General EP info (EP)

Current Situation

A default entry point caters for holistic data management with a 360° view of the student's life cycle or creditor or debitor. The institution can create "environments", such as the academic structure, registration of a student, allocation of financial aid to students etc, within this frame and link options or processes to it. An institution has the ability to create processes that are specific to its business areas.

Layout of General Entry Point:

General application of each area:

Menu area - Navigation area for the ITS Back Office System
Query area - An entity is queried in this area. Thereafter if the user enables any function or process, the relevant entity's information will then be queried in the requested function or process. Please note that there must be a common relationship between the data in the query area and the process area. For example there is a common relationship between {USERS-5} and {USERS-9} namely the user number, but there is no relationship between {USERS-5} and {USERS-2}, therefore the process area for {USERS-2} when selected will be enabled without any data.
If no entity is queried, functions and processes will be enabled without any data.
Processing area - Any option enabled from the function/process area will be displayed in the processing area. Applications designed for optimised application processing will display across the full screen and can be minimised if the user wants to view the Entry Point again.
Function area - Any option in the ITS Back Office System can be linked to the function area to use as part of the Entry Point's process.
Process area - A Business Process option set up with the Business Process Driver can be linked to the process area.

Layout of Entry Point on System

Default Entry Points:

These are only defaults and can be changed to suite the clients business needs.

Accounts Receivable EP {FARO-13}
Bursary EP {FBLO-16}
Procurement EP {FPMO5-11}
Student Debtor EP {FSAO-20}
Library Cataloging EP {LCAO-9}
Library Circulation EP {LCIO-12}
Personnel Members EP {PBOP-10}
Departments EP {PBOP-11}
Academic Structure EP {SACAD-1}
General Student EP {SMAIN-27}
Student Applications EP {SNAPP-10}
Student Residence EP {SNAPP-11}
Student Residence Application EP {SNAPP-12}
Space/Asset EP {SPOPS-7}
Student Registration EP {SREG-9}
Student Residence Registration EP {SREG-10}
Users EP {USERS-10}

EP Menu
The light weight menu (without menu option navigation) is used throughout the EP.

Standard query entity templates

Academic Structure (i19app)

Creditor (fm1app)

Debtor (f48app)

Space (s10app)

Student (j30app)

User (g2vapp)

Can an institution create its own Entry Points?

Yes, taking into consideration the defined ITS Query Entity Templates.

The representation of the administrational steps to Entry Points are:

Activities within each step:

Step 1: Planning of an EP which should be done by the Client.	Step 2: Creating an EP on the ITS system.
Decide if an EP is needed for a process E.g registration, etc and then decide on a Business Function name for each EP	Create the Business Function name for each EP and link the query entity on {STWEBM-1} or {PWEBM-1} Optional: change the default function frame name.
Decide which programmes must be linked to each EP	Link the menu(s) and option(s) for the EP on {STWEBM-2}, at Driver Detail or {PWEBM-2}, at Driver Detail
Decide on the menu and option for each EP	Create the menu(s) and option(s) for the EP on {USERS-1}, TAB - Menu and their Options Link menu and option to program Instructions on {USERS-1}, TAB - Menu and their Instructions
Decide on the number of options which can be opened simultaneously by a user	Set up the number of simultaneously open options on {GCS2-11}
See Demonstration #1 for detail steps	See Demonstration #2 for detail steps.

Demonstration of a plan #1 - To plan an Entry Point

Purpose	To plan your entry point
Need	Entry Point for the registration process
Name/ Business Function	ONESTOP
Programmes to be linked	Cashier Sign - on Cashier Sign - Off Enter Receipts Transactions Qualification/Subject Registration Register Additional Subjects Print Student Enrolment Student Account Query Receipts Payment Analysis Receipt Transaction List System Cycles- Registration Biographical Information Cancel a subject Cancel Enrolment
Menu and Option	{SREGAR-30}
Options simultaneously open	Five
Function Frame Name	Available Options

Demonstration #2 "Creating" - To create an Entry Point on the system

Purpose: To create your own entry point

Step 1:

On the {STWEBM-1} or {PWEBM-2} create the Business Function Name:
Specify which standard query area template to be used.
Change the default function frame name.

Step 2:

On the {STWEBM-2} or {PWEBM-2} link the menu and options to the Function
Query your business function e.g. "ONESTOP" and next block.
Link the planned menu and options one by one.
NOTE: The sequence number regulates the order of your Functions that will display on the left hand side of your screen. Use increments of 5 or 10 to make it easier to add new menus and options.

Step 3:

On the {USERS-1}, TAB - Menus and their Options create a menu and option

Step 4:

On the {USERS-1}, TAB - Menu Options and their Instructions link the a menu and its parameters.

Step 5:

On the code EW and Subsystem GC {GCS2-11} set the number of multiple window counts:

Step 6:

View your entry point and verify it.

The view of your completed EP

Demonstration #3 - To setup an option for auto query in the Entry Point.

Purpose: To demonstrate the use of auto query in your EP.

Step 1:

Set up your EP accordingly the step as describe in Demostration #2.

Step 2:

On {GBPM-2}, TAB - Fields to Store: Required Variables query your Business Function e.g. "ONESTOP"
Enter your entity e.g. STNO for Student Number or DTTR for Debtor etc.
The fields Prompt and Sort are only applicable to the Business Process Driver.

On {GBPM-2}, TAB - Fields to Store: Programs and Items query the program who which to do an auto query.

Use the LOV on the 'Program' field to obtain the program on which an auto query must be done.

Complete the following fields

Variable Name
Block
Program Item
Lookup Type (Remains on Null)
Query - must be marked with a tick to do auto query.

How to obtain the variable name?

If the user in the option and block, stand on any field on the screen and press the help (?) button on the menu bar twice. A property screen will pop up with all the field properties for the field user stand on. Scroll down with the vertical scroll bar on the right side of the property screen, up to the last property entries. Find the 'Master Mirror Item' property. In the screen print example below, the field name next to the 'master Mirror Item' is encircled. The characters, in this case e.g. B1.IADSTNO, the 'B1', before the . will be your block code and after the character after the . your program item.

General Functionality

Query entity (student number, personnel number, code, year, etc.) in query area.
To view the full option description, click on the option in the function area and scroll. Double-click on an option in the function area to start an application.
When more than one function option is open, the option name will be highlighted in the function area.
Only a limited amount of options can be opened simultaneously, this is defined using a system operational parameter (subsystem GC code EW) {GCS2-11}. Reports are excluded from the count, but the query entity is included in the count.
To change the focus, click on the area you want to change to.
To exit an option, the focus must be on the opened option in the processing area, and then exit using the exit button. To indicate that the option is closed it is not highlighted anymore in the function area.
If an option is grey highlighted in the function area that application must be closed before the next option can be open.
To exit an EP, the focus must be on the Query, Function or Business Process areas, and the exit using the exit button. The exit functionality will close the Entry Point as well as all options that were opened, requesting if any changes must be saved if changes were done on the specific options.
When an option opens, hiding the Entry Point, it can be minimised to view the Entry Point again.
In most cases the entity e.g. (the student number) will be carried forward to the option if it was queried in the query area on the Entry Point. When a auto query must be done (and it is not done programmatically) {GBPM-2} must be set up with 'Query' ticked.
The entity is not mandatory.
The options linked to an Entry Point in the function area and process area are defined in {STWEBM-2} for Graduator related EP's and in {PWEBM-2} for all other EP's
A user will only see the options in the functions area he/she has access to as defined in {USERS-2}.
The automatic display of the photo can be set in {GOPS-22}.
When a program is linked to >1 menu option and >1 of these options are linked to the EP, >1 of these options cannot be opened at the same time.
When a menu option has >1 sequence, all sequences will be opened as 'big screen' applications and another option cannot be opened between sequences.

Student EP Functionality

A Student EP is an EP where the student is used as the query entity (j30app).
When a new entity is queried, all open options will be closed to prevent a user from entering data for the incorrect student in the open options.
When a new student biographical is created, the new student will be queried in the query area and all open options, excluding the option used to create the student, will be closed. For this to work correctly, {GBPM-2} must be setup (It will be done during installation).
When a new student biographical is created, checks are done to make sure that the addresses (primary postal and study) are created.

Business Process Drivers

Activities within each step:

Step 1: Planning of BPD which should be done by the client	Step 2: Creating an BPD on the ITS system.
Decide if a BPD is needed for a process E.g registration, etc	Create the Business Function name for each BPD and link the query entity for each BP on {STWEBM-1}
Decide which programmes must be linked to each BPD	Link the menu(s) and option(s) and business rules and validation rules to the Business Process function {STWEBM-2b2}
The same Business Function name as for Entry Point must be used with a "D" at the end of the name and another function name to link the menu and options	Create the menu(s) and option(s) for the BPD on {USERS-1b2}
Decide on the menu and option for each BPD (if applicable)	Link menu and option to program Instructions on {USERS-1}, TAB
Decide on the fields that must be linked to the BPD	Link fields to business process {GBPM-2}
The rules of the BP must be set up e.g sequence, mandatory business process, if dependant on another sequence, validation rules.
See Demonstration #3 for detail steps	See Demonstration #4 for detail steps.

Demonstration #3 - To plan an Business Process

Purpose	To plan your Business Process Drivers
Need	Business Process Driver for the registration process
Name/ Business Function	ONESTOP AND ONESTOP1
Programmes to be linked	ONESTOPD You link the Business Process Driver option e.g. {GPBM-3-} ONESTOP1 Cashier Sign - On Cashier Sign - Off Enter Receipts Transactions Qualification/Subject Registration Register Additional Subjects
Menu and Option	{GBPM-30}

Demonstration #4 - To create a Business Process Driver on the system

Purpose: To create your own business process

Step 1:

On the {STWEBM-1} create the Business Function Name:

Step 2:

On the {STWEBM-2} link the menu and options to the Function
Query your Business Driver to which the menus and options must be linked e.g."ONESTOP1" and Next Block
Link the planned menus and options one by one.

(This Function will call the Business Process Drivers' master program - gx7app)

Step 3:

On {USERS-1b2} create a menu and option

Step 4:

On the {USERS-1b3} link the a menu and its parameters.

Step 5:

On {GBPM-2} link the fields to the business process as set up in Step 1 and give it a description. This information is the fields that will display when you open your Business Process Driver. The prompt is the description you would like to call the variable name. The sort is the order in which the prompts will display in {GBPM-3}, up to 10 prompts can be displayed.

How to obtain the variable name?

If the user in the option and block, stand on any field on the screen and press the help (?) button on the menu bar twice. A property screen will pop up with all the field properties for the field user stand on. Scroll down with the vertical scroll bar on the right side of the property screen, up to the last property entries. Find the 'Master Mirror Item' property. In the screen print example below, the field name next to the 'master Mirror Item' is encircled. In this case e.g. B1.IAD STNO, the variable name will be the last 4 character of the 'Master Mirror Item'.

Step 6:

All the programmes linked to the Business Process must be setup in {GBPM-2} regarding the fields that must be populated with the data.

Enter the program name, or use the LOV functionality on this field, enter the variable name, the block and program item.
Link the planned menus and options one by one.

Step 7:

On {STWEBM-2b2} link the menu and option of the Business Process Driver e.g. query "ONESTOPD" and next block.
Link the menu and code which was created in Step 4 to this Business Function.

Step 8:

The business process driver appears on your Entry point Under Processes.

Step 9:

Double Click on "ONE STOP BPD" the following appears:

Enter the Student Number, commit and go to the next block.

The next block will default the menu and options linked to the Business Process Driver.

Please Note: all Mandatory options are indicated with a (tick)

Move to {SREGAR-1} and click on "Execute" button and the registration form will open.
Enter the registration data, commit and exit the form.

Processing Rules
	No special processing rules

Date	System Version	By Whom	Job	Description
15-Jan-2007	v01.0.0.0	Charlene van der Schyff	t137175	New manual format.
06-May-2008	v01.0.0.1	Amanda Nell	t149914	Added more information regarding Business Process Driver
07-Jan-2011	v01.0.0.2	Goodman Kabini	t171521	Add more description om Query area paragraph under General application of each area block.
10-Apr-2015	v04.0.0.0	Magda van der Westhuizen	t205922	Convert to INT4.0.
03-Feb-2016	v04.0.0.0	Magda van der Westhuizen	t198986	ATOV 198986