Providing enhanced functionality in an interactive electronic technical manual

An apparatus for providing previews at an end of textual information for a topic found in technical documentation for an item via an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access to the technical documentation for the item via an IETM viewer, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

• provide a window for display via the IETM viewer executing on a user computing entity being used by a user signed into the IETM, the window comprising (1) a first view pane displaying the textual information of for the topic and (2) a second view pane displaying media content for the topic in which the window is configured to display the first view pane and the second view pane on non-overlapping portions of the window;
• receive input of a user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, wherein the user scrolls to the end of the textual information via the IETM viewer;
• responsive to receiving the input of the user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, provide a first selection mechanism and a second selection mechanism for display via the window;
• receive input of a selection of the first selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the first selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer;
• responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the first selection mechanism:
• generate a first preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a second topic found in the technical documentation for the item;
• and
• provide the first preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the first preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window;
• receive input of a selection of the second selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the second selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer;
• and
• responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the second selection mechanism:
• generate a second preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a third topic found in the technical documentation for the item;
• and
• provide the second preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the second preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window.

A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions for providing previews at an end of textual information for a topic found in technical documentation for an item via an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access to the technical documentation for the item via an IETM viewer, the instructions being configured to cause one or more processors to at least perform operations configured to:

• provide a window for display via the IETM viewer executing on a user computing entity being used by a user signed into the IETM, the window comprising (1) a first view pane displaying the textual information of for the topic and (2) a second view pane displaying media content for the topic in which the window is configured to display the first view pane and the second view pane on non-overlapping portions of the window;
• receive input of a user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, wherein the user scrolls to the end of the textual information via the IETM viewer;
• responsive to receiving the input of the user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, provide a first selection mechanism and a second selection mechanism for display via the window;
• receive input of a selection of the first selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the first selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer;
• responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the first selection mechanism:
• generate a first preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a second topic found in the technical documentation for the item;
• and
• provide the first preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the first preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window;
• receive input of a selection of the second selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the second selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer;
• and
• responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the second selection mechanism:
• generate a second preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a third topic found in the technical documentation for the item;
• and
• provide the second preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the second preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window.