Starting with GROUP-E - A simple user guide

This document describes in a simple way the usage of GROUP-E. Before you start with GROUP-E you should read it and understand the concepts described in this document.

Basic infrastructure

To access GROUP-E you need only a connection to the server and a internet browser software. GROUP-E has been designed to work on all recent versions of the most used browsers IE, Mozilla, Opera and Safari on the Macintosh.

Log in

If you go to the URL of GROUP-E first appears the login interface: "Type in your username and password and proceeed with the button below [Login].
Attention: username and password are case sensitive and the password must contain at least 6 characters.

The look and feel of GROUP-E

The interface of GROUP-E is devided in two sections:

Main section
Applied section

The main section above, contains the GROUP-E menu with all applications and the personal toolbar. Within this area all applications in GROUP-E and the personal tools are just one click away, never mind where you are.

The applied section, starts with the menu bar of the actual application, underneath on the left side usualy a list or a tree of hierarchical structure represents the navigation of the actual application interface and in the middle-right section is shown the content (object) what has been choosen to edit or only to read.

The main menu

The main menu shows all available applications in GROUP-E. By clicking an icon the application will show up in the applied section below. A click on the GROUP-E logo on the left opens the personal start page (portal).
If an application icon appears transparent, you don't have permission to this application.

The personal toolbar

The personal toolbar is composed of two grey bars: the settings bar and underneath the search and quick access bar, fully configurable in the personal settings.

The settings bar

The settings bar shows on the left side the account information, further on small icons with the purpose of notification services, the icon for access the [personal settings], the time recorder and finally the [logout] button.

The search and quick access bar

The search and quick access bar is fully configurable in the middle section of the main page of the [personal settings]. Typing a word in the textarea and clicking the search button leads you directly to the results of the corresponding application.

The application menu bar

Every application in GROUP-E is tailored into a few interfaces which are represented by the tabs in the application menu bar. The bar starts with the nomination of the application, goes on with all application interfaces represented as tabs in order of its importance, and ends on the right side with an usefull function, mostly the fast search.

Many applications starts with the [Quicklist] interface represented as the first tab. It contains a few usefull lists to proceed faster to the object wanted by the user. Next tab in line usualy is the personal section followed by the tab for the shared objects of the whole team. Usualy follows the tab for creating a new entry and finaly some special tabs as Import, Filters, View- and Edit mode according to the needs of the application itselfe.

See here a few examples of the tabs in the application menu bar

Addressbook

Link manager

E-Mail

Calendar

The objects lists
navigating through objects

The most of the application interfaces contain more objects and these have to be organized. For this purpose serves a list or a tree of hierarchical structure on the left side representing the categories or folders and its objects. It can be maneuvered in the same way as your file browser: click on the [+] handle for open a folder and the [-] handle for closing. A click on the object opens it in the main window for editing or simply viewing.

See here two examples (Addressbook and Calendar) of how the access to the objects is designed according to the needs of the application itselfe:

The object window
Editing, viewing objects

All objects are presentet in the frame of a window. It depends on the purpose of the interface opened if the object can only be viewed, edited or modyfied in a certain way. All modifications made to the object by using textareas, textfields, single- and multiple chice boxes, radiobuttons or check boxes have to be saved after conclusion with the [save] button in the top window bar.

The object bar
The top window bar starts on the left with the title of the opened object and an indication what can be done with it. On the right side you will always find several actions what can be done with the open object in a dropdown box, the [save] button and finaly the [X] button for closing the object without any changes made.