Customizing Your Databases

All of the databases in askSam RTS are completely customizable.  Feel free to add new fields; delete or modify existing fields; add, delete, or edit Pick Lists; or completely reformat the entry form.  How your databases look is up to you.

Modifying Your Entry Forms

Editing an Entry Form is similar to typing information into a Word Processor.  You can add new fields; delete old fields, change the formatting or text fonts - whatever is required by your information.  Use the following guidelines to help you:

     Ÿ Field names can be as long or as short as you wish, but there can be no spaces in the field names.

     Ÿ A field character must directly follow the field name.  In all of the askSam RTS files, the field character is defined as an opening square bracket.  If you would like to use a different field character, change the setting under FILE ® PROPERTIES.

     Ÿ If you want more than one field on a line or want to restrict the field length, insert a closing square bracket.

     Ÿ To create multiple line fields, insert a closing square bracket in the line beneath the field name.  When you begin entering information, askSam will automatically expand the field.

     Ÿ Fields may be entered in any font, color or style.

To edit an existing Entry Form:

1. Choose VIEW  ® DOCUMENT TYPE ® ENTRY FORM.

The first Entry Form for your database will appear.

2. Using askSam's word processing features, you can edit this Form.

For more information on askSam's Word Processing capabilities, see Chapter 6 of the askSam User's Guide or for more information on Editing Entry Forms see Chapter 4.

3. Choose FILE ® SAVE (or press CTRL+S).

4. Choose VIEW  ® DOCUMENT TYPE ® DATA DOCUMENTS to exit

Your changes will be saved and you return to the first Document in your file.

NOTE: When you modify an Entry Form, the changes are only in the Entry Form and new Documents entered using the modified Entry Form.  Previously entered information is not modified.  askSam can easily work with multiple structures in a single File.  But if you wish to change the data that had been entered prior to changing the Entry Form,  you have two options:

1.     use the Global Replace Command in the Edit Menu.

2.     create a new report that will reformat your data appropriately.  Then run the report, export the data using a document delimiter, and create a new askSam file and import the data using the same document delimiter.  For more information on creating reports, see chapter 11 in the askSam User's Guide.

Creating and Editing Pick Lists

Pick Lists simplify entering data in askSam. With a Pick List you define a list of entries for a field. When you enter data in that field, you can have the list automatically appear, or you can press a key and display the list. Then choose the entry you want to insert in the field.

Field Pick Lists are useful for keyword fields, classification fields, any field where you have a limited number of options to enter.