Menus and Navigation

Overview#

Software menus are graphical user interface (GUI) elements that let you access various features and functions of an application. Menus typically consist of a list of options that are organised into categories or submenus and are accessed by clicking a button.

Navigation refers to the process of moving around within a software application to locate and access the desired content or functionality. Navigation can involve using menus, buttons, links or other GUI elements to move between different sections of an application.

Main Menu#

• The main menu is at the top of the window, above the navigational menu.
• It contains all the features of the software.
• It is referred to as the Main Menu throughout these documents.
• Entries can be removed from the main menu by clicking the small arrow on the top right and unchecking the entries to remove.
• The Actions menu lists the Global Actions your administrator set up. It appears only when at least one Global Action is Active (see Actions).

Help Menu#

The Help menu holds the layout options, the licence renewal, the ways to contact QuickEasy and the version information.

Options Explained#

Renew License Popup#

Use this popup to enter the new Expiry Date and Key that QuickEasy sends you when your licence is renewed. The top of the popup shows when your licence expires, or "License has expired".

BOS Pro shows when your licence expires:

• The title bar shows the licence holder, the expiry date and the number of days left.
• When fewer than 6 days are left, the status bar shows "License expires in" and the number of days.
• When you log in after the licence has expired, the Renew License popup opens automatically. It also opens if the Key is invalid, or if the computer's date is more than two days earlier than the last login.

Buttons Explained

Fields Explained

Layout#

• The application has a Windows 11 look and feel, with five layouts to choose from:
  • Light - Bezier (the default)
  • Light - Regular
  • Light - Compact
  • Dark - Regular
  • Dark - Compact
• The Layout menu shows a check mark next to the layout you are using.
• New users, and users who never chose a layout, get Light - Bezier. A layout you already chose is kept.
• When you select a different layout, BOS Pro asks whether to restart now to apply the change. Click Yes to restart with the new layout. If you click Cancel, your current layout stays selected.
• The layout is saved in the same INI file as the side panel width (see Side Panel), so it applies on that computer.

Navigation Bar#

• The Navigation Bar is placed below the Main menu.
• This navigational menu is a colour-coded icon menu which links related modules such as green for customers and red for suppliers.
• The name of the icon appears if you hold the mouse over the button.
• Key function: The grey arrow provides quick navigation to the last 20 opened modules. This feature is reset when BOS Pro is restarted.

Tile Menu#

• The tile menu is the Home menu and provides links to frequently used modules such as Office, Workflows, Accounting and Reports.
• The colour tiles correspond to those used in the Navigation Bar.
• In Version 25, tile menus show status information for the modules (e.g. how many Pending or Active transactions).
• The display on the tile menus is refreshed by clicking the menu button which is the first button on the navigation bar.

Button Bar#

• When you open a module, it has navigational, search and menu buttons.
• All the modules contain a button bar at the top right of the window.
• The buttons and their functions vary between modules and views within modules.
• Most modules have a Menu button that controls the views and saves or restores the layout.
• Most transactions have an Actions button that typically contains commands to copy the transaction, or to Batch Update the records. On most transactions the commands are grouped under Copy and Actions headings, and any custom Actions your administrator set up appear under Custom Actions.

Context Menus#

• A context menu is a submenu which is activated by right-clicking an entry.
• Each context menu is item-specific and varies between modules.

Side Panel#

• Certain features open as a panel on the right-hand side of the screen.
• These panels contain tabs which can be opened or closed by double-clicking the tab.
• Once opened tabs remain on the right until BOS Pro is restarted.
• The side panel defaults to a width of 472 pixels. However, it can be dragged to increase or decrease its width and that change is saved in an INI file in the Temp folder which is in the application folder.
• A sub-component module is a context-sensitive module which opens in the docked position and provides detailed information on the selected item. For example, right-clicking an item on a list of Quotations, and selecting View Material Summary opens a summary that is docked on the right.

Workspace Navigation#

Module Navigation#

• The back button < returns to the previous screen.
• For example, Edit View's back button returns to the List View. The back button on List View returns to the Tile Menu.

Window Navigation#

• The Menu button (three horizontal stripes) is the first icon on the icon row.
• Clicking it displays the Tile Menu irrespective of the current Workspace window.
• It is a quick way to obscure a display.