• I’m having trouble entering information. What should I do?
In general, you can only type into an area designated by a Rectangle. Rectangle boundaries are not always visible, but are always indicated by an “I-beam” cursor. Only “selected” Rectangles will accept information.
Information you wish to store can only be entered into a “form.” A form is designed with a Template, and then this Template is selected by opening a View icon, clicking on the Template name, and picking Show Selection from the View menu. A “quick” form can also be created with just a View icon. After opening the View icon, select Find First from the View menu. Helix will create a form with Label and Data rectangles for all the fields in your Relation.
• Can I edit fields on a list?
Not unless an entry form has been linked to the list, which is indicated by the “retrieve” cursor (a finger pointing to the left) as you move the cursor over the fields of the list.
• There’s data in a Rectangle, but I don’t get an I-beam or a
retrieve cursor when I’m over the Rectangle. Why?
If the Template’s Data rectangle has only an Abacus icon in it, that Rectangle is used only to display the result of a calculation, and therefore the Rectangle cannot be selected or typed into. To be able to type into a calculated field, the Rectangle must contain both an Abacus and a Field icon (for more information, see the section on Defaults).
NOTE: Rectangles designated as non-selectable cannot be typed into.
• Why do I get a “beep” when I try to type information?
If you hear a “beep” when you try to type, you probably do not have a field selected to type into. The blinking cursor must be visible on a form before its contents can be entered. If you type into a form and then click outside the window, the cursor will vanish from the form. (The cursor will also disappear if the window is not active (selected).) If you then try to enter the record, a “beep” will sound. You must click inside a field entry area on the form to restore the cursor. The record may then be entered. NOTE: If some of the fields on your form are defaulted (Keep Value or Calculation Retain) and are displaying a value, then a cursor does not have to be visible in order to enter the records.
• Why do I get a “beep” when I try to enter a record?
Check the Why? message under the Apple menu. Most often, a “beep” happens on entry because one or more of the fields on the form have not passed validation.
• I’m typing into a Template rectangle, but nothing is
showing up.
Nothing can be typed into Data, Border, or Repeat rectangles. Command and Label rectangles are the only ones that accept typing.
• Every time I enter a record, I have to use a Find
command to bring it back again so that I can see
what invoice number was assigned to it. Is there
any easy way to get around this?
A Static Enter may be used. Static Enter retains the image of a newly entered or modified record by suppressing the automatic "Clear Form" after Enter (or the autofind after a Replace. You perform a static Enter by holding down the Option key while the Enter key or Enter command are used. (Static Enter cannot be performed by holding down the Option key when running an "Enter" Sequence, but the Static Enter command is available for use in Sequences..)
