4.12. Field Help
The Help Text facility makes it possible to create context-sensitive field-help to guide non-expert users in the usage of SICS. It is a ‘Mouse over field’ pop up to show business definition of the respective field.
DXC will not deliver any default help text. All help text must be added and maintained by the client.
Create Help text #
- Select menu option ‘Help Text Editing’in the ‘Help’ menu. This option is not available from SICS desktop GUI immediately after login. Open another window or do a light refresh of the desktop in order to access the menu option
- Enter information on Temporary edit file location. (Only first time - later defaulted)
- Enter information on Target Help file. (Only first time - later defaulted)
- Press Begin and leave the GUI open e.g. just minimize it
- Go to any SICS window and find the fields you want to create help text for
- Point with the cursor on the field, text or label and press Ctrl+Alt+H
- The system opens Edit Widget Help Text window
- Enter help text and press OK
- Go to other fields for further Help text creation
- When finished, return to the ‘Help Text Editing screen’
- Press OK if you want to keep the changes in the temporary file. Work may be continued later on.
- Or, press End to finish the work and make the help text available in the system (in the target help file). The temporary file will be cleared.
Field description 1. Help Text Editing
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Temporary edit file location | All help text entered will be saved to the temporary file during the create/update process. If the file exists, its existing content will not be destroyed when editing starts. The temporary file serves to save unfinished work in case SICS should crash. Values: Text Mandatory: Yes |
| Target help file | This is the actual help text file. When pressing End, the contents of the temporary file will be merged into the target help file (and the temporary file will be cleared). This makes the help texts permanently available for the user. Value: Text Mandatory: Yes |
Update Help Text #
- Select menu option ‘Help Text Editing’in the ‘Help’ menu.
- Press Begin and leave the GUI open e.g. just minimize it
- Go to the wanted SICS window and find the field(s) you want to update
- Point with the cursor on the field, label or text and press Ctrl+Alt+H
- The system opens Edit Widget Help Text window
- Make changes to the text
- When finished, return to the ‘Help Text Editing screen’
- Press OK if you want to keep the changes in the temporary file. Work may be continued later on.
- Or, press End to finish the work and updated help text is available in the system (in the target help file). The temporary file will be cleared.
Remove Help text #
- Select menu option ‘Help Text Editing’in the ‘Help’ menu.
- Press Begin and leave the GUI open e.g. just minimize it
- Go to the wanted SICS window and find the field(s) you want to remove
- Point with the cursor on the field, label or text and press Ctrl+Alt+H
- The system opens Edit Widget Help Text window
- Remove the text
- When finished, return to the ‘Help Text Editing screen’
- Press OK if you want to keep the changes in the temporary file. Work may be continued later on.
- Or, press End to finish the work and updated help text is available in the system (in the target help file). The temporary file will be cleared.
Help text rules and limitations #
Mode: Help text can be entered for a field in Edit or in View mode. Visible both places. If you have a view mode window open while you define help text in edit mode, you will not see the new help text in the view mode window until you close and reopen it.
Equal fields: If the same field (same business data) exists on another screen with a different layout (for example on the Business Highlights tab), help text has to be defined separately for each place.
Dropdowns: Due to limitations in Windows, it is technically impossible to show field help text on disabled dropdown lists, unless they are wrapped in an invisible Composite widget. Reference data, currency and country are examples wrapped in a Composite and it is then possible to define help text even when these dropdowns are disabled.
Buttons and Checks Boxes: Due to limitations in Windows, it is technically impossible to show field help text on disabled buttons / check boxes.
Containers (tables): You are only allowed to enter help text for the table column headings in the container, not for individual cells.
Remove help text: If you update help text, and then remove it again, you must close and reopen the window to have the ‘old’ help text reappear.
Applicable for: P&C, Cede, Life