APPLICATIONS MAKER - HELP FOR NUMERIC TYPES

The  NUMERIC  ITEMS  hold numeric data, and can be  of  eight  types:
ENTRY, READ, AUTO-FILL, AUTO-INCREMENT, MENU, FORMULA,  COMPUTATIONAL
and STATIC.

ENTRY: With the ENTRY type your user enters the number.

READ:  With  the  READ  type the number is  read  into  item  from  a
relational file.  Before data can be read a record must be found  via
the use of KEYS.  Help for KEYS is available by declaring an item  of
type string, then selecting the KEY type and pressing H again.

AUTO-FILL:  With the AUTO-FILL type a value entered during  setup  is
placed in the item.

AUTO-INCREMENT:  With  the AUTO-INCREMENT type  all  records  in  the
target  datafile are read to determine  the  highest value stored  in
the  targeted field and that value is incremented by a value  entered
at setup.  The item is filled with the result.

MENU:   With the MENU type the program opens a window on  the   input
screen and offers the user a choice of multiple, pre-defined entries.
The  entry displayed/chosen need not be the same as the value  placed
into the item.

Menu definition files are originated with a word processor  operating
in  the  pure  ascii mode.  These files  are  named at  the  time  of
initialization.

Each  possible  choice on the menu, of which there can be up  to  one
hundred, should have TWO lines dedicated to it in the menu file.  The
first line can have up to 60 characters, and holds the text proffered
to  the user.  The second line contains the string to be recorded  in
the item, and may be the size of the target item.

The  menu  definition files MUST be recorded in the datafile  of  the
MENU  ITEM.  If your menu item is recorded into file three  then  the
program  will attempt to open the file in the directory holding  file
three.   If  your menu file is not associated with a  file  then  the
program will look for it in the directory of the first file loaded.

FORMULA: With the FORMULA type the field will have a numeric  formula
applied to it.  The formulas all start  with  the  value placed  into
the   item,  be  it a keyboard  entry,  a  read  from   a  relational
file or the content of another field, perhaps itself  the product  of
a formula.  When you are entering your formula your screen will  show
you how to do so, and your formula will be checked after entry.

COMPUTATIONAL:   The COMPUTATIONAL fields are left alone.   They  are
usually the target of a numeric formula.

