Use the Application Designer and, if necessary, the application XML files, with an appropriate design process to develop applications that are easy and efficient to use.
Before you start developing or modifying an application, review the user goals for the application. Divide users into groups, based on the tasks that they perform. Instead of creating one large application to serve all users, consider creating smaller applications that serve specific needs. Give users only what they need, and nothing more.
If you place secondary information on a separate tab, it does not load until the user clicks the tab, which makes start up performance faster. The information is available with one click when the user needs it.
Users can ignore information at the bottom of the screen and can scroll down to see it when it is necessary. Including the information on the lower screen can increase load-time, but vertical scrolling is easier, faster, and less error-prone than clicking.
When you design an application that requires a lot of data entry, arrange the input fields to optimize the use of the Tab key to navigate between fields. The tabbing order of a window goes from top to bottom and from left to right.
If you want to change the location of a number of data input fields in an application, consider duplicating the application and then changing the order of the input fields. When you are modifying an application, you can delete fields that are not needed for data entry, or move those fields to another screen.
Controls are predefined components, such as text boxes, buttons, and tabs, that are used to build the application user interface. In the Application Designer, you can select a control from the Control Palette and drag it to the workspace to add it to the user interface. You then configure properties for the control, for example specifying an image file to use for a button control or setting a text control as a required field.
The application framework includes a number of predefined navigation structures that you can use to provide quick and easy access to your application and application components. Use the following navigation structures: