We have started (yet another) user interface improvement project. We decided that instead of building off the preexisting UI improvement project, we would start over again.
OpenEMR was started prior to many innovations in web technology, and the user interface reflects this.
Like the previous project, our goal is to implement Twitter Bootstrap, but with several additional requirements.
We understand that for all of the desire to refactor the underlying code, but there are many stakeholders that have a lot working knowledge of the code. Additionally, there is a significant amount of business logic that is tied to the UI code. So, our approach is to try to preserve the code base so as not to “throw the baby out with the bath water”, so to speak.
It is the goal of this project not to change the structure of the code or materially alter the function of the system. We will also maintain backwards compatibility with the existing OpenEMR theming system.
We are employing the following methodology, we have created an SCSS stylesheet from the style_oemr.css style, then
Where possible, we are reusing the existing OpenEMR classes by extending the Bootstrap classes.
If needed we apply new classes to the HTML (making sure not to interfere with existing styling)
Worst case scenario we modify the HTML and/or PHP in a way that is backwards compatible with the existing code/theming system, an example of this was the pills in messaging.php
John,
I pointed the above demo to the “ui-foundation” branch. But it looks like there is another branch “ui-dev-phase1” that has more recent modifications. Just let me know when I should change the demo target branch, and I’ll gladly do so.
Is there a specific branch on your repository that we should be looking at? It looks like a new branch is created every several days and unclear which one to test.
I just tested the most recent branch on your repo (ui-dev-phase1-tables) and directed the following demo to it: http://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/Development_Demo#192.168.1.131
(to see the new modern theme, select Adminstration->Globals->Appearance->Theme->style_bootstrap.css)
Hi Tony,
I just checked and demo and wiki are working now (sourceforge stuff does go down every once in awhile for a couple minutes at a time; guessing that’s what happened to you).
-brady
Any chance we’ll see the demise of the split-screen frames in this upgrade? My employees who aren’t as tech savvy tend to get tangled up with it. I think Kevin had a tabbed mod going not long ago. That would be a really cool feature to see implemented.
It’s not the split screen that’s a problem, that can be very useful, it is the fact that it’s HTML frames based which is a HTML method that has long ago been replaced by
for device independence. however, weeding it out of openEMR is hard, the login screen uses 3 frames for no good reason at all … Then there is the title bar and left nav menu that are also frames. Lot’s for status data tracked in the title frame via javascript …
Hi Frankie,
There is zero chance that will happen in the next version release
As Tony describes above, trying to unwrap OpenEMR out of the frames would take a very large amount of resources to complete.
-brady
Let’s gather the resources! Perhaps John can start a crowdfunding campaign to work on updating the overall user experience after the bootstrap project. I’d be happy to pledge toward his (and his teams?) effort.
And I certainly didn’t mean to imply something that would be done for a specific release. But I do believe it’s important, if possible, to have a developer focus on UI/UX alongside the rest of the meaningful use work.
