit mode, check this option to save
a form's size and splitter bar position.
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22. Section 1: Using the SyteLine Explorer
• Prompt to save run-time grid changes - In edit mode, used to save run-time changes
as part of the form's definition.
• Enter key Performs Tab - Check this to use the enter key to tab around a form. Two
exceptions:
• If you are inserting notes, it will always start a new line of text.
• If your focus is on a button, it will launch the button's action.
• Edit Mode Undo Buffer Size - Used to set the number of actions that the "undo"
command will cancel. Default is 100.
• Use Workstation Logon - Check this to use a workstation logon to log into SyteLine.
Admin must register Logon and Domain for this to work properly.
• Configure Diagnostics - Set the items that you prefer get written to the log file.
• View Diagnostics - Takes user to the log which displays information checked in the
diagnostic's configuration.
Exercise
Take ten minutes and play with the menu options on the previous pages. Specific things
you should test are:
• Show configuration name on Caption
• Wildcard
• List functions
• Change Cap on Data Records
• Enter key Performs Tab
• Set Base Font
• Open
• Close form with changes saved
• Close form with changes unsaved
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23. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Objectives
When you finish this section, you will be able to:
• Identify the different types of forms
• Set their initial command
• Learn some new navigation to and from forms
• Utilize a workspace to your advantage.
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 21

24. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Form Types
Multi-View Forms - Items Example
Multi view forms contain a form and a grid view with the same exact data. The grid is a view
into the actual database fields that appear on the form. For example, the Items form
contains data from several tables including Item, ItemWhse, Frozencost (if std costed) et
al; these fields are combined into a single view called a grid.
You may enter data directly into the grid, this will be covered later in this
document. These are two views of the SAME data.
Ctrl + 1 will toggle the Form only view.Ctrl + 2 will toggle the form/grid view to
grid only. Screens now equal Forms.
Grid Only Form - Price Codes Example
Grid Only forms contain data that is displayed in a "grid" format only.
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25. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Query Form - Order Shipments Query Example
Providing additional criteria using "and/or" statements will refine the query. The Results
browser provides a grid view with the table definitions of the results set.
You can use multiple "and/or" statements. In the example above you may want
to add a statement similar to this:"AND CoCustSeq = "0"
Form-Only Form - Order Bookings Report Example
© 2003 MAPICS, Inc. SyteLine User Interface Training Guide 23

26. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Exercise
Find four examples of each form and fill out the chart below. You will use this information
in a later exercise.
Multi-View Form Grid Only Form Form Only Form Query Form
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27. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Setting the Initial Command
The initial command is the default action when a form is opened. There are three initial
command settings:
• Refresh
• FilterInPlace
• New
How do I set the Initial Command?
1. Enter Edit Mode.
2. Click Edit and select Variable from the dropdown.
3. Choose (form, pers) InitialCommand.
4. Click the Edit button.
5. Type the command of your choice: New, Refresh or FilterInPlace.
6. Click OK and then Done.
7. Exit Edit Mode.
8. Close the form.
9. Click Yes to save the changes.
Depending on your permissions (Form editing, not user authorizations, you may
or may not be able to do this globally, for a group or another user. We'll look at
form editing permissions a little later.
Exercise
Take the forms from multi-view column from the last exercise and set their Initial
Commands according to the chart below.
Multi-View Form
Filter in Place
Refresh
New
Filter In Place
Depending on the forms you selected, you may need to adjust these commands
accordingly.
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28. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Opening Forms
All Forms (Explorer)
The All Forms Folder contains every "screen" in the system. You can scroll down the list
with the elevator buttons on the right. Or you can start typing the form name. (Quickly
though, it times out in about 1-2 seconds) Press enter or double click to open the form.
Open Form Button
This method allows you to filter forms based on limited criteria. Selecting the box above
the filter area displays the forms by Name instead of Caption. The two lists will flip sides in
the display.
Filtering by form name allows you to see all screens that match your filter.
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29. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Navigating the Tree (similar to existing SyteLine navigation)
Navigating by the tree is identical for the most part to navigating in SyteLine, however, this
has the additional flexibility that Windows Explorer provides. For example, my Purchase
Orders Folder is Clicked on the left and all of its' contents are on the right making ten forms
and five folders available for selection without having to navigate to Activities or Utilities to
find another form.
Unnecessary screen splash time is eliminated. For example navigating to
Inventory Reason Codes requires you to visit any inventory screen then View +
Files +Reason Codes.
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30. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Right-Click/Details
Using Details from a form field will take you to its source. In the example above you would
be taken to Items from Item Pricing.
This is useful for adding customers, items, vendors and other system
information when it doesn't already exist.
This functionality is like a binocular lookup plus Open. For example, go from
Receiving to Stockroom Locations. Perform an "add", then return to Receiving.
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31. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Opening Forms - Workspaces
Workspaces are used to group commonly used forms together by a self determined
category and may be opened based on a set of attributes that are assigned to this set of
forms. SyteLine will remember these attributes and each time you open the workspace the
forms default to your settings. These are highly customizable and easy to use.
• Set from Current Forms - Takes the open forms and adds them to a workspace
setting all defaults to the current settings you have determined prior to selecting this
button.
• Exit and Open - Closes the Workspace Form and opens the set of forms contained in
the workspace.
• New - Brings up the dialog box to name the next workspace you are creating.
• Delete - Removes the Clicked selection.
• Done - Closes the Workspaces Form.
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32. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Exercises
Exercise 1 - Using Workspaces
1. Close all Forms.
2. Open 6 Purchasing screens as follows: Purchase Orders, Lines, Receiving, Change
PO Status Utility, GRN and GRN Lines.
3. Change their size so all six forms fit in the window without overlap.
4. Set their initial commands so two are Filter in Place, two are Refresh and two are New.
5. Navigate to Form + Workspaces. Click New and name your new workspace.
6. Click Set from Current Forms.
7. Navigate to Window + Close all Forms.
8. Navigate to File + Workspaces.
9. Select Exit and Open.
a. What happened?
b. Are the forms opened as you left them?
10. Repeat steps 1-9 and create a workspace for the Materials Manager. This should
include at least 4 forms and a variety of sizes and Initial commands.
11. Share your workspace with a neighbor and discuss the entries in the Workspace.
Exercise 2 - Opening Forms
1. Click the Open Forms button.
2. Browse for Item Pricing.
3. Find LB-34000.
4. Right-click in the Item field and select Details.
5. You should receive a new window with Items form displaying the LB-34000 only.
6. With both Item Pricing and Items still open, bring up your Explorer. (Window +
Explorer or View + Explorer)
7. Select Items out of your All Forms Folder.
a. Which item is displayed? ____________
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33. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
Opening Forms Review
Below is a list to help you with the different methods for opening forms in SyteLine 7.
• Navigating the Tree in the SyteLine Explorer.
• All Forms Folder
• All Forms Button
• Auto Run/Pre-Load
• Linked Buttons-e.g. PO Lines from PO Header
• Workspaces
• Using a custom navigation form (covered in the personalization class)
• Right click + Details
• Right click + Find
• Right click + Add
• Control + Q for opening the Query Form Retrieving Filter
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34. Section 2: SyteLine User Interface Navigation
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35. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7 ___
Objectives
At the end of this section you will be able to:
• Query the SyteLine database using multiple methods
• Add, update, or delete data in a form
• Add, update, or delete data in a grid
• Demonstrate and comprehend linked forms
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36. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Querying the SyteLine Database
There are three methods for bringing up the query dialog box, but they may not work in all
areas of the system. Generally Ctrl + Q (see below on how Ctrl + Q works) will bring it up
for the active form, but if you want to query on a field, use the right mouse click + find, or
Filter in Place.
Three methods for navigation to the same place:
• Right Mouse Click-Find
• <Actions> + Filter + Query by
• Open the query form from All Forms, Query Folder or the Open Form Button
Retrieving Filters
Retrieving filters are essentially the same form as a Query form with the
exception of one item; they will return the results from the query back to the
parent form. The only way to get to a query form is by hitting Control + Q from a
parent form. This creates a parent-child relationship between the query and the
parent. Hit the OK button to return the results back to the parent.
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37. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
--Filter in Place
Filter in place allows you to filter on almost any field. Clicking F4 invokes Filter in Place and
retrieves requested record sets. You can search Filter in Place with wildcards. The default
wildcard is "*" but you may select your own wildcard under the Options menu. In addition,
each form may be set to open with Filter in Place turned on/off as the default. See “Setting
the Initial Command” on page 25.
Most forms have a query form associated with them. While Filter in Place is a
strong piece of functionality, you may want to use the query form instead. Or
create a copy of this form with the FIP turned on and put it in a workspace, so
you will have two copies of this form in your profile.
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38. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Saving Filters
Applying filters that have generated desired results can save time and give results to
FAQ's. This will work on all Query Forms and Ctrl + Q queries.
Actions Menu + Filter + Save
Whether you use Ctrl + Q or the <Form name>Query Form you can save the Filter Criteria
with an assigned name to use at a later date.
• Primary Criteria - A first pass using one line of filtering criteria-Main or key criteria, like
customer.
• Additional Criteria - You may add multiple statements here with "And" or "Or"
modifiers to build a more complex query. Used to narrow the criteria.
You must use the "Refresh" button each time you add a filter line to submit the
query to the database. Otherwise, just clicking Add will not refresh the data; it
will just put the statement in the filter window. Remember, SyteLine 7 is
stateless (disconnected). To return the result set to the parent form, click OK.
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39. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Applying Saved Filters
Actions Menu + Filter + Apply Saved Filter
Navigating to the query form is the first step. Then you can select your saved filter from
Actions + Filter + Apply Saved Filter.
You may enter a "?", without the quotes, to be prompted for the query
information. To do this, just save a query with a question mark in the desired
field. See the screen shot below.
Actions Menu + Filter + Apply Saved Filter
Exercise
1. This exercise will show you how to filter the SyteLine database with different methods.
2. Open the Item Stockroom Locations form.
3. Set the Initial Command for Filter in Place.
4. Close and reopen this form.
5. Type FA* in the item field. Uncheck the .
a. How many entries were returned? _____________
b. How many FA-10000 records were found? ______
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40. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
c. Specify how many were specifically for Main. ______
6. Select Ctrl + Q. (or Actions + Filter + By Query)
7. Build the query:
Primary Tab
a. Whse = Main/Item like BK*/Rank <3
• How many objects were returned? ______
• How many records did the BK-27000-0003 have? _______
• Which records had an on hand quantity? ________
Additional Criteria
b. AND QTY ON HAND < 10
• How many records are there now? ______
• Which record was omitted? ___________________
8. Navigate to the Explorer and click All Forms.
9. Open the Item Stockroom Locations Query Form.
10. Is this the same as the last filter screen you just saw?
11. Run the query in steps 7.a and 7.b.
12. Save the query as "BK Items < 10"
13. Return to the Item Stockroom Locations form and retrieve the query.
Challenge
Create a query that shows all shipments between 12/31/00 and 12/31/01 with a quantity
shipped > 50. How many records are returned? _________
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41. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Adding, Deleting and Modifying Records
Since SyteLine is now stateless, we can add, update and modify records in a collection.
For example, you could add 500 PO's before committing a save. The SyteLine forms have
a grid on the left side of the screen and are noted with prefixes that designate their "state."
Below is a list of applicable prefixes:
Prefix Definition
(n) New record
(ne) New record with error
(m) Modified record
(me) Modified record with error
(d) Marked for deletion
(de) Deleted record that has error preventing permanent deletion
Below is an example of a form with a few prefixed records:
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42. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Adding Records Using a Form
Click New Button
Click the New button or select Form + New, and proceed as you would in previous versions
of SyteLine. Below is a chart that explains the color coding of the fields.
Color Explanation Example
Yellow Required Item, U/M, Product Code
Green System Generated Order Number
White Optional Promise Date
Gray Read Only Quantity Shipped
Exercise
Navigate to Purchase Orders and Purchase Order Lines and create the following orders in
the form, not the grid.
Vendor Item Quantity Due Date
1 CP-10000 11 1 month from today
1 BR-10000 12 1 month from today
2 FA-10000 13 1 month from today
3 CP-10000 14 1 month from today
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43. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Adding New Records - in the Grid
CTRL 2 + New Button
There is no longer a need to input data on a form/screen. You may do so right into the
database/grid. Simply click the New button and key in the fields that require data at a
minimum. Required fields are highlighted in yellow.
CTRL 2 will toggle the grid only view on/off. CTRL 1 will toggle the form/grid to
form only on/off. You may also click the last record (*) to invoke a new record.
Remember that you are disconnected, so saving data is optional until it is absolutely
mandatory (when you close the form, or need an order number, etc.).
If you don't want to save a batch of records, you will find a "save current" option
under the Actions menu that will save only the current record. You may also use
a right mouse click + Save Current. For example, you may need a customer
order number promptly but do not want to commit all of your estimate
information until you have created the data in its entirety.
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44. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Exercise
1. Navigate to Purchase Orders and Purchase Order Lines and insert the following orders
into the grid.
Vendor Item Quantity Due Date
1 CP-10000 11 1 month from today
1 BR-10000 12 1 month from today
2 FA-10000 13 1 month from today
3 CP-10000 14 1 month from today
2. Navigate to the Items form and add two items of your choice with any configuration,
one in the grid and one from the form.
3. Now enter two customer orders for a newly created customer.
4. Save the data.
5. Add one line item to each CO but use the items created in step 3.
6. Save the data.
There is a caveat to this: if you want to add line information to an order of any
kind, you must save the data on the header to enter data on an order line
initially.
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45. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Linked Forms
Purchase Orders + Lines Button
Linked forms are proprietary to the record from which you navigated. An example is shown
above where PO Lines was brought up from Purchase Orders using the Lines button. To
see your "primary collection" you will have to navigate from the SyteLine Explorer or use
the Open Forms button.
Navigating the parent form will update the child (linked) form.
This functionality replaces the Sync Button from previous releases of SyteLine.
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46. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Exercise
1. Open the Purchase Orders form.
2. How many objects (records in the grid) are there? ________
3. Click New.
4. Add Vendor 1 to the Vendor field. Do not save the record.
5. Click New again.
6. Enter CTRL+2. You should now see the Grid Only view.
7. Place your cursor in the Vendor field.
8. Add Vendor 1 or browse using the drop-down button that appears as you enter
the field.
9. Enter CTRL + 2.
10. Save the PO's.
11. Go to the Explorer and bring up PO Lines.
a. Can you see your PO?
b. Revert back to one of your PO forms and save the PO(s).
c. Go back to PO Lines using the Lines button.
• What is the form title?
• Add 10 CP-10000 into the form view. (Make sure all required fields have valid
data.)
• Click the Next button on the toolbar .
• What happened?
• Add 10 CP-30000, making sure that all required fields are covered.
• Can you visit the second PO that you created?
• Click the item field in the grid view in the row beneath your last record.
• Right mouse click + Find.
• Add the CP-20000.
• Click the Save button.
12. Select Window + Purchase Orders.
a. How many PO forms are there in the Window pull down?
b. How many PO Lines forms do you see?
c. Why does one indicate that it is linked?
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47. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
Advanced Exercise - Rapid Purchase Order Entry
1. Enter the Grid Only view for the Purchase Orders form.
2. Rearrange the first few columns to look like the example below:
3. Copy the following row only to your clipboard:
The PO number is not significant.
4. Paste it into Excel.
5. Click cell A1 and drag it down 10 rows by the lower left hand column, thus incrementing
that field by one for each cell you create.
6. Click the remainder of the row 1 starting at B1, and copy.
7. Paste that data into your other nine rows.
8. Delete row 1 - it already exists in the database. It is the one copied FROM.
9. Return to SyteLine.
10. Perform a Paste Append (it is under the edit menu).
Check your work
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48. Section 3: Managing Records in SyteLine 7
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49. Section 4: Odds and Ends______________________
Objectives
At the end of this section you will be able to:
• Add Notes
• Reuse System Notes
• Graph Record Sets
• Export Data to a File
• Publish a Form to the Web (Rendering)
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50. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Notes
System Notes - "Reusable Notes"
View + System Notes
Use system notes to retrieve common messages that you plan to use over and over. For
example, "always store this item right side up," or "check all bolts for proper torque prior to
packaging." You may enter these notes once and reuse them as often as you like without
re-entering the note time and again.
Attach File
Use the Attach File option to attach a file or picture to this record. This is optimal for
drawings or documents stored across the network.
System notes should be organized for ease of use when the file gets to be large.
An example would be to use prefixes that match the class in which they will be
associated like CO, PO, Item, Transfers, Job, BOM, etc.
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51. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Class Notes
Actions + Notes For All
Class notes are a subset of system notes and user notes organized by form. So in the
Items form you may attach all applicable system notes/user notes to the Items Class Note.
You may only Attach/Detach and Open Attachment from this screen. All item specific notes
are found in Notes for Current. See next.
Notes for Current
Actions + Notes For Current
New
Adds a new note for this record only.
Delete
Deletes selected note.
Attach Reusable
Allows the user to grab a reusable system note.
Open Attachment
If the note is an attachment, it gets launched.
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52. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Exercise
1. Add a system note, "any subject you want."
2. Write some text, "some additional message." Don't forget to mark it as "system."
3. Add this note to the Items Class.
4. Find Item FA-10000.
5. Make a trip to the Internet and find a picture of any bike.
6. Right-click and save the picture in a location you can find easily (c:temp).
7. Go to Notes For Current.
8. Type "FA-10000 Drawing" for the subject.
9. Click in the notes dialog box and select Attach File.
10. Find your picture and insert it into the notes.
11. Click OK.
12. Re-enter the Notes For Current.
13. Open Attachment.
Remember that in the toolbar indicates that this record has a note
associated to it. means there are no notes records associated.
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53. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Graphing Record Sets
SyteLine 7 has some ad hoc graphing capability worth investigating. Use the following
scenario to better understand this concept.
1. Navigate to Item Stockroom Locations.
By default, you will see up to but not exceeding two hundred records.
2. Select Actions + Graph.
3. First select On Hand (QtyOnHand).
4. Click Next.
5. For the Label, select Item.
6. Click Next to return the graph. (Do not click Done, which will return you to the
application without showing the graph.)
7. Double-click the body of the graph and select Options + Reset to defaults.
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54. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Printing and Exporting Form Data
Print Preview
Form + Print Preview
Print preview allows the user to print the current form's record or record set depending on
the "type" you choose:
• Collection Properties - Prints the entire record set stored on the client. Default is 200
records. You may select all fields from the form or click the fields individually to either
select or deselect that field from the printout.
• Current Field Data - Prints only the active record on the form. You will see the ">>" if
you are looking at the grid.
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55. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Exporting to a File
Form + Export to File
Use this dialog box to export the current collection to an external file that can be imported
into other programs, such as a spreadsheet. The external file can be either comma-
separated or tab-separated. Each record in the collection becomes a row in the exported
file. Each field (property) becomes a column in the exported file.
Source Collection
This is the name of the collection to be exported. To identify the name, return to the form
and click the grid displaying the collection you want. The name of the second menu is the
name of the current collection.
Cap Option
Choices are:
• From data currently in the collection - Export the records retrieved in the current
collection.
• Unlimited query - Export all records in the collection from the application database.
SyteLine applies the current filter criteria and sort order to the collection, then exports
records from the collection in the application database.
Output File Type
Choices are comma separated (.csv) or tab separated.
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56. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Exercise
1. Go to the Purchase Order Lines form.
2. Select Print Preview from the Forms menu.
3. Take a look at but do not print the Collection Properties. This would print too much info
for this exercise.
4. Instead select Current Field Data. Choose the appropriate fields and print this page.
5. Select Forms + Export to File.
6. Print out the Primary Collection From Data Currently in the Collection in a .csv format,
locally on your machine.
7. View the file and share the data with your neighbor.
Bonus
Dump the contents of your export into Excel.
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57. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Diagnostics
Configuration (CTRL + F12)
Options + Diagnostics + Configure
Enable Diagnostics
This must be checked to use Diagnostics.
Other Categories and Fields
Each category and box that you check will return more and more data in the diagnostics
log; this could be meddlesome. The diagnostics are used primarily to troubleshoot
development work. Checking only specific items that you want to verify or monitor will
increase the power of this tool. However, you may also use this tool to "reverse engineer"
what is happening in SQL or SyteLine to apply its logic to your development efforts.
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58. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Log Files
The SyteLine session log records messages about the current session on the client
machine. Information from two sources can be included in the log:
• SyteLine session: These messages are generated by middle-tier IDOs. You can
include or exclude these messages.
• Diagnostic messages from SyteLine: To request that these messages be recorded,
select Options + Configure + Diagnostics.
Viewing the Session Logs
You can display the session log in two ways:
• Right-click the application icon on the Windows status bar. On the menu, select
View Log. This will display the MTS information.
• On the SyteLine Options menu, point to Diagnostics and select View or F12.
The above example shows what would appear in the log if you clicked the Filter In Place
button.
Find Button
Search the displayed log for text that you enter. You can search up or down in the list, and
you search for text that matches uppercase or lowercase characters.
Copy Button
Copy the selected messages to the clipboard. Then you can paste them into another file
to print or save them.
Clear Button
Empty the log file of messages. Before using this option, you might want to copy the current
messages to the clipboard and paste them into another file to print or save them.
Refresh Button
Display messages that have been sent to the log file since you opened the log.
Close Button
Close the log.
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59. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Interpreting the Log - SyteLine Only Example
This example uses the settings shown in the Configuration screen shot on page 55
(diagnostics were enabled, and Event Handlers and Forms - Include Events were
selected).
The first few lines show that the FIP began, bound items were retrieved and that the FIP
begin command was completed. The next couple of lines show the refresh and completion
of an empty record set established for the FIP to begin. You'll see some Event Handler
information that is setting some variable values in the middle, roughly 7-8 lines. Finally, the
FIP is returned and has completed.
In review, we only saw a couple of FormEvents and EventHandlers when viewing the log
without the server interaction. Next we want to look at the log with the Middle Tier Server
information, server interaction.
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60. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Interpreting the Log - with the Server Logged On
The log below shows us the same sequence of events from the last example with the server
logged on, right mouse click + server logged on.
+
This method shows you virtually everything that occurs in the session and on the server.
Take a few minutes and compare the difference in the two logs:
1. Open the log by pressing F12 and clicking Clear.
2. Close the log.
3. Open Country Codes form.
4. View the log by pressing F12.
The point here is that when you turn on the server, the log grows at near
exponential rates. The most simple task like opening the Country Codes form
will create a 4 page log file. This is great for development work and poor if you
want to know why your server crashed.
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61. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Publishing a Form to the Web
SyteLine 7 offers the ability to "render" a form over the internet. There are two ways to send
the form:
• Using the icon on the toolbar, or
• Navigating to Form + Definition + Publish Current Form for the Web.
You can apply a filter prior to sending the form or send it as the default form. The user
receiving the form must have the client piece installed (WinStudio).
How do I render the current form?
1. Navigate to the form you want to publish/render.
2. Click the icon.
3. Click OK.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Yes.
6. Open from current location.
Exercise
Render the form of your choice to the web. Enter a new record and return to SyteLine.
Verify the data that you added is present.
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62. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Wrap Up for the Day
Draw a diagram of the 3-tier architecture.
List 3 ways to navigate to a form.
•
•
•
Describe 3 advantages of the new user interface.
•
•
•
Explain the four types of forms.
•
•
•
•
Explain the following letters: (n), (ne), (m), (me), (d). Where are these found?
How does a user know if a field is required in SyteLine 7?
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63. Section 4: Odds and Ends
Explain the difference between System, Class and Current Notes.
Explain how a Workspace is saved.
Explain the difference between Auto-Run and Preload in My Folders.
What are three types of queries?
•
•
•
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64. Section 4: Odds and Ends
62 SyteLine User Interface Training Guide © 2003 MAPICS, Inc.