Jerome, and community members,
Jerome, I agree that the Dialog was easy to set up and use. I think it was especially useful for narrowly focussed users and for regularly repeated questions.
The Dialog allowed a user to choose objects to dynamically follow a path. They could not really make errors. If they just chose an object on a window ... the next windows attached would just show objects on that predefined link.
So in the example below, they could choose an application and the servers upon which the app was installed would show up. Also, the database updated by the app would show up in the lower window in the middle of the picture.
If a server was selected, then all applications on the server would be shown, and the site at which the server lived would also be shown.
I call this dynamic tracing on a fixed path.
So I think Dialogs did this well.
We have many users with common questions that arise where the user knows their starting object (eg. application), and they just want to explore the local area.
For example: for an application, what servers is it running on, where are these servers, and what else is running on these servers. And what databases does it use and what other applications use these database.
Dialogs did this very quickly and easily.
I am aware of other ways to see this information.
Option: Explorer
The explorer has lots of irrelevant folders and the intermediate selection of folder makes the path hard to understand. Also, the lack of fixed spatial positioning means that the user has more work to do to become familiar with the data in explorer windows.
Option: Wizard
I have not been able to see an example of a wizard, but my aim is more about viewing existing information.
Option: Descriptor / document
Write a descriptor and let the user select and run a document or descriptor. (I do not think this would be efficient to build or use)
NEW option: Chain Explorer panels
Branch and chain the right hand panel of the explorer windows from a starting object.
In other words, replace each window in the dialog diagram with the right hand panel of the explorer window.
The link from one (right hand) explorer panel to the next would be predefined to show up when an object is selected.
Here is an example:
It obviously has the look and feel that is desired.
It also limits non-expert users from going down wrong paths.
Does anyone else have any thoughts on how to present this concept of dynamic tracing with focussed but predefined structures?
(pictures would be helpful to me.)
Any thoughts on my suggestion?
Rob Kerr
