Getting STARTED
From AvectraWiki, the wiki of Avectra netFORUM
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Welcome to netFORUM
netFORUM Enterprise is a membership management, enterprise system that allows you to coordinate association management, e-Marketing, e-Commerce, content management, and business operations in a Web-based environment. With over 30 modules, netFORUM Enterprise has an underlying architecture with the flexibility to support easy configuration and adaptation.
This Wiki will assist both Users and Developers in navigating netFORUM Enterprise and help you adapt netFORUM Enterprise to suit your organizations specific operational needs.
The Basics of netFORUM for the Everyday User
netFORUM is a database system organized with a selection of Modules. Within the modules are the Group Items, content groups that contain all of the functionality within the system. The Group Item Links are functionality within these content groups where the actual data is entered using an array of forms, pages, wizards, and windows.
The Standard Group Item Links or functionality within each Group Item:
These are the most common tasks that you will perform and UNIVERSAL THROUGHOUT netFORUM.
The detailed data is then organized in a Profile Page for easy access and editing. Within these Profile Pages are sub-forms called "Child Forms" that store data related to the "parent" or primary topic of the profile.
Despite the volumes of different data available to you, the functionality spans seamlessly across multiple modules to you, the primary user. From the main Individual Profile page alone, the quintessential profile in all of netFORUM, you can navigate to information from the Inventory, Events, Membership, Accounting, E-marketing, and Subscriptions modules with a simple click of the mouse.
Also, there are distinctive buttons, icons, and links throughout netFORUM to help you navigate the User Interface freely and efficiently.
Setting up netFORUM
The AvectraWiki is a great resource when you’re setting up your netFORUM site. Here’s a quick list of links that you may find useful when you’re doing your setup.
Browser Requirements
netFORUM requires Internet Explorer 6, with Service Pack 1 or above.
The First Steps
How to Use This Wiki
The pages in this section of our wiki closely follow the netFORUM 2.0 User Interface and all of it's functionality. This portion of the wiki is designed for the EVERYDAY USER. Each page is setup for easy movement between other pages, topics, or other related sections using a variety of links, lists, and other navigation tools.
If you are new to netFORUM, we recommend you first familiarize yourself with the baseline User Interface (UI) and the terminology. Since netFORUM is customizable, screen shots of pages and forms are used sparingly in the help sections and are often displayed in a "thumbnail" version due to their size. However, more screen shots will be used if the feature or functionality is new. You may see one or both of these warnings on a page:
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(All screen shots are of the baseline user interface. The Add & Profile Pages can be customized based on the specific needs of your organization.) |
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(Due to the size of this image, it has been displayed in "Thumbnail" version. To view the full size image, CLICK ON THE IMAGE. Click the BACK arrow on your browser or the appropriate PAGE REFERENCE in the Links section at the bottom of Image Profile to return to this page.) |
Capitalization and symbols will also follow the UI in the step-by-step instructions except where precluded by proper grammar or syntax. Gramatically, most of the pages and functionality will be treated as proper nouns.
If you are already familiar with netFORUM, these help files are seperated first by module, then by the group items within these modules and all of their inclusive functionality. Information regarding data found in several child forms will be docuemented within the parent module e.g. the data on the registrations child form in the Events tab of an Individual Profile page will be documented in the Events module, not in CRM.
The following is a synopsis of how this wiki will look, how it works and where you can find all the help information you need in your everyday use of netFORUM Enterprise.
Each page will have an Information Box in the upper right corner. The COLOR of the header in each will remind you as to what type of page your are currently viewing. The footer of each box will provide a link to return you to the primary Module Page or the feature's basic Functionality Page. The the footer of the Information Box on the Module Pages will have a link to the "What's New Section" with that module.
Important Note: Four of the Five universal Functionality pages (List, Find, Query, Query Central) will provide links back to all of the Modules in the Information Box.
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- The Group Item pages within each module.
- The module Setup page(s) and to Centralized Order Entry (if applicable).
- The netFORUM User Interface and netFORUM Glossary pages.
- The System Options and database Tables within each module.
A vertical Navigation Box will also be on every Group Item, Group Item Link, Functionality, and "New Feature" page specific to that module i.e. if you are on the Invoice page the Navigation Box for the Accounting module will be displayed.
Note: There is a Search Navigation Box which is not "module specific" that will display on all search or find related functionalities such as List, Query, Find, etc.
The netFORUM 2.0 User Interface
This section covers the baseline netFORUM 2.0 User Interface and all of it's features and terminology on the most commonly used pages.
- Module Menu and Overview Pages.
- Profile Pages including Child Forms.
- Group Item Links.
- All of the Button, Icons, Links, and Fields.
And a section on Switching from the Classic interface to the netFORUM 2.0 interface
The netFORUM Glossary
The netFORUM Glossary page provides definitions to the unique terminology of netFORUM.
What's New in netFORUM
This section is accessible from the Users block on the Home Page and includes the current Release Notes, which are a summary of the new functionalities and features included in the latest release of netFORUM.
Module Pages
Each Module will have it's own page with a consistent layout for easy navigation. Each page is laid out as follows:
- Overview: A brief description of what each module does, a listing of the Group Items, and the primary Profile Pages within each of the group items.
- Getting Started: The procedures for setting up the module and the recommended work flow.
- Common Tasks: These are the basic functionalities within each module, which are typically located as links and/or icons on the Overview Page.
- Advanced Tasks: These are links to the more complex or advanced features of each Module.
- Related Modules: Links to other Modules referenced by this Module.
Group Items
The functionality of netFORUM is HERE! Group Items and specific functionality have their own pages with information and links to each Group Item Link and the advanced tasks. Each page is laid out as follows for easy navigation:
- Overview: What functionality is contained within each Group Item and how it works.
- Adding Records: How to add a the basic record of that Group Item or Functionality and links to additional information (e.g. The Add Organization group item link in the Organization group item is used to Add and Organization to your database)
- Finding Records: How to find a record within that Group Item or information regarding that functionality.
- Managing Records: A brief description of the Profile Page and how to edit the data it contains.
- Related Functionality: Links to other setup and functionality within the Group Item, including all of the functionality relating to the Profile Tabs.
- Additional Information: This is where YOU can add your best practices and thoughts on each functionality.
- See Also: Other functionality in the group item and links to the other modules referenced.
- Technical Information: Links to all of the technical pages, tables, objects, and system options.
The Info Box on the upper right of each Group Item Page contains a link back to the Module page (or other more pertinent page), as well as small hyperlinked images that take you to other related pages within the group item (left to right):
- A link to the Community page. This link is always visible.
The next four links may be present only if there is a page available. They are:
- Link to a related training exercise
- Link to a Webinar
- Link to a .NET Class Library (for advanced programming)
- Link to the database table associated with the group item
Functionality Pages
A Functionality Page explains a concept or feature in netFORUM that is not a conventional data entry operation. For example, Scheduled Queries, Create a Word Document, Left Navigation Menu, etc., are documented on Functionality Pages. Group Item pages are generally for describing records that you add, update or delete, such as Individual, Invoice, Registrant, etc.
Group Item Links & Other Functionality
There are FIVE (5) basic functionalities that are universal throughout netFORUM:
The List, Find, Query, Query Central, advanced tasks and some other functionalities that are universal throughout netFORUM will have their own pages that are linked throughout the application. Hence, only the Add functionality will be detailed specifically on each group item page because each Add form is different for each of the group items.
The Find form within each group item also offers different fields for you to enter data but THE layouts are basically the same across all modules.
| netFORUM Modules | |
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| Abstract | Accounting | Accreditation | Admin | Advertising | Awards | Certification | CEU | Committee | CMS | CRM | Emarketing | Events | Exhibits | Fundraising | Grants| Grassroots | Inventory | Membership | Reports | Sales | Subscriptions |Time and Billing | Toolkit | ALL | |
