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    Frequently Asked Questions - New Primo UI

    Primo is about the users, and as such, it will provide a new user experience with the August 2016 release. Its design is based on user studies and feedback to address the different needs of different types of users. With the May 2016 release, you will have the opportunity to preview how your data appears in the new Primo UI before its general release in August.
    In this document, we will answer questions from the community and provide clear direction of upcoming improvements to the new Primo UI. As questions arise, we will continually update this list.

    Release Plan

    1. Can we start customizing the new Primo interface with the Primo May 2016 release?
      Customers can start exploring the new UI starting with the Primo May 2016 release. This release includes the new UI Customization Package manager, which allows you to customize the new Primo interface by specifying limited overrides to the out-of-the-box CSS, HTML, and images.
    2. Can Total Care (TC) customers preview the new interface?
      Yes. Beginning with the Primo February release, TC customers can preview the new Primo UI by specifying the following URL in their browsers:
      https://<server:port>/primo-explore/search?vid=<your_view>
    3. Does our Primo URL have to change, or can we keep our existing URL?
      The new Primo UI uses a different path and parameters for the URL. Your URL will have to change unless you use a proxy that redirects to the new URL.
    4. Will TC customers be able to upgrade in the Primo August 2016 release? (Previously, upgrades for TC customers have usually occurred a few weeks after the non-TC customers)
      Yes. The upgrade for TC customers will be available at the beginning of August, but they can decide on when to expose new Primo UI to their end users.
      There is no difference between TC customers and everyone else. All customers can decide when to switch to the new UI.

    Customization

    1. Where can we find the new UI Customization Package manager?
      The package manager can be found in the Back Office under Primo Home > Primo Utilities > UI Customization Package Manager. For more information, see the following sections:
    2. Instead of a drop-down menu, will there be an option to display search scopes as tabs above the search box?
      No. The drop-down menu is the only option, but we are considering ways to make it more visible.
    3. Will an Advanced Search option be provided with the new Primo UI?
      Yes. The Advanced search functionality will be included with the Primo August 2016 release:
      AdvancedSearchExample.png
      Advanced Search Page
    4. Will the records in the search results contain any tabs?
      No. Based on user feedback, our new design concept will provide cleaner results that gradually expose end users to more information as needed. End user will no longer have to access multiple tabs to locate needed information.
    5. Will we be able to configure the number of search result that appear on a page?
      No. The new interface includes both infinite load (which allows users to load 10 additional results to the page at a time) and pagination. We will continue to track usage and performance to determine whether changes should be made to the number of results that are loaded at a time.
    6. Will there still be the option to put the facets on the left side?
      Yes. This can be done through configuration in the Views Wizard. Because our usability tests showed that the "facets on the right" option performed better, Ex libris recommends that you allow your users an opportunity to try the default option before switching the facets to the left.
    7. Why we can’t choose multiple facets?
      We found the multiple facet selection was not used by the users and that by adding this functionality may make the new interfaces confusing and cumbersome to them. After users begin to use and become familiar with the new interface, we may reconsider this functionality.
    8. On the E-shelf, can we execute actions on some or all of the items such as sort and send?
      Yes, actions on bulk are available from the new Favorites page:
      NewFavoritesPage.png
      Favorites Page
    9. Are you planning on including tags and reviews functionality?
      We are still considering what should be the best approach to include tags. This is planned for the beginning of 2017.
    10. Are you planning on including additional citation formats with the general release in August?
      No, but Harvard1 will be added during 2017.

    Migration to the New UI

    1. Will existing permalinks work after the switch to the new UI?
      Yes. With the November release, dlSearch and dlDisplay permalinks will be redirected to the new UI if the new Switch to new UI parameter has been set in the Back Office (Primo Home > Ongoing Configuration Wizards > Institution Wizard).
    2. Will the users' e-Shelf data be transferred to the new UI?

      Yes. Folders from the e-Shelf will be converted to labels in the new UI.

    3. Will the users' saved searches be transferred to the new UI?

      Yes. They will be available with the Primo February 2018 release.

    4. Should we expect any issues accessing the new UI if we are using a host name on our domain?

      No, but you must open a case to create an SSL certificate for your host name.
    5. Does the switch to the new UI require SSL?
      Yes. For more information, see Checklist for using https:// in Primo New UI.
    6. Will users have access to both the new and classic Primo UIs?
      Yes. With the February 2018 release, you will have the option to display a link to access the new UI from the classic UI. Users will have this option until you decide to disable the classic UI. For more information, see Primo February 2018 Highlights.

    Accessibility

    1. Does the new UI take accessibility into consideration?
      Yes. Accessibility is an on-going effort that includes the application of the accessibility standards to new features and the fixing of exceptions coming from both customer feedback and our Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). For more details, see Primo Accessibility Guidelines.

    Browser and Device Support

    The new Primo User Interface supports all the leading browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. There is an ongoing process of monitoring new browser versions and checking their compatibility with Primo. Full browser support details are listed below.

    Browser Certification

    Ex Libris’ browser certification is based on industry usage statistics (W3C).
    The following table describes the certified browsers:
    Browser Description
    Apple® Safari®
    The new Primo UI is tested and certified with the most recent stable version of Safari® on Mac®.
    Google Chrome™
    The new Primo UI is tested and certified with the most recent stable version of Google Chrome.
    Mozilla® Firefox®
    The new Primo UI is tested and certified with the most recent stable version of Firefox®.

    Microsoft® Edge

    The new Primo UI is tested and certified with the most recent stable version of Microsoft Edge.

    Starting for May 2021, IE11 will no longer be certified and tested as part of our releases. For more details, see Primo Discontinue Certification of Internet Explorer by May 2021.

    Mobile Device Certification

    • The new Primo user interface has a responsive design that allows it to support any screen size and resolution. As part of our certification process, we test it with the latest official versions of iOS and Android.
    • There is a known bug that will be fixed in November for Chrome with iOS.

    Other Requirements

    For all browsers, you must enable JavaScript, and SSL 3.0.
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