Global Navigation and Navigation within Applications

Home and Exit | Back | Navigation within Applications

Navigation requires users to move from one screen or page to another screen or page or to move within areas on the same screen or page. We distinguish between global navigation functions and navigation within applications.

Home and Exit

Global navigation functions supply users with minimal navigation services within and between applications. These functions are located in the IAC application header, or in the Channel bar of the Workplace.

Home

There is no generic Home within an IAC. The Home icon in the Channel bar returns the user to the MiniApp view of the Workplace; the current IAC is running in the background and not exited.

Exit

Typically, users exit an application by calling the final action of an application; this action has to be indicated by an emphasized pushbutton.

Selecting Exit in the IAC header (SAP Bluebar) also exits the application; in case that data can be lost, issue a safety prompt.

Back

Back returns the user to the page displayed before the current page (not to frames that were displayed before!). Thus, Back is a function that serves for global, as well as, within application navigation.

Guideline for Back

Basic Rule for Back navigation: User data must not get lost!

Note: As long as the browser back functionality does not assure this, each application has to include the Back functionality explicitly.

Back works historically, not hierarchically (as typical for R/3 applications). If in doubt, provide the jump target with an explicit name instead of the generic Back.

There is no Back in the following cases (Back is inactive in the IAC header/SAP Bluebar):

On the confirmation screen after the final action
On the entry screen
In single-screen applications after having launched the IAC from the launchpad

In the latter two cases a call from within an IAC which introduces navigation activates Back.

Placement and Naming

The Back function is located in the IAC header (SAP Bluebar); usually it does not appear on the screen itself.

Exception: In screen sequences the pushbuttons Back and Continue are used.

Name

Bluebar: Back
Quickinfo: Back to <jump target>

Navigation within Applications

Basic Rules for Navigation within Applications

Casual users may have difficulties in comprehending complex application structures. Therefore, the following basic navigation rules apply:

Make jump targets explicit by providing their names on pushbuttons and in links
There is no generic Home within applications
Back works historically, not hierarchically (as typical for R/3 applications)
The navigation functions OK/Continue and Back appear on the screen , only if the sequences of screens are used on the same level

Navigation must not cause loss of data. Therefore, follow these rules:

Back saves data entered by the user and restores them whenever a user returns to a previously visited screen
Provide a safety prompt whenever data can be lost (e.g. when users choose Exit)

"Jumps" between Areas within a Screen

These jumps proceed according to the current content, for example from

A node in a tree or list to an overview list (right to the tree/list)
An item in an overview list to the details (below the overview list)
Pushbuttons in an area that relate to another area

There is no need for backward jumps in this case, as processing moves in one direction.

Figure 1: Examples for navigation within an application that consists of several areas

top