How To Make An Entry Form
askSam is known as a free-form database. A free-form database combines the capabilities of a text collection and retrieval system with the ability to organize and track information like a database. This combination allows you to collect and organize a wide variety of information. A key part of that collection and organization is the use of database fields, which askSam stores with each database inside an Entry Form.
For example, let's say you are collecting information for a research project and you have HTML pages, emails, Microsoft Word Documents, PDF files, hand written notes and more. You can import or type all this information into askSam and begin immediately searching it by word or phrase.
However, you can also create an Entry Form for each piece of research to track other information like the Document Date, Type, Source, Keywords or additional notes. These fields can be applied to each piece of information as it is added or imported into the database.
Entry Forms...
ź Provide a consistent place for your information
ź Define a structure for your database
ź Can be applied to every document added or imported into the database
ź Can have multiple forms in one database for different types of data
ź Can be inserted into already exisiting documents in your database
Once fields are used in an askSam database you can more efficiently...
ź Organize your information
ź See important information on the screen
ź Perform more accurate searching
ź Create database reports
ź Create mail or email merges
ź Delete or Export specific groups of doucments
askSam provides you with an Entry Form wizard to help you create your entry form. No matter how advanced you are with askSam I recommend using the Entry Form Wizard to start your forms. The Entry Form Wizard automates a lot of the tedious procedures associated with Entry Form creation. Once you create an entry form with the wizard you can then go back and make adjustments, deletions or additions to the form manually. We will look at how to do both in our tip this month...
A. Creating an Entry Form
1. Choose FILE -> NEW
The New File Dialog Box will appear. You can create a blank file or create a file using a pre-defined template. In this example, we'll create a blank file from the NORMAL (blank) template.
The “NORMAL (Blank) template is highlighted. Since we want to create a blank database, we're ready to continue.
2. Choose the CREATE button.
The Save New File Dialog Box will appear.
3. Enter a name for your file.
4. Choose the SAVE button.
A new file will be created, and the Entry Form Wizard is displayed
The Entry Form Wizard contains the following items:
OPTION ACTION
Field Name Type in a name for your field.
Data Type Choose whether your field is:
Text A text field is a single line field that can contain any information text, numbers, or dates.
Memo A memo field is any field that requires more than a single line. Memo fields automatically expand to allow as much information as you're required to enter.
Automatic Number Automatically numbers the Documents you enter.
Automatic Date Inserts the current date when Documents are entered.
Automatic Time Inserts the current time when Documents are entered.
Automatic Weekday Inserts the weekday when Documents are entered.
Link to Imported File Inserts the name of an imported file and links this file name to the imported file (only when you import into the Entry Form).
Link to Imported Path/File - Inserts the path and file name of an imported file and links to the imported file (only when you import into the Entry Form).
Insert Import File Name Inserts the name of an imported file (only when you import into the Entry Form).
Insert Import Path/File Inserts the path and file name of an imported file (only when you import into the Entry Form).
Field Length Sets whether a text field is an entire line or a specific length.
Field Style Sets a style for formatting the field name.
Data Style Sets a style for formatting the field data.
Default Value Sets a default value for the field. For example, a field called DONE could have a default value of "No".
Pick List Defines a list of items you can select to fill out a field.
5. Enter the field name: Name
6. Set the Data Type to "Text", and set the Data Style to "Field Data - Primary"
7. In the row beneath “Name”, enter the field name: Company
8. Set the Data Type to "Text", and set the Data Style to "Field Data - Secondary"
9. Enter the field names: Address, City, State, Zip, Phone, and Email
NOTE: The quickest way to enter multiple fields is to type the field name and press the DOWN ARROW key.
10. Set the Data Type for each of these fields to "Text".
NOTE: The Field Style for these fields will automatically default to “Field Data (Default)”.
11. Enter the field name: Notes
12. Set the Data Type to "Memo".
The Entry Form Wizard will look similar to this:
13. Choose the NEXT button.
The Entry Form Wizard - Form Properties screen will appear.
14. Enter a name for your Entry Form: Address
15. Choose the NEXT button
The Entry Form Wizard - Form Complete screen will appear.
From this screen you can choose to:
- Begin entering data
- Edit the Entry Form
- Save the Entry Form and resume working in your file.
B. Modifying an Entry Form
1. Choose FILE -> NEW.
The New File Dialog Box will appear. You can create an empty file or create a file using a pre-defined template. In this example, we'll create a file from the NOTES template.
2. Select the “Notes” template and choose the CREATE button.
The Save New File Dialog Box will appear.
3. Enter a name for your file. Type: TUTOR5
4. Choose the SAVE button.
A new file will be created based on the Notes template.
So far, we've created a file from the askSam Notes template. The predefined Entry Form in
the Notes template contains the fields: Subject, Date, Source, Note. In this example, we'll add more information about the source. We'll insert the fields Author and URL after the Source field.
You can modify Entry Forms using the Entry Form Wizard.
5. Choose TOOLS -> ENTRY FORMS.
The Entry Forms Dialog Box will appear.
6. Select the NORMAL Entry Form and choose the WIZARD button.
An Entry Form Wizard screen will appear asking if you wish to “Append fields to the end of the current Entry Form” or if you want to “Add a new Entry Form to the file”. In this tutorial, we want to append the fields to the existing Entry Form.
7. Choose the NEXT button.
The Entry Form Wizard Define Fields screen will appear. You simply type the names for the fields you want in your database. The Wizard lets you define the Data Type and lets you setup properties for the fields.
8. Enter the field name: Author
9. Set the Data Type to "Text".
10. In the row beneath “Author”, enter the field name: URL
11. Set the Data Type to "Text".
The Entry Form Wizard will look similar to this:
12. Choose the NEXT button.
The Entry Form Wizard - Form Complete screen will appear.
From this screen you can choose to:
- Begin entering data
- Edit the Entry Form
- Save the Entry Form and resume working in your file.
13. Choose the EDIT ENTRY FORM button.
The Entry Form with the two additional fields will display in the Entry Form editor.
The Entry Form Editor is like a word processor. The “fields” are words. To move the Author and URL fields from the end of the Entry Form to underneath the Source field, we will cut and paste them. First, we'll add a blank line underneath the Source field.
14. Go to the beginning of the line directly beneath the Source field and press ENTER.
A blank line will be inserted after the Source field.
15. Select (or highlight) the Author and URL fields (including the space after the field names).
16. Choose EDIT -> CUT (or press CTRL+X).
The fields are removed from the end of the Entry Form and placed in the clipboard.
17. Place your cursor at the beginning of the blank line underneath the Source field.
18. Choose EDIT -> PASTE (or press CTRL+V).
The Author and URL fields are pasted into your Document.
You can modify formatting, delete fields, and make other changes to your Entry Form. It works similar to a standard Windows word processor. When moving a field, it's important to copy the field name as well as the blank space after the field. The blank space contains the formatting for the data you'll enter into the field.
19. Choose FILE -> SAVE (or press CTRL+S) to save your changes.
20. Choose ENTRY FORM -> CLOSE to exit the Entry Form editor.
Hope you enjoy using entry forms.
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