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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigating |
  
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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigating |
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The User Interface was designed to allow you instant access to your primary records. On the Main Menu, you have direct access to all of your main record information screens. On your record information screens you can access subscreens and lists of associated data as well as jump to other screens of linked information. You may also open multiple screens and records at the same time so that you may compare and analyze data quickly.
This topic includes:
Selecting Screens and Reports with Pull-Down Menus
Opening Record Information Screens
Working with Record Information Screens
Drilling Down through Layers of Record Information
You can open most screens in the program with the Main Button Bar. Simply, click on the screen icon to open that screen.
Selecting Screens and Reports with Pull-Down Menus
Besides using the Main Button Bar to access the most commonly used sections of the program, the Setup Menu and Reports Menu pull-down menus can be used to open screens and look up information. While the Reports Menu (see Reports) provides you access to all of the program's reports, the Setup Menu gives you access to all of the record information screens.
To quickly open any of the record information screens in the program, select the pull-down Setup Menu and click on the screen you wish to open.
Keyboard shortcuts or equivalents can be used when it is more convenient or efficient to continue using the keyboard instead of grabbing the mouse to push a button. Going back and forth between the keyboard and mouse on a regular basis may feel awkward and waste time.
You will know that a Keyboard Equivalent is available for a button when you see one of the letters on the button underlined. Keyboard Equivalents are also available for pull-down menu items. If an item does have a Keyboard Equivalent it will be displayed next to the item in the menu.
For selecting Record Information Screens, use Ctrl + the Underlined Letter that is shown in the pull-down Setup Menu. If you wish to open the Personnel screen, for example, you would enter Ctrl + P.
For selecting buttons that are displayed on screens, use Alt + the Underlined Letter on the button. If you wish to select the Edit button, for example, you would enter Alt + E.
Opening Record Information Screens
Important: When you first open a record information screen from the Main Button Bar or Setup Menu, the screen's record list is empty. This is true even when you have data entered. This is because the program is waiting for you to take one of several different actions. The actions that you may take are indicated by the buttons on the screen that are currently active or you may also enter data into the primary look up field that is displayed.
1. In this example, the Personnel Screen is opened from the Setup Menu. The displayed look up field is Last Name.
2. All of the record information screens open in this mode, where you may Add a record, look up a record, find all records, access reports, or Exit from the screen.
3. After you add or look up information your records appear on the screen.
Working with Record Information Screens
Before you can navigate the Record Information Screens properly, make sure you have entered some records into the program. Go to Adding Records to learn how to add records.
1. At the Main Menu open a record information screen by selecting it either from the pull-down Setup Menu or from the Main Button Bar. The Main Button Bar only provides access to the most popular screens.
2. The Record Information Screen displays the Primary Record List in the expanded mode and without any records.
3. Type your record search information into the Primary Look up Field and press Enter on your keyboard to display a specific record or multiple records based on what you typed. You may change the search criteria by clicking on any of the Field Column Names on the Primary Record List. Doing so changes the name of the Primary Lookup Field to that name.
4. You may enter partial information such as a single letter. This would find all of the records that begin with that letter. Entering additional characters into the Primary Lookup Field makes your search more specific and your list shorter. See Looking Up Records.
5. You may also type in a question mark (?) or click on the Find All button to display all of the records.
6. If you click on any of the Field Column Names, the Primary Record List will re-sort the list by that name.
7. By clicking on the Mode button, the Primary Record List contracts to the left side of the Record Information Screen and additional information about the selected record is displayed on the right side of the screen. At any time you can press the Mode button again to expand or contract the list. You may also double-click on any record in the Primary Record List. This functions the same way as the Mode button.
8. Scroll bars become available to view additional record information when record lists are too small to display all of their fields. Click on the Scroll Bars with your mouse and hold down the left mouse button while you move the Scroll Bars left and right or up and down. Release the button when you find the field(s) you want to view. You may also click in the scroll bar box or press one of the scroll bar arrows to further navigate the list.
9. On most of the Record Information Screens there are Tab buttons that display additional screens of record information. These subscreens can contain fields and Secondary Record Lists on the right side of the screen.
10. By clicking on these Tab buttons that also include the Mode button, you can see the various layers of information on the Record Information Screen.
11. The Open Folder buttons on Look Up Fields, Record Selection Fields, and on some Secondary Record Lists, when pushed, take you to linked record information subscreens that pertain to those fields or lists.
12. The Exit Button when pushed on any Record Information Screen closes that screen. You may also close a screen by clicking on its Close button on the upper right corner. To close all Record Information Screens that are opened, click on the Windows menu and select the Close All Windows option.
In order to aid you in navigating the program, the screen titles change relative to where you are in the program. This feature is extremely helpful when you have opened many screens or when you are drilling-down through layers of information. The screen titles help you to see your current place or location in the program.
The program allows you to open many screens at once to compare information or for whatever reason necessary. We refer to this feature as Multi-active screens. The following tools have been included in the program to make the job of handling opened screens an easy one:
1. The following shows three different screens opened at once after the "Tile All Windows" feature was selected.
2. The Tile All Windows feature on the Windows pull-down menu takes all of the windows that you have opened and layers them on top of one another so that all of the screen names can be easily identified.
3. To bring a screen to the front for viewing, you may either select the screen name from the Windows pull-down menu or simply click on any visible area on a screen you want to bring forward. The check mark next to the screen name in the Windows pull-down menu is the screen that is currently up front.
4. To close screens you may click on the Exit button on the screen or click on the Close Box in the top right corner of the screen (not shown).
5. To close all of the windows that you have opened, select the "Close All Windows" item in the Windows pull-down menu.
Drilling Down through Layers of Record Information
One of the most powerful features in the program is the way that information is linked so that you can find all related information about any record. This drilling-down or record navigating is accomplished by the program's interface structure and is handled by the use of special buttons on record information screens. When you click on these buttons additional record information is instantly displayed or you jump to another record information subscreen where you may have even more navigating options.
Instant Access Buttons (Tab buttons) - These are the buttons that appear at the top right side of many record information screen. These buttons switch the mode of the screen to display additional information about the record.
Open Folder Button - This button when added to record fields and record lists allows you to jump to the associated information subscreens of those records or record lists.
Binoculars Button - A look up button that displays a Record Find Screen where you look up an existing record that you want to add to a field or list.
Linked Text - Linked text are also buttons that act as record labels and may jump you to another record information screen or display a pull-down menu where you are presented with even more navigational options.