Simple Details User Experience Guidelines

Article
11/07/2012

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

A simple details form is a single page that contains details form functionality. It is the recommended pattern for enabling users to view and create reference and dependent data.

Simple details form, simple example

Simple details form, complex example with grid

Overview

Using a simple details form to view and create reference and dependent data has an advantage over using a list page to access separate details forms, as follows:

Simpler navigation – A user can stay on a single page to view all details for a record.

Design concepts

The simple detail pattern helps users understand the nature of the data they see. When a user selects a record in the list, all information related to that record is available to the user.

Guidelines

This section provides both general guidelines and specific guidelines.

General guidelines

A simple details form should follow these rules:

A simple details form should have an action pane strip at the top of the form and contain the File menu on the left side and the Layout and Help menus on the right side.
The action pane strip should not have New or Delete buttons.
The details section should span the entire form.
If there are more fields that can be displayed in the details section, FastTabs should be used to group the fields. However, never use just one FastTab.
The contents of the form should be aligned by using the fewest vertical gridlines possible.
No user experience (UX) guidelines should be violated when security is applied for the various roles that have access to this form.
The window should allow vertical and horizontal resizing.
The window should retain its last size when reopened.
The window should retain its last position when reopened.

Specific guidelines

Guidelines in this section are grouped by screen element.

A window title should be displayed within the window frame and should accurately describe the entity.

The window title should be in plural form.
If opened from an area page, the window title should have the same text as the text of the label used to open the form.
If the form is opened in the context of another record, another title should be displayed above the list and content area.

An action pane strip should be at the top of the form and contain the File menu on the left, and the View and Help menus on the right.

For any additional actions:
- Buttons should appear after a separator.
- Their labels should be used consistently across all action pane strips for similar actions.
- These actions should have tooltips.
- These actions do not need an icon but can optionally have an icon. If the action has an icon, it should be an icon specifically designed for this action.

The content area should have the following characteristics:

Focus should be in the first field when the form is opened for viewing.
Required fields should be displayed as mandatory, with a red squiggly line within the field.
If there are more fields than can be displayed in the details section, FastTabs should be used to group the fields. However, never use just one FastTab.
Each FastTab should display summary information.

Exception: FastTabs that only contain grids.
The first FastTab should be expanded by default and all others should be collapsed.
The height of a FastTab should not grow when the form is resized to be taller.
FastTabs should display only two columns of fields.
FastTabs that contain an editable grid should have an Add and a Remove button as the first two actions on the action pane strip for the FastTab.
- For the Add button:
  - The icon should be AXID 11421 .
  - The label should be “Add”.
  - The tooltip should be “Add a new record”.
- For the Remove button:
  - The icon should be AXID 11438 .
  - The label should be “Remove”.
  - The tooltip should be “Remove the selected record”.

A status bar should be at the bottom of the form.

The status bar should contain a Close button, which closes the form.
A status bar also should contain field Help text.
If a save fails, a message should be displayed to the user and the form should remain open.

Labels and text

All labels on the form should be in sentence case.
All labels on the form should be spelled correctly.