Navigation Within FIS Banner

Navigation is accomplished using a mouse or keystrokes. The following navigation methods are available within FIS Banner:

System Menu - Select from a list of menus and forms
Go To... Field - Access a form by typing its 7 character name
Block to Block
Field to Field
Record to Record
Form to Form
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
Scroll Bars
Buttons & Icons
Keystrokes

System Menus

Double-click on any folder displayed to view its contents. The displayed System Menu is expandable. Think of the System Menu as a table of contents containing a nested list of submenus, forms and jobs. The menus and submenus are designated by the Folder icon . Forms and jobs are designated by the form icon . To enter a form, double-click on the name of the form.

Go To... Field

After successfully logging into FIS Banner, the Go To... field is the currently-active field. You can enter the seven-letter FIS Banner form code name in the Go To... field and press [enter] to jump directly to that form.

Block to Block Navigation Methods

To navigate from block to block, use the [control page up] Previous Block and [control page down] Next Block keys, the Block drop-down menu, or click on the Previous Block and Next Block toolbar icons.

Field to Field Navigation Methods

To navigate from field to field, use the <TAB> Next Field and <shift TAB> Previous Field keys. You may also use the Item drop-down menu.

Record to Record Navigation Methods

To navigate from record to record, use the [] Previous Record and [] Next Record keys, the Record drop-down menu, or click on the Previous Record and Next Record icons in the toolbar.

Form to Form Navigation Methods

There are several ways to navigate between forms without exiting the current form you are working in. Instead of going back to the General Menu (GUAGMNU) every time you need to switch to a different form, use one of the options listed below:

1) Key F5 - This lets you navigate to any form without leaving the form you are in. A small "Go To..." navigation box will appear at the top of your current form, directly below the Title Bar. Type in the form name you want to navigate to and press Enter.

Note: When in the journal voucher forms, FZAJVCD and FZAJVEL, F5 does not access the "Go To..." navigation box. Instead, it functions to access FOATEXT, where journal voucher text is entered.

2) File > Direct Access - This brings up the same small "Go To..." navigation box at the top of your current form. Type in the form name you want to navigate to and press Enter.

Note: To exit from the "Go To..." navigation box without entering a form name, key F5 or go to File > Direct Access. The box will disappear, and you will return to your original form. Caution: If you exit from the "Go To..." navigation box via the normal navigation methods [control q] Exit Screen, click on the Exit icon or Right Click - Exit, you will also exit your original form.

• To go to recently accessed forms from within any form, go to the FIS Banner menu and click on File. A menu will drop down with a list of your most recently accessed forms listed at the bottom.
  
  
• When in the Go To… field of the general menu, the Up and Down arrow keys
  [] and [] enable you to navigate to recently accessed forms.
  
  
• Using the Up and Down arrow keys to get to recently accessed forms also works in the "Go To..." navigation box described above.

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar’s drop-down menus list common functions, including many that can be used for navigation. See Form Parts: Menu Bar for a complete listing.

Note: The Menu Bar can be accessed via mouse OR via keyboard. To access via Keyboard, do the following:

1) Press Alt key (Option on a Mac) to highlight File on the Menu Bar.

2) Press the Left/Right Arrow Keys [] and [] to navigate through the Menu Bar items. Alternatively, you can press the first, underlined letter of the menu item (e.g. "E" for Edit, "B" for Block, etc.)

3) After selecting a menu item, press Down Arrow [] or [enter] to view the item's dropdown menu. Then use Up/Down keys [] and [] to navigate. Alternatively, you can press the first, underlined letter of the dropdown item (e.g. "N" for Next, "P" for Previous, etc.). Once you have highlit your chosen dropdown menu item, key [enter] to perform the menu item action.

To exit the Menu Bar:

• From a dropdown menu, press the Esc key [esc].
  
• From the menu bar, press [esc] again.

Tool Bar

The tool bar contains icons representing common functions used to navigate within forms. See Tool Bar for a complete listing.

Scroll Bars

Vertical and horizontal scroll bars provide additional navigation within the System Menu and form information areas. The vertical scroll bar is used to scroll through a list of records. The horizontal scroll bar appears when there are more fields than can be displayed on a screen.

Buttons & Icons

Buttons and icons are used to respond to the system, and perform functions.

Process Icons

A process icon tells the form to do something, for example, Select, Complete or Approve. A process icon usually appears when you can use a particular icon to perform a common activity.

Response Buttons

Response buttons appear in dialog boxes and alert boxes. When one of these boxes appears, you must respond to the system before you can continue.

Keystrokes

Most functions have associated keystrokes that can be used to navigate. For a complete listing, see the Keystrokes Table (alphabetical), and the Keystrokes Table (by function).

You may also use a keyboard template, which has the most commonly-used key strokes and functions. Contact fis_probs@ucsc.edu if you would like one.