App Bar in ERP.net Web Client
A clear starting point for working with applications
In day-to-day work, people constantly switch between functional areas - sales, projects, logistics, and finance. What matters is not only what they work on, but how quickly they can move between contexts without losing focus.
The App Bar in the ERP.net Web Client is designed to give you a clear, stable, and fast way to choose the application context you want to work in, at any moment.
What the App Bar is
The App Bar is the vertical strip of application icons on the left side of the ERP.net Web Client.
It represents the first level of navigation in the app-centric navigation model introduced with Web Client v.26. Its role is simple and intentional:
The App Bar lets you select the application (context) you want to work in.
Once an app is selected, the navigation and available actions are shaped by that context.
How the App Bar works
Application-first navigation
Each icon in the App Bar represents an application or module available to you - such as Sales, CRM, Projects, or Logistics.
- Selecting an icon switches your working context to that app.
- The navigation and available actions adapt immediately to that context.
- The set of visible apps is role-based, so you only see what is relevant and allowed.
This keeps navigation structured and predictable, especially in larger systems.
Fast switching with optional hover behavior
The App Bar supports an optional hover-to-open interaction:
- Hovering over an app icon opens the app’s navigation instantly.
- You can preview or move into another app without interrupting your current task flow.
This reduces unnecessary clicks and supports quick orientation.
Pinning and navigation comfort (space vs. guidance)
The App Bar lets you adjust how persistent and how compact the left-side navigation should be, depending on your screen size and working style.
- You can pin or unpin the App Bar (and the App-Centric Navigation panel).
- You can show or hide application labels to switch between:
- Icon-only mode for compact layouts
- Icon + label mode for easier orientation
- You can show or hide the breadcrumb trail to balance:
- Quick orientation and one-tap navigation
- A cleaner, more compact working space
- You can switch between Standard view and Advanced view:
- Standard view supports focused, straightforward daily work
- Advanced view supports deeper customization of panels, navigators, and record forms
These options let you balance screen space, guidance, and navigation stability without changing the underlying navigation model.
Role-based visibility with user personalization
The App Bar combines governance with flexibility:
- Roles determine which apps appear.
- Users control how the App Bar behaves (pinning, labels, and layout).
This ensures consistency across teams while still supporting individual productivity.
Home, App Launcher, and navigation anchors
The App Bar includes consistent navigation anchors:
- The App Launcher (Grid Menu) button opens or closes the Global Menu with all available applications and shows or hides the App Bar when it is unpinned.
- The Home icon, available from the breadcrumb menu, returns you to the first application set in your App Bar order.
These elements provide a reliable way to re-orient, even after deeper navigation.
App-level activity awareness
The App Bar can display notification badges per application, indicating that something new has happened in a specific app.
In addition to the global notifications in ERP.net, you can immediately see where attention is needed, helping you react faster in the right functional area.
Why the App Bar matters for your business
Faster navigation, fewer interruptions
- Switching between applications takes fractions of a second.
- Moving between functional areas involves less navigation overhead.
- Hover and pinning behavior reduce friction during daily work.
Clear working context and orientation across business areas
- Users always know which business area they are working in.
- The active application provides a clear contextual anchor.
- This reduces cross-module mistakes and hesitation.
Consistent adoption across roles and teams
- Users learn the system app by app.
- New teammates onboard faster and collaborate more easily.
- Navigation reflects business structure, not technical menus.
- Teams get used to the same navigation model and logic across applications.
Personal productivity without breaking structure
- Layout adapts to individual preferences, boosting personal productivity.
- The underlying navigation remains consistent and role-governed.
More actionable awareness
- App-level badges guide attention to the functional area they belong to.
- Important activity becomes visible in the business area where it matters.
Practical use in everyday business workflows
In real business operations, the App Bar acts as a shared navigation map across teams, making cross-functional work easier and more predictable.
Sales teams
- Stay anchored in customer-related work.
- Switch quickly to adjacent applications when coordination is needed.
- Check availability, delivery status, or related projects without losing context.
Operations and logistics teams
- Keep execution-focused navigation during daily work.
- Shift context instantly to review upstream inputs or downstream impact.
- Validate sales commitments, fulfillment dependencies, or exceptions without changing navigation patterns.
Managers and coordinators
- Move smoothly between applications to review progress, approvals, and exceptions.
- Use the same navigation model across all functional areas.
- Reduce friction caused by different menus or navigation paths.
This consistency supports smoother collaboration, even when work spans multiple applications and teams.
Putting it into context
The App Bar is the Web Client’s application-level anchor. It keeps navigation organized by business context, enables fast switching between functional areas, and improves awareness of activity at the application level.
Once the desired context is chosen, a second navigation layer helps you move within the application - providing concrete entry points for selecting the entities, views, actions, and notifications relevant to that area.
That next layer is the App-Centric Navigation Panel, which is described in the next article in this section.
See the App Bar in action
You can continue with the next topic to learn more about App-Centric Navigation in ERP.net, or explore the App Bar directly in the ERP.net Web Client without registering.