Styles for Texts, Lists, and Links (Preliminary)

Text Styles and their Uses | Lists | Visual Design of Links

Easy Web Transactions may contain considerably more text information than typical R/3 applications. Like in books, these texts should be presented differently according to their function for the users: Headers should stand out for fast scanning, body text should be easily readable and efficient, and additional information should be presented unobtrusively. Such a differentiation enables users to get a fast overview of the screen, and to separate important information from the less important one.

This page proposes styles for structuring text-based information on screens and lists their uses.

 

Text Styles and their Uses

The following text styles are proposed for use in IACs. These style will be predefined in the accompanying CSS style sheet for IACs. They can be used as class declarations inside HTML tags. They can also be implemented manually, if the SAP style sheets are not available.

Note: The styles below, their names and attributes are preliminary!


Style Name (preliminary)

Look

Attributes

Usage

heading1

Large Heading

 

font-family:arial,sans-serif
color:#965136
font-size:15pt

Use it for main headings in larger text areas

heading2

Group Heading

font-family:arial,sans-serif
color:#965136
font-size:11pt

Group heading, i.e. headings for groups that do not use group boxes
Can be used in text areas for second level headers or as first-level headers for less important text

heading3

Subgroup Heading

font-family:arial,sans-serif
color:#965136
font-size:9pt

Heading for subgroups within group boxes or lists
Can be used in text areas for third level haeders or as second-level headers for less important text

text

This is normal text

font-family:arial,sans-serif
font-size:9pt

Standard text, e.g. for field labels, instructions etc.

small

This is small text

font-family:arial,sans-serif
font-size:8pt

Small text for legends, explanations, small field labels above i/o fields

bold

bold text

font-family:arial,sans-serif
font-size:9pt
font-weight:bold

Use bold within text for emphasizing words.

italic

italic text

font-family:arial,sans-serif
font-size:9pt
font-style:italic

Use italic within text for references.

 

Lists

Lists can be a viable alternative to tables. Use lists whenever you want to present a list of items in an unobtrusive way, where reading is the primary usage and where there is - apart from hyperlinks - no interaction on the list elements.

Lists have the following characteristics:

  • List items are read-only
  • List items may contain links
  • Lists do not scroll like tables
  • Lists consist of one column only; for multiple columns include the lists in an HTML table with one row and several columns (2-3)
  • Lists may be ordered (numbers) or unordered (bullets)
  • Lists may be nested; do not use more than 2-3 levels

Examples

Ordered List

 

Unordered List

Industrial Trends

  1. e-business
  2. Supply Chain Management, an
    item that wraps
  3. IT
  4. Knowledge Management
  5. Globalization
  6. Channels of Distribution
  7. Emerging Technologies
  8. Java
  9. RosettaNet
  10. XML

Industrial Trends

  • e-business
  • Supply Chain Management, an
    item that wraps
  • IT
  • Knowledge Management
  • Globalization
  • Channels of Distribution
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Java
  • RosettaNet
  • XML

These style will be predefined in the accompanying CSS style sheet for IACs. They can be used as class declarations inside the UL and OL HTML tags. They can also be implemented manually, if the SAP style sheets are not available.

 

Visual Design of Links

The visual attributes for hyperlinks are predefined in the CSS style sheet for IACs. Currently links are not underlined, but show a hovering effect with underlining when the mouse is moved over the link.

 

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Source:  SAP Interaction Design Guide for Internet Application Components