Systems Architects and Engineers specialising in the effective use of Systems Architecture, Methods and Tools since 1982

The fourth section of the menu form, the System page, has four buttons which call the following functions:

Revise HelpCards calls the HelpCardŽ definition form, allowing change to the short context-oriented help messages.
Revise Messages calls the message manager form, allowing change to the error and information messages.
Validate Schema performs a series of validations on the sphere and relationship definitions to ensure that they are correct and synchronised.
Review Statistics calls the project statistics viewer form showing the current numbers of sphere items in the various tables and of relations between them.

There are four sorts of messages used in the system.

1)    HelpCards provide the equivalent of "bubble" help, short messages which pop up when the mouse cursor runs over a button or a field with available effects or special significance.

2)    Messages include headers shown on the various dialogue boxes and the longer messages which explain the outcome or requirement.

3)    Context-sensitive help at the form level is shown on the separate help form displayed when a help button is clicked. This covers the facilities contained within the current form and provides access to this user guide, relevant to the same form.

4)    Extra help messages are available from the dialogue boxes and give more detailed explanations or instructions on the situation which has caused the dialogue to be displayed.

Both HelpCard and Message texts can be re-written by the user if this will improve their clarity. Note, however, that m

The help form is open to editing by the user, but you should avoid removing potentially vital information which another user may require.