Screen size issue..

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brad Pears
  • Start date Start date
B

Brad Pears

We have an application that pretty much requries a large screen (1024x768)
to view the entire app without using scroll bars. One of our users is
complaining because he uses 800x600 and does not like to have to scroll. I
don;t supposed there is anything out there that would allow us to shrink the
display for this particular app so that users that have their displays set
below 1024x768 can see the entire app or something along those lines is
there?


Thanks,

Brad
 
Brad,

I have done something similar to this and the way that I solved the problem
was to use code to change the size and position of the controls. (Size=
width/height properties, Position=top/left properties). However, using this
method you will have to manipulate the properties of each control. Not a fun
task.

Another suggestion is to set up another set of forms for the lower
resolution. This can become a real headache if you need to update the
interface because you will have two (or more) of every form that on which you
will have to make the changes.

I tried both methods and I liked the first one better. It was a lot of work
up front, but saved me more in the long run.

HTH
Jason
 
this is not an access issue, it is an crt resolution issue
which mades it a hardware issue which is pretty fixed.
in access, you need to look at shrinking the form somehow.
this is a draw back for developing gigantic forms.
 
Hello Brad
The user should not have to scroll nor should a very large screen be a
requirement. I use two methods to overcome this:
A large amount of data can be usually be broken into logical groups which
can be displayed using a TAB control. On the Tab control I usually number the
tab captions such as &1 Address, &2 Contacts etc Using &n allows the user to
jump to the correct page using ALT N where n is the number of the tab. Tab 1,
the default tab, displays the most commonly used group of data. To use this
method you must know how each user or group of users is using the data.
A second method I have started to adopt, but which is a lot more work, is to
use a sidebar (like Outlook) which contains a list box (I tried Trees but
they are too slow) and a header which contains buttons, the equivalent of the
TAB pages but are the 'page' names of the 'sub' forms which are opened
stacked below each other. This allows the user to display the sections of
data required.
Using the second method you need to check the screen size and adjust the
forms to it and need to track which 'sub' forms are open so that when the
user clicks a different listbox item you can update the filters on each 'sub'
form.
HTH
Terry
 
Terry, thanks for your input. Yes, I am using tab control however in this
particular case, I have a form which contains a subform(parent-child). There
are many child records and there is a ton of child data the user wants to
view. I already have a double line for the child detail line - that is how
many fields they want to see. I still have a problem where the user has to
scroll due to the amt of data. - and I am already using the smallest font!

Maybe I just need to sit with the user group and redo the screen design to
fit. I was just hopeing their might be some sort of a 3rd party tool I
cpould have implemented
to resolve the isue - kind of the "silver bullet" approach!

I am intrigues by the sidebar apporach though. Do you have a sample project
you might be able to zip and email me that I could see this in action and
maybe adopt some of it to our current practices? email:
"(e-mail address removed)"

Thanks,

Brad
 
Both seem like a lot of work. I was hoping for a 3rd party tool of some sort
that would do the trick. I'll just have to do a redesign maybe... Thanks,
Brad
 
Hi Brad,
Can't send you any of the ones I have done - contain commercial data. I will
mock one up for you asap. Watch this space
Terry
 
I have prepared a rough & ready demo which I have put up on my web site. I
may do some more work on it if there is interest. Download it (.mdb about
0.28MB, .zip about 27KB) from

http://www.teedee.com.au/td/demos/demo.mdb
OR
http://www.teedee.com.au/td/demos/demo.zip

It displays a form at the left top of screen listing two school names with
two buttons in the header. Select a school & then click the two buttons to
open the Admin Staff & Emergency Contacts for the schools. These forms are
positioned to the right of the Schools form one below the other. The
positions are hard coded but you can vary that.
Now click the other school - the display is updated to the details for the
new school.
Close either form & click the other school. The still open form is updated.

This UI has been receiving favourable comment from the users who say it is a
bit different but once you get used to it it is good to use.

As I mentioned, I tried Tree controls rather than the Listbox but they take
too long to load.

I would appreciate any feedback (+ve or -ve so long as constructive) to
td.info<.RevoveThis>@teedee.com.au
Cheers
Terry
 
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