User Interface (webUI)

[a platypus]

Hi there everyone,

I hope we're all having a good week.  I was looking at the information in this tutorial:

• Initial Client Set-up

And also referring to comments on the iDempiere group thread:

• idempiere for small business

And I think there's a lot of information but it is difficult to access and especially dense information for people to get started.  One HUGE impediment to smooth progress in the iDempiere universe seems to be a lack of definition of the relationships between different versions and 'products'.  

Preamble in hand, what I'm interested in is getting User level information on working with iDempiere.  In the "idempiere for small business" thread, Tony (xolali) suggested working under the structure of the at http://www.adempiere.com/ADempiere_ERP wiki.  

Working over the tutorial, on the first dialogue I've struck terms that lack definition -- dimensions in ADempiere:

• BP Accounting
• Product Accounting
• Project Accounting
• Campaign Accounting
• Sales Region Accounting

The tool tips determines these as: 'dimensions'.  The tool tips are tautological and don't explain what the UI means -- The semantics.  

• Programmers: When you must write a tool-tip, make it informative or add a link to a wiki page, etc. (please)
• Analysts: Tell your programmers what a term means.  Use a data dictionary or glossary.

Anyway that's why this post is titled, "User Interface" ...

The User Interface is the entrée an it is the package.  The UI is door, windows, chimney and the customer service of the iDempiere package.  If the UI is undocumented then package is undocumented, no matter how many notes one has.  The alternative recourse is to find an expert (here on the group) or to read the code.  As an  aside, this is what economists like Michael Porter call "A Barrier to Entry".

A minor point of consideration for a 'newbie' is that there are no significant references to iDempiere on the ADempiere wiki (8, at the time of composing this post).

I have created a:

• Dimensions
  http://www.adempiere.com/Dimensions
  

Wiki page to explain what these concepts mean for those who seek answers in the future.  I've also added links in the Glossary page to this page.

The question is about where we should document iDempiere functionality and the User Interface (UI)?  Is the ADempire wiki suitable?  

I take it that there will be overlap between different user interfaces.  So I propose that pages like the Dimensions page define concepts, while specific Interface pages describe the layout and interface with links to the concepts pages.

I have left place holders:

• ...to_do...

In my wiki entries to indicate opportunities for collating knowledge.  

On Dimensions; I know from Navision that these can be critical to a smooth running ERP.  

Finally, it would be good to set-down some clear concepts for people.  Also I think we might like to consider a system to distinguish concepts with wkik categories like: easy, intermediate, hard, advanced.  That way people can know at least to look for some more information if a topic is not in the "easy category" for example.

Thoughts welcome.  Oh yes, I've been using Talk pages to describe what the edits are intended to do.  I havent' seen much use of Talk on the ADempiere pages, so I figured I could float that thought bubble too. ;-)

Best wishes,

   Will

[Carlos Antonio Ruiz Gomez]

Hi William, nice initiative, thanks for taking the lead on this!

I would just suggest to document iDempiere on iDempiere's wiki (2¢)

Regards,

Carlos Ruiz