This screen permits you to customize the names of the various data fields in which your general records information is stored. You can also specify whether or not you want to use a specific data field or not.

 

When you set up a tab, you must use one mandatory field and you can use up to 29 additional fields to capture data in a record for that tab.

 

The mandatory field can store up to 16 characters and must be present

The optional fields include:

 8 text fields that store up to 255 characters of data

 2 text fields that store an unlimited number of characters

 2 fields that store numbers (up to 6 decimals)

 2 fields that store dates

 3 fields that store telephone numbers

 10 fields that store hyperlink addresses or 9 fields that store attachments, and

 2 fields that store up to 24 characters of data

 

When you set up a new tab, all 29 fields are established with default names and the first 26 are assumed to be of use. Those names are shown in a column on the left of this screen.

 

In summary, this screen allows you to determine both the number and types of fields you want to use with a specific tab, and then to assign names to those fields that are suitable and sensible to you, given the nature of the information you wish to record under the selected tab.

 

 

You establish which fields you want to use by setting the check-mark in the ‘Include?’ column to 'On'. Conversely, if you un-check a box in this column, that field will not appear on any screens or in any reports.

 

Note that if a data field contains data and you subsequently un-check the field, the data in that field is not lost. It simply does not appear on screens or reports. Re-setting the field on will restore the data, thus you can temporarily set a field off while preparing a report or to temporarily hide the data if you wish.

 

 

You establish what you want a field to be called or named by entering a name in the relevant white box in the ‘Data Field Name’ column. The number of characters you use is limited, but the language or characters you choose are not. The number of characters that are still available for naming a data field is displayed immediately to the right of the white box. While typing, you can re-calculate the number of remaining characters by clicking in the field you are in.

 

Note that for the two date fields (6 & 7), you can determine what format they will appear as by selecting a format from the list box.

 

Note that for the two number fields (22 & 23), you can specify the number of decimals that will appear and whether the number should include a currency sign.

 

Note that for fields 22 through 30, you will have the ability to add a second level of header when you enter data for those fields on the data entry and edit screens. For instance, if you set field 22 to ‘Units’ and decimals to ‘0’ on this screen, you can later also set the second optional header to ‘Target Number’ so that the ‘Units’ designation is more meaningful. The 'Units' and '0' will apply to all records in the tab, but the term 'Target Number' will be unique to a specific record.

 

 

Should you wish to use a field to store attachments rather than a hyperlink address, then you must set the 'Attach?' switch to 'on' for that field. There are 9 switches for that purpose in fields 8, 10 and 24 through 30.

 

 

 

The ‘Update Options’ section of the screen provides you with the ability to make changes to all tab data field names and options at one time by setting them the same as another tab.

 

You can set them all the same as another tab by selecting the tab you wish to copy or emulate from the drop-list and then clicking the ‘Update Captions’ button that is made available after you pick a tab to copy from. You can select one of your own tabs to copy from, or you can copy from another user’s tab by setting the appropriate option button. Note that you are not copying data from the other tab; you are only copying the header names and establishing the fields that will be used.

 

You can also set all of the tabs in a tabset to the same setting by first setting the checkbox in the ‘Update Options’ section on. For example, if all tabs in a tabset will be used to store similar information, you can set the tab options the way you want them on this screen, select that tab name from the list and then click the ‘Update Captions’ button. All of the tabs in the tabset you are currently updating will be set identically.

 

 

If there are fields that you will not be using to capture your data (the 'Include' check box is set 'off'), you can reduce clutter on the screen by hiding the unused header rows.

 

You can do this using the 'Hide' and 'Show' buttons found in the right bottom corner of the screen.

 

You can set an option on the 'Options' screen to always hide unused headers when this screen is first opened.

 

 

Using this screen to maximize the way your data is described can sometimes be tricky, especially when you decide to store many records under a single tab and those records have different characteristics. For example, if you deal with several different companies, some may use the term ‘Account Number’ while others may use the term ‘Folio Number’, ‘Reference Number’ or ‘Policy Number’. In a case like this, if you want to store the number in the same data field for all of them, you will have to settle on a data field name that is suitable to all. Alternatively, you could use several tabs to store the same data, and then use names that are specific to the way the account is referred to in each.

 

If the number and types of data fields that are required for storing data under a tab are few, you may want to exclude all of the data fields that will not be used so that screens and reports associated with the data are not cluttered with captions and headings that will not be used. You can always set a field active in the future should you need it.

 

While it may seem onerous to set up the specifics for every tab, you can save a lot of time by finding a tab that has similar characteristics and uses the same data fields as one you are currently establishing, and then copying its parameters by using the features of the ‘Update Options’ section of the screen and then making minor changes to the results.

 

 

The data field names can also be managed and changed while working with the 'General Records Add /Edit' and 'General Records Search and Edit' Screens.

 

While in edit mode on the 'General Records Add /Edit' screen, you can change a data field name.

 

While in edit mode on the 'General Records Search and Edit' screen, you can change a data field name, designate a field as active (Include?) or not, and determine whether a field should be used to store linkages or attachments. In this case, you only work with one data field at a time rather then with all as is the case on this screen.

 

This feature is available by double clicking a field name while in edit mode on those screens and choosing from options that are made available.