How to support a user who opens multiple tabs.

BLOMASKY

Aware has SystemSettings (one per application), LoggedInRegularUser (LIRU) one per user, I think I need a Session Record (one per browser instance). To store information, or an easy way to set / retrieve memory variables. Perhaps someone has a good solution to my problem.

Here is my requirement. There are salespeople using the system. It is an order entry system, so they first select a customer, (which I store in LoggedInRegularUser), once selected they start to enter the order. If in the middle of it, another customer calls, they want to open an additional browser tab, log on, select THAT customer and work on their order.

The problem is, there is only LIRU record that is now updated with the selected customer. There are many reasons why I can NOT have an additional RegularUser. Each user can have only one!

Have some of you smarties figured out a solution to this?

Thanks
Bruce

customaware

Bruce,

Check if when you open an additional Browser Tab does Aware open another SESSION.

If so, just create a BO which is created at Login which stores the SESSION_ID and refer to that.

tford

I would check with Vladimir about running two sessions on the same machine. I vaguely remember having issues in this area and learning that it was inadvisable.

Jaymer

I normally keep one browser window open to live/production, and another browser window open to test.
Each time I go to test, I do an F5 to refresh/re-login to the test system.
I have seen that if I accidentally go to the live tab, without re-logging in, I get all sorts of weird results.

So for me, I constantly F5 to login again when going between live in test so that I don’t have an issue anymore. But it definitely got confused so I agree with the previous post.

CalD

My Experience is the same Jaymer, lots of F5 happening if I have a test and live session open, also sometimes I might have two tabs open with users under different access levels, also have lots of F5 happening then or you do get weird results... and this does actually make me nervous as we start eventually getting users into the system, as if people these days are not going to try open multiple sessions... a Gen Y user will probably open enough tabs to run the pc out of memory if they can... perhaps support can share some insight if there are ways to deal with this...

Cheers

BLOMASKY

Mark, (and others), I did think about a session variable ID, but without some "tab in focus logic". as I move between windows or tabs, I don't think aware will know which one is "active". Imagine I have 3 windows / tabs open. When I go to one of them, and click a button, I do not know how Aware will know which one I am currently using. Perhaps Vlad has an answer?

Bruce

johntalbott

I did a quick test, and as I expected only get a single Tomcat session if I open multiple tabs or even a new browser instance.

Meaning if ...

I open Chrome and log in as User 1, a Tomcat session starts
I open another instance of Chrome and log in as User 2, a second Tomcat session does NOT start. User 2 takes over the open session.

But if I open Chrome in incognito or use IE, FF, etc, another Tomcat session DOES starts.

My impression is that LIRU represents the user's active Tomcat session. For this reason, I've stayed away from using LIRU at all. It's a quick and easy way to manage state, but there may be side-effects.

pureist

what about redesigning the order entry system so users don't have to spend time opening a new browser tab and logging in again just to enter an order for another customer concurrently with the WIP order?

I thought you were about 'pixel perfect' placement and elegance? This seems clunky. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

why not just open another order entry tab in the application?

alternatively you could use exec_script to access the browser object '.. sessionStorage' to store and access the ID of any user logged in, or indeed the ID of any customer which already has a WIP order.

https://www.w3schools.com/html/html5_webstorage.asp

you could also use '.. localStorage' to prevent a 2nd instance of the application being opened altogether in any tab in any browser.

HTML Web Storage Objects - HTML web storage provides two objects for storing data on the client:

window.localStorage - stores data with no expiration date
window.sessionStorage - stores data for one session (data is lost when the browser tab is closed)

"Here is my requirement. There are salespeople using the system. It is an order entry system, so they first select a customer, (which I store in LoggedInRegularUser), once selected they start to enter the order. If in the middle of it, another customer calls, they want to open an additional browser tab, log on, select THAT customer and work on their order. "

BLOMASKY

pureist wrote
what about redesigning the order entry system so users don't have to spend time opening a new browser tab and logging in again just to enter an order for another customer concurrently with the WIP order?

Lets discuss this pureist, right now, I have a customer query which takes up the screen. Once the user selects a customer, I open up a new tab with multiple panels. One is a query with all of the selected customers orders. one panel is the entry form.

If I allow multiple order tabs open, I have to have some way to know which is the selected customer. That is my problem. I can use LIRU, I can use a BO to store it, but, (and this is the thing I am stuck on)...

--> As the user clicks between the multiple order entry tabs, how will I know which customer I am working on?

That is where my tired brain is having an issue resolving.

johntalbott

Backing up a bit ...
When the salesperson selects a customer and the order form opens, at that point the order is associated with the appropriate customer, yes? If that is that case, what is driving the need to "hold on" to the customer in LIRU?

If there is no way to avoid using LIRU ...
You could use a script to call a process that sets the LIRU every time a customer form becomes "active".

pureist

It sounds like you're using DISPLAY LAYOUT (in a tab) to achieve the 'multiple panels' in the newly opened order entry tab.

".. I have to have some way to know which is the selected customer .." (for each tab - I assume you mean)

Why? (same as John asked)

Per John, the Order Entry form in the tab should automatically inherit into context the customer selected, which lead to the tab being opened (as should the all-orders query in a panel in the tab).

Is the reason why, because of the all-orders query in a panel of the opened tab?

Or are you using ENTER NEW .. AND VIEW IN TAB, thus the order form doesn't inherit into context the customer object instance selected?
(saying that, ENTER NEW can include WITH to pre-complete form fields (ie. ID of customer), but this won't put the customer selected into context)

If you're using ENTER NEW, then you should instead change your process which runs upon selection of a customer to instead CREATE a new customer order initially and then VIEW it in a new tab, so that the order form inherits everything into context.

BLOMASKY

I must be missing something. Let me try with a couple of screen shots.

The 1st one shows the customer search tab (pay no attention to the left 2 tabs. This tab has a customer query. Once I select customer and click the quote button, I get the quoting tab to open (2nd screen shot). This panel has a query on the right, which, when I select a record, it fills in the form on the left. So far all is good

Notice near the top right, there are 3 buttons, one says "Enter PO". If this is selected, I have to do "stuff" with the customer. This is easy when only one window open and I have the selected customer in LIRU, but assuming I had multiple customer tabs and therefore, multiple quote tabs, My problem is, how can I know which customer I am working with?

Yes, I could have the buttons in the query, and use an operation with records, which would give me the customer ID, but thats sort of kludgy. The buttons on the form on the top of the screen, have no context. They do not know which customer I am working with (if more than one.)

Does this make sense? or am I missing something?

tford

The screen shots are not showing up. I just see file names.

aware_support

Opening a new browser tab must NOT be done - it is a recipe for disaster. Aware IM WILL get confused if you login more than once using the same browser. Opening another browser, though, will work, but I agree with purist, in principle, that it's better to redesign the UI of the application rather than let users open other browsers or browser tabs. How to do this is a separate discussion (which I haven't been following yet, sorry)

tford

This is easy when only one window open and I have the selected customer in LIRU

When and how do you put the selected customer in LIRU? How does that step relate to the timing of clicking the PO button?

pureist

No images are visible in your last post. Please edit and correct error.

I always thought, when a customer places an order it is called a "Sales Order"?
And when you place an order with a supplier it is called a "Purchase Order"?
This is how it is all accounting systems.
Just like "AR" (Accounts Receivable) refers to money your customers owe you, and "AP" (Accounts Payable) refers to money you owe your suppliers.

"Notice near the top right, there are 3 buttons, one says "Enter PO". If this is selected, I have to do "stuff" with the customer."

I don't understand why you need to do 'stuff' with a customer in order for you to enter a "PO" (Purchase Order) for one of your suppliers?

Do you want to add the items the customer is ordering directly onto a PO you will enter and send to your supplier?

BLOMASKY

I start with a customer query. Once selected I save that customer into LIRU and then display a quote query. I have a customer form with "buttons" for the user to select an action, but while a query can have operations with records, a form does not have that. So, except for the data in LIRU, if the user has multiple browsers open, I have no way to know which customer they are working with.

Bruce

tford

Here are Bruces'' screen shots. For some reason I could see them on my phone, but not on laptop:

Customer screen.jpg
Quote screen.jpg

tford

I agree with purist about the confusing PO terminology related to a Customer. Ignoring that for now.

have a customer form with "buttons" for the user to select an action, but while a query can have operations with records, a form does not have that

A form can definitely have operations where context of the BO instance shown on the form is passed to the operation.

Also Appendix D has examples of other was to pass context in a more customized scenario.

BLOMASKY

sorry about confusing terminology. We are our customer's supplier, so it is a business requirement, that they give us THEIR PO number before we enter a sales order. But, pretend the button said "Create Sales Order".

However, Tom said:
"A form can definitely have operations where context of the BO instance shown on the form is passed to the operation."

I can not make that work. I created a small process with the Customer BO as input.
I Entered both a Panel Operation for the form, then went to the main section, added a HTML cell, clicked the Add Button, and tried the same thing. In both cases the "value" column was empty which makes me assume that it does NOT pass the BO instance.

I did look at Appendex D and perhaps that might give me more options, however, I don't see POPUP as one of the output options, which is what I require when placing an order.

I do appreciate all of the feedback on this. I feel like I am not presenting my problem as well as I could.

Bruce