View Menu

The View menu items include tools that help the user in using the software and adapting it to their specific needs.

These tools include the following:

• Plan Navigator
• Easy Start Wizard
• User Defined Texts
• Application Functions
• Navigator Mode
  

Plan Navigator

The Plan Navigator displays the main functions of the Business Planner in a hierarchical tree structure on a bar, which is docked to the left of the screen. It was designed with the novice user in mind but it serves the experienced user as well.

The Plan Navigator actually shows the same functions that can be operated from the Plan menu and the Analysis menu but it is much more convenient and quick to use because, unlike a menu, it is displayed fully all the time.

As a default, the Plan Navigator is loaded automatically when the Business Planner is loaded. You may change this by unmarking the check-box "Load Plan Navigator at start up" in the Preferences screen.

The Plan Navigator window can be removed and loaded again whenever you need it, simply by clicking the <Plan Navigator> button on the main toolbar.

The Plan Navigator display

The Plan Navigator display is a tree (outline) and you can see the main items - General, Tables, Plan, Analysis, Reports and Graphs - in bold fonts and the sub items in regular fonts.

Selecting an item, by clicking on it with the mouse, will display a brief explanation concerning this item in the small yellow window at the bottom of the Plan Navigator bar.

Double clicking an item will load the window related to this item where you can enter data or see the analysis results.

Item Sensitive Help

The Plan Navigator presents a short explanation to each item. The explanation is displayed in a small yellow box at the bottom of the tree. This shortened help explanation can be shown/hidden by clicking the small button that appears below it.

Plan Navigator Mode

The Plan Navigator can display items according to three modes that are selected by the user: Simple, Medium or Full. The selection is done by clicking the "Navigator Mode" button in the toolbar on the top of the navigator or the Edit/Navigator mode button on the menu.

When the Simple mode is selected, the Navigator will show the main and most used planning functions of the software.

When the Full mode is selected the Navigator will show all the planning functions.

The Medium mode is in between the other two modes, it will show the functions that are used by experienced users that do not require the most advanced functions and reports of the software.

These modes can be used as a tool that enables a new users to learn the software more easily and it can help experienced users to focus on the planning steps that are necessary for them.

Easy Start Wizard

The Easy Start Wizard will lead you, step by step, through the preparation and the analysis of the Business Plan, giving you specific explanations for each screen.

The Easy Start wizard is displayed automatically when you first run the Business Planner. You can close it whenever you like by clicking the Cancel button, and reload it whenever you want by clicking its button on the main toolbar or by selecting it from the Accessories sub-menu, under File menu.

The Easy Start Wizard is designed to be easy to use. It's screen includes a header and explanation referring to the current step or screen that is being handled. You are asked to view the displayed data or to adjust/enter your own data. You use the Next button to move to the next step or the Back button to return to the previous step.

Main Stages

The Easy Start Wizard includes two main stages:

The first stage is a series of screens that allow you to enter General data about your plan where you are asked to fill-in a few parameters for the business plan, according to your needs. These parameters are similar to the parameters that you enter in the General Data screen when you use the software without the wizard.

In the second stage the wizard resizes itself to a bar under the main toolbar, and starts to display the data screens of the software one by one as you click the Next button. When a screen appears the bar displays an explanation that refers to the screen being displayed. When you click Next the present screen is closed and the next screen appears. If the screen is a data screen, when it is closed all the data that was entered or altered will be saved automatically.

Φ Note: when a data screen is displayed by the wizard the OK and Cancel buttons on its toolbar are disabled. When the screen is displayed without using the wizard, these buttons are active and you can decide whether to save the data entered or to discard any changes when closing the screen.

When the Easy Start wizard is displayed, the Plan Navigator is not active. When the wizard displays data and analysis screens you can see that the name of the current screen in the Navigator is marked, but you can not select another screen from the Navigator, as you do when working regularly without the Easy Start wizard.

Buttons

Back: Close the currently displayed screen and display the previous screen

Next: Close the currently displayed screen and display the next screen

Cancel: Close the Easy Start wizard.

Show Easy Start Wizard on application startup

When the Easy Start Wizard is displayed you can use the check-box, that appears at the bottom of the wizard near the navigation buttons, to set it to run automatically when the Business Planner is started or not to run automatically.

User Defined Texts

This feature enables you to modify the texts that you see on the main program interface - specifically the Plan Navigator and the Data and Analysis menu items. The modified texts also appear on the generated screens. For instance, the user may want to replace Operational Expenses by Budget Expenses.

Items modified in this screen can be reset to the original by deleting the user defined text from the screen.

If the <Clear All> button is used, all the modified texts revert to the original texts.

Enable User Defined Text

This option defines if User defined text will be used. Usually the option will be marked and the user defined text will be used. But, when you want to temporarily return to the system default texts without erasing the text defined by you, e.g. when working with another user who is not familiar with your specific defined texts, you can disable the use of User defined text by unmarking this option. In the future you can easily return to use the user defined text by marking this option again.

Application Functions

The Application Functions screen will allow you to hide functions that you may deem to be unnecessary to the way that you want to implement the Business Planner. If you wanted to hide the Provisions function displayed in the plan navigator, (and from the Menu items), you can un-check this line in the Application Functions screen and, on clicking the OK button, this item will remain hidden until you check the box at some future time.

Buttons

OK - Implements the Show/Hide indicated by the checkbox.

Cancel - Leaves the situation as it was

Mark All - Marks all the checkboxes making all functions visible on exiting the screen

Navigator Mode

The Plan Navigator can display items according to three modes that are selected by the user: Simple, Medium or Full. The selection is done by clicking the "Navigator Mode" button in the toolbar on the top of the navigator or the Edit/Navigator mode button on the menu.

When the Simple mode is selected, the Navigator will show the main and most used planning functions of the software.

When the Full mode is selected the Navigator will show all the planning functions.

The Medium mode is in between the other two modes, it will show the functions that are used by experienced users that do not require the most advanced functions and reports of the software.

These modes can be used as a tool that enables a new users to learn the software more easily and it can help experienced users to focus on the planning steps that are necessary for them.