The list of production configurations can be filtered, searched and sorted using the Filter and Search bar. The following functions are available to users:

Figure 2: The filter and search bar for Production Configurations

• Set Filter [7] – by clicking on the button, various filters can be selected to filter the list of Production Configurations. The filters can be configured and saved as the user wishes so that they are available at all times. The following filters are available:
  • Created by – selection list of user names with exclude function
  • GUID – entry of a GUID
• Selection menu [8] – this contains all menu items related to the use of filters. The following options are available:
  • Filter Set selection – list of saved filter sets
  • Save – save the currently selected filters as a filter set
  • Save as – create a new filter set based on the currently selected filters
  • Delete Filter Set – delete the currently selected filter set
  • Delete filter  delete currently set filters
• Display Filters [9] – display the currently set filters. A black filter chip displays included entries, a white filter chip excluded entries.
• Delete Filters [10] – currently active filters can be removed by pressing the button. A single filter criterion can be removed by clicking on the X in the respective filter criterion.
• Sort criterion [11] – by selecting an entry in the list, the field by which the list is to be sorted can be selected. The following sorting criteria are available:
  • Created – creation date and time
  • Name – name of the Production Configuration
• Sort [12] – by clicking on the button, the list can be sorted in ascending or descending order based on the selected sort criterion.
• Search [13] – by entering a text, the list of production jobs is filtered. The fields in which the full-text search is to be carried out can be determined in the search function settings.
• Settings Search Function [14] – parametrize the full-text search in these settings. On the one hand, select the fields that are to be used for the full-text search and, on the other hand, define whether the search is to be carried out exactly or as a full text. There are two options:
  • Default: The search is carried out for the entered text characters, regardless of whether there is another character before or after them.
  • Exact: The search is carried out for the entered text characters, whereby there must be no other character before or after them. In addition, characters such as % and _ can be used to make the search even more specific.

The action bar contains all the commands that can be applied to selected list entries, as well as the command for creating a new list entry. Some of these commands can also be applied to multiple selected entries. The following processes are available:

Figure 3: Action bar and pagination of the Automation > Production Configuration menu

The following commands and options are available in the action bar:

• Add [15] – use this to create a new Production Configuration.
• Edit [16] – use this to edit the selected Production Configuration, for example to adjust the Operations it contains. It is not possible to edit multiple Production Configurations at the same time.
• Delete [17] – deletes the selected Production Configuration(s). This process cannot be undone.
• Copy GUID to Clipboard [18] – copies the GUID of the selected Production Configuration to the clipboard.
• Refresh Display [19] – updates the list view.
• Additional functions [20] – this is where the user can set the display options for the list view.
• Select All/Select None [21] – by activating this button, all entries in the list are selected or deselected.

In this area of the action bar, set how many Production Configurations should be displayed in the list per page and display the total number of Production Configurations. The following information is displayed and the following options are available:

• Items per Page [29] – select how many records should be displayed in the current list per page. The maximum entry is limited to 100 records.
• Number of records [30] – indicates how many records were found by the currently set filter.
• Pagination [31] – indicates how many pages were found and offers the option to jump to the next or last page, as well as to the previous or first page, in the list.

Figure 6: The action bar and pagination of the Automation > Production Configuration menu

The list of Production Configurations displays all currently filtered Production Configurations. The individual data records in the list provide the following information and functions:

• Name [32] – the name of the Production Configuration. When assigning the name, make sure to choose an appropriate name for it. The same name can be used multiple times. The uniqueness of a Production Configuration is only given by the unique number (GUID) [33].
• Operations [34] – display the Operations for the Production Configuration in the selected order.
• Start corresponding Automators [35] – when processing Automation Jobs, the required Automators (executing units of the operations) should be started automatically. If this does not happen for some reason, start all Automators for this Production Configuration by clicking on the button.
• Edit [36] – make any necessary changes to the Production Configuration.

Figure 7: The user interface of the Automation > Production Configurations menu.

In the General tab, enter a Name for the Production Configuration and optionally a Comment for the Production Configuration.

Figure 8: The General tab of the Production Configuration dialog

The actual configuration of the Production Configuration takes place in the Operations tab. By adding operations and determining their sequence, it is possible to easily map process steps without major complexity.  The user can perform the following processes here:

• Add Operation [38] – clicking the button opens the menu in which all the available Operations are displayed. Select the desired operation. Note that certain Operations can only be added once, while others can be added multiple times per Production Configuration.
• Delete Operation [37] – clicking on the symbol removes the operation from the configuration.
• Changing the order of Operations – determine the order by:
  • Adding operations in the desired order.
  • Moving an Operation by simply clicking on it and moving it to the desired position.
• Parameterizing the Operation [39] – to enter the desired options for the operation, the operation must be selected. Depending on the selected operation, different options are offered.

Figure 9: The Operations tab of the Production Configuration dialog

If the user tries to move an operation to a position that is not allowed in the sequence, a corresponding message [41] is displayed immediately. If no message is displayed and only the operation is marked in red, [40] it is a misconfiguration of the parameters of the respective operation.

Figure 10: The Operations tab of the Production Configuration dialog box, showing an error