Online help, what you are viewing now, is like a big user manual that is viewable online instead of being printed on paper. It is available within the TFACTS system whenever you need it. When you open online help (by clicking the help link on any TFACTS screen), the help for that TFACTS screen appears in a separate window with the word, "Show" on the top left. Click the Show link and you get access to the entire online help manual. Use the manual's Table of Contents in the left pane to find topics by functional area. Use the Search field on the right to search on a word or words.
Types of assistance in TFACTS Online Help
Screen description topics
The help for a particular Screen description help is "context sensitive." That is, the topic displays information about the screen you are viewing. The topic describes the purpose of the screen you are viewing and provides links to additional information:
"How do I" links. These links open task topics that explain how to do a specific task in the system.
"Related policies" links. These links display the relevant sections from the Department's policy web site.
Field definitions link. This link displays information about entry fields on the screen.
To open a screen description topic, click the help link in the upper-right portion of the screen. The topic appears in a separate browser window.
Task topics
Task help explains how to perform a simple procedure, such as create an ad-hoc alert. The task topic contains specific steps for the fields, links and buttons that you must complete on a screen. You determine, based on your job knowledge and experience, the correct field entries for the procedure.
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Task help does not tell you what field values to select for a given situation. Too many variables exists depending on the circumstances of the case. If you need this type of job-related guidance, open the screen description topic for the screen and click a link under "Related Policies." |
You can open task help in these ways:
Click the Help & Training link in the header. The Online Training page appears. On this page, click the Online Help link. The TFACTS help appears, with navigation panes above and to the left of the topic content. The task topic appears in the right pane of the help screen.
Click a link under the "How do I" heading in a screen description. This opens the task topic in the same small browser you are viewing the screen topic.
Click a topic in the Contents pane when you are viewing the full help system. The tasks are listed in the Contents pane in the same manner as in a paper manual. Tasks are grouped according to functional work areas, such as Intake.
Some tasks are part of a process, such as recording a CPS intake. These tasks are listed in a process overview.
Process overviews
Some procedures in TFACTS require you to enter several types of records on multiple screens, such as completing a new intake. A process overview describes the overall procedure and contains the steps to complete the process. Some steps are links to specific tasks for completing the procedure. The heading "Process" appears in the topic to help identify it as a process overview.
Each task for the process contains a link back to the process overview topic. This allows you to quickly return to the overview if necessary. The task topics also contain the <Previous Task and Next Task> links at the bottom of the topic. These links allow you to proceed back and forth sequentially through the process.
Conceptual topics
Conceptual topics explain how the system or part of the system works. These topics begin with "About" in the title and contain links to related task topics and process overviews.
Access to topic content
When you click the Help & Training link, the full online help opens. The help screen contains different areas for selecting help tools and displaying information. The top navigation pane contains icons that help you locate the topics that are of interest to you. The left pane displays the tool you select in the top navigation pane. The right pane contains the information you selected.
Contents. Organizes topics according to functional job areas. Categories of topics appear as "books" in the contents. Specific topics appear as pages.
Index. Displays key words in alphabetical order, like the index of a book. Type the word or concept you are looking for in the field at the top of the pane to navigate to that section of the index. Click on an index entry to display the topic associated with it. If more than one topic is associated with the word, select one of the topic links that appear on top of the word.
Search. Allows you to search help content for specific terms. Type the term you are looking for in the search field, then click Go. The topics that contain the term you entered are listed in the pane. Click the topic to view the content.
Print. Prints the topic content on a printer in your office.
