Trees - how do you show operations as a dropdown menu?

ask180

Hi,

I have a business object which stores an organisational structure. I am trying to use the Tree presentation to show the organisational structure as a tree.

The tree itself works fine.

The tree consists of different organisational unit types (eg: Region, Branch, Section etc). I have different Operations, dependent on the organisational unit type.

The problem is that the Operations display across the line in the tree. Since there are a lot of operations, I am trying to have these Operations in a dropdown menu on each line, rather than shown across the line.

I can't see where to set the menu style to dropdown. Does anyone know where this is set?

PointsWell

You can show operations as drop downs by showing the panel operations, the selecting one of these and pressing the Edit Toolbar, which shows another window. It is this window which controls the order of buttons. Select start folder, then move the after the folder. Use end folder close the list of drop down items.

I haven't played with this to see how many folders can be embedded.

ask180

Thanks for the suggestion. The problem with using panel toolbars (if I understand them correctly) is that they don't give context to the user for their position in the tree. For example, my tree looks something like this.

Name Type

New South Wales State [Edit] [View] [Add Region]

Northern Region [Edit] [View] [Add City] [Add Town]
> Newcastle City [Edit] [View]

> Taree Town

Instead of having the operations across the line (taking up space, and I run out of room as there are other options),
can I present the line as, for example:

New South Wales State [Menu]

where [Menu] is a dropdown of the options applicable for the Type (in this case, State)?

PointsWell

In the query / grid Display Results there is a check box for Create Menu Button.

Then define details for it - label and or icon

ask180

Thanks again for the suggestion, but I don't get the option to create a menu.

Is this because I have selected Tree? I do get that option with other layout types.

I'm wondering whether this is a shortcoming of Trees (ie: they don't support a menu of options on the leaves).

PointsWell

You could use the When Expanded functionality for each query then you'd be able to use the operation buttons in the way you need instead of using the tree functionality. Obviously if your tree is of unknown depth then this won't work brilliantly (unless the relationship is recursive on the same BO)

E.g.
Country when expand search states when expand search cities.

pureist

From my recollection, both your below observations are correct:

"The problem with using panel toolbars (if I understand them correctly) is that they don't give context to the user for their position in the tree."

"I'm wondering whether this is a shortcoming of Trees (ie: they don't support a menu of options on the leaves)."

ask180

Thanks for your comments Pureist. I'll try and think of some other solution.

pureist

you could ask Support if bringing the Tree functionality up to scratch is possible, and the cost if user sponsored.

It seems obvious and useful that the node selected should be written into Context.
....without this, it is very cumbersome to insert a Node at the desired place in the Tree
....in fact, this seem so key that it seems like it is a bug that it doesn't already work this way
It seems obvious and useful that all the item operations could be consolidated into a dropdown menu, via a button, on the Node.

ask180

Good advice. I'll contact support.