Table of Contents
1. Links: the main way to navigate
2. Navigation bars
3. Context-sensitive help links
4. For administrative users
Navigation in ConfTool
Navigating in ConfTool is straightforward. The basic elements you use to navigate are links, supported by a few navigation bars that help you find your way around. This page explains all of them – first for all users, then the additional options available to administrators.
1. Links: The Main Way to Navigate
Links to options are displayed in bold and in a clearly discernible colour. The function of each option is explained in the link text itself and directly below the link (see image 1).
2. Navigation Bars
To move back and forth between the menus, ConfTool provides three navigation bars (see image 2 for an overview).
Main Navigation Bar
The main navigation bar sits directly beneath the conference header and includes the central functions (see image 3):
| Element | Function |
|---|---|
| Back button (left) | Always returns you to the last navigation page of the system. Use this as your back button instead of your browser's. |
| Country flag / language name | Switches the interface language, if the installation offers several. |
| Server time & time zone | Shows the current server time, not your local time, so all users can meet deadlines. This is information only, not a navigation tool, and can be disabled by admins. |
| Your name | Opens the basic functions of your user account. |
| "Logout" / exit symbol | Ends your ConfTool session. |
Use ConfTool's back button, not your browser's.
The back button on the left of the main navigation bar reliably returns you to the previous page within ConfTool.
Your browser's back button may resubmit data.
Top Navigation Bar
Whenever you leave the overview page and select a function, an additional top navigation bar appears beneath the main navigation bar (see image 4):
| Element | Function |
|---|---|
| Breadcrumbs | Show your position in the structure of the system and lead you back to your starting point. |
| Printer symbol | Generates a printable version of the page. |
| Arrow pointing down | Scrolls directly to the bottom of the page. |
| Disk symbol (when shown) | Saves the content of the page to your local drive as a Word document. Appears depending on the page content. |
Bottom Navigation Bar
At the bottom of the page you find the bottom navigation bar, which resembles the top one (see image 5):
| Element | Function |
|---|---|
| Arrow pointing up | Scrolls directly to the top of the page. |
| Printer symbol | Generates a printable version of the page. |
3. Context-Sensitive Help Links
On many pages you will find context-sensitive help links, marked with a small help icon.
When you hover over the icon, a tooltip shows the topic of the help page. When you click it, a new window opens that guides you to the corresponding online manual, a specific section of it, or a page in the ConfTool support forum. You can find the help icon in three places:
| Where you find it | Where it leads |
|---|---|
| Top & bottom navigation bars | More specific information about the current page (see image 6). |
| Section headers | Usually the main manuals (see image 7). |
| Next to a specific option or function | More information about that particular option or function (see image 8). |
Navigation in ConfTool for Administrative Users
Users with administrative roles have many more options than normal users (e.g., authors or participants) and therefore also find additional navigation options and hints.
Navigation on Report Pages
On pages with reports, namely the list of users, participants, submissions and review results, you can find an additional navigation bar above the list. A search field on the left will help you to directly find the item you are looking for. If you enter several search terms, all items will be shown that match all of the terms. Please note that you can also always use the search function of your browser by typing CTRL+F.
The numbers and arrows in the middle of the bar allow you to navigate from page to page. On the right-hand side you can set how many items are to be displayed by choosing a number from the drop-down menu "Per Page".
Furthermore, you can select the order of the lists by clicking on the name of the category (header of the list) you want the list to be sorted by. Then click on the arrows to switch between ascending and descending orders.
In many cases you find several filter options above this navigation bar. Here you can select which items shall be displayed. The tab "show more filter options" will extend this element and show other, less frequently used filters (see image 9).
Additional Options in the Bottom Navigation Bar
On selected pages of the configuration section ("Settings"), admin users will find an additional option in the bottom navigation bar to enable further, less frequently used settings. Click on the text "Expert Settings Disabled" and the current page will be loaded anew with further options that are not necessarily needed for standard conferences. Please save your current settings on this page before you carry out this action.
When you click on the flash symbol (only visible on the overview page or if the service mode is enabled) the ConfTool user cache will be cleared. This is useful when you want to see changes you have made to the wording or other settings of the conference installation (see image 10).
Drop-down Menu "Related Functions"
The drop-down menu "Related Functions" will appear on the right beneath the top navigation bar on many pages for administrative users. Three different kinds of links appear in this drop-down menu:
- Links next to double arrows will guide you to the previous or next settings page in a sequence of settings (see image 11).
- Links next to normal arrows will guide you to pages that are connected to the current page with regard to content or function (see image 11).
- When you click on the links next to the download and .zip icons, the corresponding download will be executed (see image 12).
