PV*SOL Expert 6.0 - Manual - Valentin Software

6.1 User Interface (Menu, Tool Bar, Dialogs)
PV*SOL ® is simple to use with the usual menu and tool bar.
Menu commands currently unavailable are shown in gray type. For example, the command
Calculations > Simulation is gray as soon as valid simulation results are available.
All dialogs for entering simulation parameters and outputting results are opened via the
menu or the speed buttons in the toolbar.
The dialog is closed by clicking on OK, Cancel or Close, by clicking on the WINDOWS
button marked with an X in the top right-hand corner of the dialog, or by the key
combination ALT+F4.
The dialogs consist of input fields, selection fields , radio button , selection lists
and buttons.
You can use either the mouse or the tab key to move between the fields within a dialog
window. With the TAB key you move to the next field and with SHIFT+TAB back to the
previous field.
The various values are keyed into the input fields. When the arrow points over an input
field it automatically changes to a cursor. With a single click of the left-hand mouse button
in the input field you are ready to enter text with the keyboard. By double clicking on the
input field the entire text within the field is marked and will be overwritten as soon as you
start to type.
The formats for numbering, date and currency are as per the settings within the WINDOWS
system control panel. If you change the settings in the system control panel you will have
to restart PV*SOL ® in order to activate the changes within the programme.
On quitting a dialog window with OK, the programme checks whether valid formats have
been used and at the same time tests if the entered values are within reasonable limits.
In addition to the input fields, the programme uses selection fields (check boxes). These
are small square or circular fields that are activated or deactivated with a single click of
the mouse. If the selection fields are grouped together, only one selection is possible.
By clicking on the buttons in the dialog window you can open further dialogs. The buttons
in the right or bottom button bar of a window (eg OK, Cancel, Copy, Close) control the
window.
Check boxes allow selecting of multiple options, radio buttons allow selecting an
option.
At the top of the main screen is a button bar with a number of speed buttons, each with a
different icon. These icons represent the menu commands that you will use most
frequently when working with the programme. Clicking on the various speed buttons is the
quickest and easiest way to get to the most important dialogs.
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