User Configurable Interface Hiding Fields to Simplify Data Entry
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of data entry into applications or databases is often time-consuming and tedious, requiring users to navigate multiple screens and fields, making it desirable to simplify this process.
Innovation Solution
A user-configurable user interface system that includes a form module allowing users to set default values and hide fields from view, collapsing the form to reduce the number of displayed fields and enabling the saving of templates for repeated use, thereby simplifying data entry across multiple screens to a single screen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If all fields are displayed in the form view, then complete data entry capability is provided, but the interface becomes complex and time-consuming to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The form fields are segmented into two groups: displayed fields visible in the form view and hidden fields stored in the default value list. This segmentation allows the interface to show only necessary fields while maintaining access to all required data entry capabilities, thereby reducing interface complexity without compromising completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
Fields with default values are extracted from the displayed form and moved to the default value list. This extraction removes unnecessary fields from the main interface, simplifying the form view while preserving the ability to access and modify these fields when needed through the default value list.
2Productivity
If multiple screens are used for data entry, then all data fields can be accommodated, but the data entry process becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple screens worth of data fields are merged into a single form view by displaying only the necessary fields and hiding others in the default value list. This merging consolidates the data entry process into one screen, eliminating the need to navigate through multiple screens and significantly reducing data entry time.
Solution Approach 2:
Default values are pre-set for fields that are hidden in the form view. This preliminary action allows the system to automatically populate these fields without requiring user input or navigation to separate screens, thereby accelerating the data entry process while maintaining data completeness.
3Loss of information
If fields with default values are displayed, then users can see all available information, but the form view becomes cluttered and less user-friendly
Solution Approach 1:
The default value list serves as an intermediary between the hidden fields and the user. It stores and manages fields with default values, providing a centralized location to access and modify them without cluttering the main form view. This intermediary mechanism preserves information availability while maintaining interface cleanliness and user friendliness.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for data entry includes a form module, where the form module includes at least one form having multiple fields and the form module is configured to receive data into the fields. Each of the fields is user selectable to set a default value and each of the fields is user selectable for removal from display in a form view. The system includes a default value module, where the default value module includes a default value list, which includes the user selected fields having both a default value and user selected for removal from display in the form view. The system includes a display module that is configured to display the form view, where the form view displays the fields for data entry and collapses the list of displayed fields to remove the fields on the default value list from display in the form view.