VPMS Web Application

Costing on this one Cheers

The 'Preview' button has different semantics to the print button.
'Preview' downloads the document to the client.
'Print' pops up a print dialog which gives the user the options of printing and previewing. If the user prints the document, then its 'printed' flag is set true.

It sounds like the Preview button should be removed, but the 'printed' flag should only updated if the document is finalised.

Also, the Preview functionality is used in several workspaces:

• Customers -> Estimations
• Customers-> Charges
• Customers -> Payment
• Suppliers -> Order
• Suppliers -> Charges
• Suppliers -> Payment

The same change should be made to all of these?

This is a good point.

• Customers -> Estimations
  In this specific example the idea was that Printed = "given to customer" or Finalised. Ie. It could not longer be altered. Especially for Estimations I think Printed should = Finalised.

The context of Print originally discussed in the project, was in the scenario that a estimation had already been finalised but there was a need to reprint that document.

I think once an Estimation has status Finalised, the Finalise button should no longer be visible for that selection (neither should Delete but presently it denies Deletion by saying the status is POSTED).

So to summarise;
Estimation with status other then Finalised can: Edit, Delete, Finalise, Copy, Invoice (No Print or Preview)
Estimation with status Finalised can: Print, Copy, Invoice

This does not break the existing semantics of Finalise and Print as described by Tim.

• Customers-> Charges
• Customers -> Payment
• Suppliers -> Order
• Suppliers -> Charges
• Suppliers -> Payment

In respect to these instances I could imagine situations where previewing prior to finalising may be of used by some clinics (albeit not in ours). If we have a Finalise and Print button next to each other, say in Customers->Charges, is that going to confuse users? Should Printing = Finalising just as in Estimations?

A last point, if we add an Email button to the Print dialogs as described in the Ehanced Emailing project, will that automatically finalise? I suspect it should in keeping with remaining a true record of what a client may have receieved. In netvet (sorry Tony) Printing always = Finalised.

Sorry, one last point I meant to make.

With respect to;

• Customers-> Charges
• Customers -> Payment
• Suppliers -> Order
• Suppliers -> Charges
• Suppliers -> Payment

Should the Print button be only shown if the document is Finalised, avoiding confusion between the two?

I think we still need an option to be able to print something out without finalising. Some people, especially when working with large estimations, or large accounts, like to have a piece of paper to check.
We don't need a specific Preview button for this as this functionality is replicated in the Print Dialog.
I think the Print button should always be visible. If something does not have a finalised state the print Dialog OK button should ask if they want to finalise before printing. If someone wants to print but not finalise then they should use the Preview button and print from the Preview.
With the addition of the email button it should behave like the OK button.
Now this falls down if the template being printed has a location printer set and the interactive flag unchecked as no dialogue is displayed. If this is the case and the document is not finalised we would still need to prompt the user to finalise. Obviously no preview option would be available then.

That makes sense Tony.
So Print button is always visible.

But if clicking OK in the Print dialog (or Email in future) always prompts for Finalising, do we need a Finalise button?

Only if you want to Finalise and not Print.
Obviously you can finalise if you modify the document status directly when editing so that is an option. What do you think ?

Indeed. Infact this is very common for us during payments. receptionists are told to ask "Do you want a receipt?"

So Finalise stays and Preview becomes Print in all contexts.

We have come full circle!

Time estimate on this one?

Specification as currently understood:
1. The preview button is to be replaced by a print button, in all
workspaces. The print button will pop up a print dialog
2. Pressing OK in the print dialog will prompt to finalise any
unfinalised acts first.
3. The preview button in the print dialog won't prompt to finalise any
acts
4. If an act is finalised and then printed, its 'printed' flag will be
set true.