Supporting User Input: Value Help, Filters
Value Help - Few Possible Values | Value Help - Many Possible Values | Search Dialogs | Filters
If possible, the system should provide users with possible values for entry fields. Depending on the complexity of the data set the object belongs to, there are different solutions to offering value help (F4 help).
There is no field help (F1 help) in IACs. If there are fields with a meaning that is hard to understand, use onscreen texts, or instructions as as described in Texts for Interface Elements - Overview and Texts for Input and Output Elements in the SAP Reference Lists on the SAP Design
Note: For user support in the case of erroneous entries, see User Support in Case of Errors.
Note: The screen examples below are schematic only - they do not exactly follow the current standards for visual design.
Value Help - Few Possible Values
For presenting few possible values use a radiobutton group or dropdown listbox.
Radiobuttons are to be preferred if there are only a few values; they allow to see all alternatives at one glance. Dropdown lists are useful for numbers up to 12-15 depending on the organization of the data set (as the maximum 30 items were defined).
Example: Radiobuttons
Example: Listbox
Value Help - Many Possible Values
Use a link with jump to a selection page, or a search dialog with hit list in a separate area or on a new page. If possible, make suggestions for values (often used values, recently used values, etc.).
A complicated search and navigation should be an exception.
Search Dialogs
In search dialogs use one field for entering a search string. This string is interpreted flexibly by the system, not like a data base field.
Example: Search for a customer by name or vehicle number
Filters ("Shuffler")
Using filters is an effective means to reduce the number of data to display. Often selection screens are used for these purposes. However, selection screens are hard to understand and cumbersome to use for ordinary people who did not study logic, or mathematics. For cases that do not require sophisticated logical manipulations, it is better to create simple queries that read like sentences. You can use dropdown lists that include the most important options and combine these with entry fields and labels.
Make sure your dropdown list contains meaningful categories or texts. Avoid cryptic keys or numbers. For example, avoid using the numbers 1 to 12 for the months of the year. Use the names of the months, instead.
Examples: "Shuffler-like" filters that read like a natural-language query
Note: Sentence-like queries often are hard or impossible to translate into other languages. If this is the case, create a query that consists of words only and does not form a sentence.
Source: SAP Interaction Design Guide for Internet Application Components