With the previous article in this series (Inside Time Matters 9) we began covering three aspects of user interface improvements for Time Matters 9; the overall look and feel, a “flattening” of the option and action interfaces, and finally, the simplification of primary data entry interfaces. This article will highlight significant improvements to the major option and action interfaces. We'll review significant improvements to the Main Menu Toolbar, Program and User Options and the new Task Panel that replaces an aged Navigation Bar.

Improved Option and Action Interfaces

Toolbars
For Time Matters 9, the Toolbars and Menus were redesigned to adopt the look and feel of the underlying operating system. Again, an aesthetic consideration but an important step forward in modernizing the overall interface. Functionally speaking you may now display multiple toolbars on the main menu. Previous versions of Time Matters supported display of just one toolbar. Toolbars are no longer “either or”, you can now display a combination of multiple toolbars simultaneously. I create small toolbars with specific functionality based on various workflow scenarios (day-to-day, billing, etc). I normally use a basic record access style toolbar. When I’m working on billing I’ll right click on the toolbar and add my Billing Toolbar. Very cool once you get the toolbars matched to your workflow styles.

Main Toolbar only


Main Toolbar with the Billing Toolbar added

TIP: While we're on the topic of toolbars, there's a new option in 9.0 for displaying text on toolbar buttons. The new option is called "Selective Text" and is modeled after the same option in Internet Explorer. Selected toolbar buttons (those considered to be enhanced by text) will display text horizontally adjacent to the button. All other toolbar buttons will not display text. Previous options were to display or not to display text.

Option Windows
In terms of usability the new Program Level and User Level option windows have been significantly redesigned. As Time Matters has evolved over the last 20 years, access to the multitude of options has increasingly become more complex. Time Matters 9 has improved the visibility of options which can now be discovered in fewer mouse clicks and a more intuitive manner. The previous design was simply “maxed out” with no room for growth.

Task Panels
The Navigation Bar was introduced in Time Matters 3.0. A cool concept (at the time) but over the years it had lost most of it's luster. Welcome the new Task Panel to the main lists. The Task Panel offers a few more options but primarily introduces a more appealing and intuitive user interface.

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