Administrative Computing: IDD – Web Standards: SAPwebss Interactivity
(What happens when the user presses a button?)

Data Validation

If user input needs to be validated, it is done on the server-side only. This is done to ensure consistent messaging.

Confirms (popup pages with buttons)

JavaScript confirms are acceptable in SAPweb Self Service. Only use them when required.

Save

A Save button on a top-level page never performs any navigation. It always returns to the same page with a "save confirmation" message. If the record can be edited after changes are saved, it should be displayed open for editing. If because of business logic (workflow,etc.) the user can no longer edit the page, it should be shown in display mode.

From a drill-down, a Save button navigates up to the top-level page (overview), with a “save confirmation” message on the overview.

Continue

In a wizard, a Continue button implies a save action, so there's no need for an explicit Save button. Therefore, the server must always save the content when navigating from page to page. Revert is optional.

Return to ...

The Return to button always navigates the user back to the previous page. If the drilldown page is open for editing, Return to also performs a “Cancel” function by not saving any changes. Therefore, if you have a Return to button, do not also install a Cancel button.

Revert

A Revert button never takes the user off the page. Revert always performs a refresh of data last saved and returns to the current page. We never use Cancel in SAPweb Self Service because the combination of Revert and Return to takes care of all Cancel situations.

Delete

Delete requires a user confirmation. On an overview screen, Delete drills down to the record or line item it refers to and shows it in display mode with another Delete button. When the user hits the second Delete button, they are brought back to the overview and shown a “data deleted” message.

On a page without a drilldown, deleting requires a confirm screen (Are you sure you want to delete? Yes/No).

Edit or Change

Since Save Changes closes a display to editing, Edit, Change, or drilling down opens the data for editing.

Search or Query Screens

Add a "reset" button to every search page that loads with default values. When in doubt, default values for date ranges are:

• The current month (Example: 3/5/1999 - 4/5/1999)
• For a given application, the designer or client can change these

All search screens that contain default values should also have a Clear Form button that uses JavaScript to blank out all defaults.