OS/2 Shareware BBS: InfoMgt/InfoMgt.zip/omnifile.zip/OMNIFILE.HLP

OS/2 Help File | 1998-02-04 | 204KB | 9,752 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> General Help Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Welcome to Omnifile.

This main window contains icons for many folders representing different
categories of information.

See Categorizing Data.

Other icons represent modules which are used to store information.

See Using Modules

For information on the system folders:

See Maintenance Folder

See Find Items Folder

See Template Folder

See Reports Folder

See Data Folder

See StartUp Folder

See Jump List Folder

To open any folder or module, simply double-click on the icon using the left
mouse button.

Help can always be accessed by clicking on the icon shaped like a question mark
on most windows and folders.

There is also a help menu available on many windows from the menu bar.

For more information on general Omnifile topics:

See Searching

See Designing and Using Views

See Designing and Using Reports

See Linking

See Using Modules

See Omnifile Introduction  for an introduction to using Omnifile.

See Getting Started with Omnifile  for a quick explanation of how to get
started using Omnifile.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> General Item Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is a general help panel.

Help can be accessed on any item by selecting help contents from the menu bar.

Most windows also have a "question mark" icon in the upper left corner.

This icon can be clicked to obtain help specific to the current window.

For more information on system folders:

See Maintenance Folder

See Find Items Folder

See Template Folder

See Reports Folder

See Data Folder

See StartUp Folder

See Jump List Folder

For more information on general Omnifile topics:

See Searching

See Designing and Using Views

See Designing and Using Reports

See Linking

See Using Modules

See Omnifile Introduction  for an introduction to using Omnifile.

See Getting Started with Omnifile  for a quick explanation of how to get
started using Omnifile.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Welcome to Omnifile, Computer Interface Corporation's flexible and graphical
information manager. Omnifile can be used in a variety of ways. It functions as
a database, personal information manager, and contact manager all in one.

It serves as a personal address book, keeping track of all of your important
addresses, phone numbers, etc. It functions as an electronic filing system,
keeping track of information such as business contacts, personal and business
inventories, software, documents, and periodicals, schedules, action items, and
notes. It organizes your file cabinets, helps you allocate time by keeping
track of hours spent on different projects, and keeps a log of your phone
messages, plus much more.

Use Omnifile to print form letters, envelopes, and mailing labels, or to
automatically dial a phone number.  Small businesses can use it to store
information on customers, suppliers, sales leads, etc. The Action Tracker helps
you track activities such as phone calls or letters, and reminds you of action
items that need to be completed. The File Tracker allows you to associate files
with a contact, for example all letters you have written to the contact.

Beyond these built-in features, you are limited only by your imagination,
because this is a system that is fully customizable by you. The keys to
Omnifile are its flexibility, its graphical interface, and its user
customization.  It doesn't place artificial limits on your data. For example,
you can enter an unlimited number of addresses and phone numbers for an
individual or company.

Omnifile lets you add fields to forms, change the actions each form can
provide, and change the amount of information that can be stored with each
form. This program has a graphical interface that allows beginning users to
make use of it without having much computer knowledge. In summary, this program
is easy to use for users with limited computer experience, but at the same time
provides many customizable features to users with more experience.

This guide describes how to take advantage of the features of Omnifile.  We
will provide examples of how a given feature can be used, and we hope you will
take advantage of the flexibility of Omnifile, and discover other ways of using
it to simplify many of your day-to-day tasks.

See Mouse Conventions  for more information on using a mouse in Omnifile.

See Keyboard Commands  for more information on using the keyboard to move
around in Omnifile and perform specific tasks.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.1. Mouse Conventions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile requires a multiple-button mouse.

The left mouse button is the primary mouse button. It is used to select
buttons, select menu options, mark a check box, etc. It is also used to
position the cursor in different fields or to select different windows.

Select items by clicking the left button once. Double-click the left mouse
button to open a folder or start a module.

The right mouse button is used to access a popup menu in any window where a
right mouse button icon appears in the toolbar. To access the popup menu,
position the mouse pointer anywhere in the window, and click the right mouse
button once. Another way to access the right mouse button menu is to select any
icon by clicking on it once with the left mouse button. Then click on the
toolbar icon representing the right mouse button.

 Command             What to Do

 Point                Position the mouse pointer until the tip of the pointer
                     is on the object to which you want to point.

 Click                Press and release the mouse button without moving the
                     mouse.

 Double Click         Press and release the mouse button twice in rapid
                     succession without moving the mouse between clicks.

 Drag                 Press and hold down the mouse button while moving the
                     mouse. Whatever is highlighted will move with the mouse.
 .

 Whenever the manual says to click on an item, it means use the left mouse
 button. Any time the right mouse button needs to be used, it will be
 explicitly stated.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.2. Keyboard Commands for Omnifile ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Keys                Comments

 ALT                  Alt key - used as a shortcut key.

 CTRL                 Control key - used as an accelerator key when used in
                     conjunction with other keys.

 CTRL-S               Used to Save data from most screens.

 CTRL-Q              Used to Quit from most information screens.

 CTRL-HOME            Used to move to the first record when browsing.

 CTRL-END            Used to move to the last record when browsing.

 CTRL-PAGE UP         Used to move to the next record when browsing records.

 CTRL-PAGE DOWN       Used to move to the previous record when browsing
                     records.

 CTRL-A               Toggles to append mode which brings up a new blank record
                     for the input of data.

 UP ARROW             If the cursor is in an entry field that consists of a
                     number, date, or hour, pressing the UP ARROW key will
                     increase the number by one.

 DOWN ARROW           Will decrease a number, date, or hour by one.

 CTRL or ALT UP ARROW  Will increase a date by one month, an hour field by 10
                     minutes

 CTRL or ALT-DOWN ARROW  Will decrease a date by one month, an hour field by 10
                     minutes

 SHIFT-UP ARROW       Will increase a number by 10, a date by one year, or an
                     hour field by one hour.

 SHIFT-DOWN ARROW     Will decrease a number by 10, a date by one year, or an
                     hour field by one hour.

 TAB                  Used to move to the next input field.

 SHIFT-TAB            Used to move to the previous input field.

 F 1                  Help key- brings up Help menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.3. Easy Entry Fields ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile's intuitive interface helps you speed up your data entry time by
filling in the fields as soon as you type the first few letters.

By using multikey selection, Omnifile will try to match values as you type. If
you want to type "Smith," Omnifile will first bring up a list of all names
beginning with the letter S, and then all of the names beginning with Sm, and
so on as letters are typed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.4. Help Conventions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All windows in Omnifile include a help icon in the upper left corner (on the
menu bar) for quick and easy access to context-sensitive help screens. The icon
looks like a question mark. Clicking on this icon displays the on-line help for
the current window.

The help menu contains the various help options Omnifile offers. Use this menu
to access the help index, general help, help on using the help facility, etc.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.5. System Requirements ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

OS/2

Omnifile requires a system running OS/2 v2.1 or higher with at least 10
Megabytes of free space on the hard drive.

Windows 95

Omnifile requires a system running Windows 95 with at least 10 Megabytes of
free space on the hard drive.

Windows NT

Omnifile requires a system running Windows NT v4.0 or higher with at least 10
Megabytes of free space on the hard drive.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.6. Versions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There are four versions of Omnifile.  They are listed below in order of
increasing power.  Each version is available for OS/2, Windows 95, or Windows
NT.

Omnifile Contact Connection contains the following predefined modules: Contact
Connection and To Do.It is intended to be used for people who only need contact
management.  Customizing views or reports is not allowed with this version.

Omnifile Home contains the following predefined modules: Calendars, Contact
Connection, DocuTrack, File Cabinet, Librarian, Notes, Meeting Planner,
Inventory, Recipes, Software, and To Do.It is intended to be used in the home.

Omnifile Pro contains the following predefined modules: Calendars, Contact
Connection, DocuTrack, Expenses, File Cabinet, Hour Tracker,  Librarian,
Meeting Planner, Notes, Phone Message Pad, Inventory, Software, and To Do.It is
intended for use in small offices and home offices.

Omnifile Office is a multi user version of Omnifile Pro. It comes with a
license for 5 users and additional licenses can be purchased.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.7. Installation of Omnifile ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

New User

For Windows 95/NT

Insert the disk labeled Installation disk into your floppy drive.

Open the Control Panel. It is usually located in My Computer Folder.

Select Add/Remove Programs.

Click on the Install Button.

You will be prompted for Disks 2 and 3 when needed by the program. After
installation, Omnifile can be started from the taskbar by clicking on Start,
selecting programs, and choosing Omnifile from the list.

For OS/2

Insert the disk labeled Installation disk into your floppy drive. At the OS/2
Command Prompt, type a:install (where a: is your floppy drive) and press Enter.
When prompted, remove the installation disk and insert Disk 2, and press Enter.

An Icon for Omnifile will be created on your desktop.  Clicking on this icon
will start Omnifile.

Upgrade From Contact Connection v1.22 or less

Follow the installation instructions above to install Omnifile.

See Import From Contact Connection v1.22 or less

Installing on a Network

Follow the procedure listed above for new user. The Omnifile program can be
installed either locally on a workstation or on the network server. The data
must reside on the server. All sub-directories should reside on the server
beneath the Omnifile data directory. See Installing in a Separate Data
Directory later in this section for information on the easiest way to
accomplish this.

For Windows 95/NT

Each workstation needs to set an environment variable in Autoexec.bat. To do
this, open autoexec.bat in a text editor such as edit by typing edit
\autoexec.bat. Add a line to the end of the file. The line should say Set
user_id=name. Name represents whatever name the user wants to use who will be
accessing the database from this workstation. Remember to Save as a text file
and exit from the editor. The workstation must be rebooted for this change to
take effect.

For OS/2

Each workstation needs to set an environment variable in config.sys. To do
this, open config.sys in a text editor such as epm by typing epm \config.sys.
Add a line to the end of the file. The line should say Set user_id=name. Name
represents whatever name the user wants to use who will be accessing the
database from this workstation. Remember to Save and exit from the text editor.
The workstation must be rebooted for this change to take effect.

Note:  If both OS/2 workstations and Windows 95/NT workstations are being
utilized on the same network, make sure that there are no OS/2 workstations
running Omnifile the first time a Windows 95/NT workstation starts the program.
(This is only necessary the first time a Windows 95/NT workstation runs the
program).

Installing with a Separate Data Directory

Follow the installation instructions above to install Omnifile into the
directory where the data will reside.

Then copy or move *.exe, *.dll, *.hlp into the directory where you want the
program to reside.

For Windows 95

Open autoexec.bat in a text editor.

Add the directory that the program was put in to the path statement in the
autoexec.bat file.

Remember to save autoexec.bat as a text only file.

Edit the properties for the Omnifile icon to reflect the new program path.

For OS/2

Then open config.sys in a text editor.

Add the directory that the program was put in to the libpath statement in the
config.sys file.

Remember to save the config.sys file as a text only file.

You must reboot your system for changes to your libpath to take effect.

Edit the settings for the Omnifile icon to reflect the new program path.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.8. Unlocking Modules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile has a special feature that allows users to unlock new modules simply
by entering an activation code.

This means that new users can demo the modules before deciding whether to buy,
and once they have purchased, they can always upgrade to a more powerful
version with a simple phone call.

There are four versions of Omnifile.  They are listed below in order of
increasing power.  Each version is available for OS/2, Windows 95, or Windows
NT.

The demonstration versions are full working copies of the program except that
they limit the number of records that can be added to around 50 and certain
exporting functions are disabled.

Omnifile Contact Connection contains the following predefined modules: Contact
Connection and To Do.  It is intended to be used for people who only need
contact management.  Customizing views or reports is not allowed with this
version.

 Omnifile Home contains the following predefined modules: Calendars, Contact
Connection, DocuTrack, File Cabinet, Librarian, Notes, Meeting Planner,
Inventory, Recipes, Software, and To Do.  It is intended to be used in the
home.

 Omnifile Pro contains the following predefined modules: Calendars, Contact
Connection, DocuTrack, Expenses, File Cabinet, Hour Tracker,  Librarian,
Meeting Planner, Notes, Phone Message Pad, Inventory, Software, and To Do.  It
is intended for use in small offices and home offices.

 Omnifile Office is a multi user version of Omnifile Pro. It comes with a
license for 5 users and additional licenses can be purchased.

To purchase one of these modules select the module then click on the Purchase
(or Install) button.  If the module is free (as are all the demos), then the
install process will be started immediately.  If the module needs to be
purchased, a window will be displayed giving you the details on how to purchase
the product. See Purchasing Modules for information on this process.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.8.1. Purchasing Modules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Purchase Module Window shows the name of the module you are purchasing.  In
addition, a Module Code is displayed.  To purchase the module, call the 800#
listed on the screen during normal business hours.  You will be asked for your
name, address, phone number, and credit card information.  Once this has been
verified, you will be given an Activiation Code that you then enter to unlock
the module.  If you have not yet been assigned a serial number, you will also
be given a serial number to enter.

Please be aware that the Module Code will change each time you display the
window and will no longer be valid once you close the window so you must call
Computer Interface Corp while you are in front of the computer.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Quick Start ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section is a step by step tutorial on how to use modules for users with
limited computer experience.

See Opening Omnifile  for information on starting Omnifile from the desktop.

See Entering Information for details on entering information into a module.
This is the next step.

See also:

Introduction to Omnifile  for an introduction to the capabilities of Omnifile.

Omnifile Main Window  for an explanation of what can be done from the main
Omnifile window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. Entering Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All of Omnifile's modules work the same basic way. Once you understand the way
one module works, you will know how to use all the modules.

Let's take a look at the Contacts module. Double clicking on the Contacts icon
brings up the Show Window - Contacts Table of Contents screen. This screen has
seven main buttons, Add New Individual, Browse Individual, Find Individual, Add
New Business, Browse Business, Find Business and Reports.

Individual is represented by a silhouette of a person's head.

Business is represented by an icon representing a building.

It also has Last Name, First Name, Id and Business Name search fields, a Table
of Contents window, and an Advanced Search button.

Since this is the first time you are using Omnifile, let's assume you want to
enter an individual, since there is currently no data in the database. Perhaps
you want to enter your technical support person, Manuel U. Guide, so you can
E-mail him if you need help with Omnifile. Continue with Add Record Button  by
selecting this highlighted text.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.1. Add Record Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

See also Individual Module for more information on the Individual module.

Click on the Add New Individual button to bring up the View Item-Individual
view. Do not add your data here. In the Name field, click on Edit. This brings
up the window in which you will enter all of Manuel's name data. Fill in
Manuel's full name, the name of the company he works for, his job title, etc.
Remember to use the Tab key to move from field to field. Save this information
by clicking on the Save button at the bottom of the window. This will bring you
back to the previous view.

Tab to the address field and press the Enter key or click on Add New in the
Address field. This brings up the window where you will enter Manuel's address
information. Fill in the Type of address (Home, Work, E-mail, etc.). Omnifile
uses multi-key selection, so you may select the first letter of the type, such
as H for home, and Omnifile will fill in the rest for you, or you may use the
drop down box to select the type you want using the mouse.

You will probably want to select "Work" for Manuel's mailing address. You may
also want this to be the default address, the one that will print on envelopes
or mailing labels should you wish to contact him by mail. Select the default by
clicking in the Default Address check box. If this is the first address you are
entering, the check box should already be selected for you. Omnifile allows
unlimited addresses per individual, but only one may be a default address.

Fill in the remainder of the address fields with the street address, apartment
number, suite number, or post office box number, and internal zips, mail drops,
etc. Fill in the city, state, and zip code fields, and a Note if you desire.
Perhaps Manuel is "available  from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM." This could be added to
the note field. This information will not print on envelopes or labels, but is
for your own use. You may print it out in reports if you wish.

Click in the check boxes for the fields you want added to Manuel's address when
it is printed on mailing labels or envelopes, such as Contact's Name, Business
Name, Department, and Job Title. Save this address by clicking on the Save
button at the bottom of the window. A new address window will open. Omnifile
allows you to add an unlimited number of addresses per contact, so you may now
add any other addresses that you have for Manuel, such as his E-mail or home
address. When you are done entering all of the addresses you require and have
saved them, choose the Quit button. This will bring you back to the previous
window.

Press the Tab key and then the Enter key or click on Add New in the Phone
Numbers field to add all of Manuel's phone numbers. If any number has an
extension, type EXT and then the extension. This will allow Omnifile to dial
the phone number for you when you select the Dial Phone push-button without
dialing the extension.

Choose the Type of phone number in the same way you chose the type of address
for Manuel. Is this number a Home, Work, Fax, Pager? Choose the phone number
you want for the default phone number by clicking in the Default Phone Number
check box. You may have only one default phone number per individual. Add any
notes that you may want to have to each phone number in the Note field. Perhaps
the default number is the number that will ring in Manuel's "Lab"at work, or
you may want to note what hours he is available at that number.

Click on the Add New button in the Codes field. This brings up the Browse
SubItems-Codes view. As this is the first time that you are using Omnifile, no
codes for Individuals or Businesses exist. Now you will need to define a code
for use with Manuel. Click on the Add New button to bring up the Browse
Items-Code Definition view. Type in the code you want to define. Perhaps it is
"Tech. Support."

Add any note that you want to this code. Continue to define all codes you will
need while you are in this window. Press the Save button to save this view and
bring up another blank view to add more codes. Omnifile allows any number of
codes. Let's add new codes such as "CIC Employee," because he works at CIC, and
"holiday" so we can send contacts cards during the holiday season. Every time
you define a code, Omnifile will add it to the drop-down list, so you can use
it again and again.

Now that we have three codes defined, we can use them for Manuel. If you are
still at the Code Definition view, press the Quit button to return to the Code
View. Now just type the first letter or two of the code that you want. Omnifile
will try to match letters as you type. When you see the one you want in the
box, press the Tab key to go to the note field, enter any note regarding Manuel
and this code, and Save when done entering text. Continue adding codes for
Manuel by repeating the above step until all three codes have been entered for
Manuel.

Whenever you call, write, or E-mail Manuel, you will want to make a note of it
in Omnifile. This is handled by clicking on the Actions button at the bottom of
the View Item-Individual window. This brings up the View Item-Individual
subwindow. Click on the Add An Action button to bring up the View Item-Action
window. Click on the Add New button to bring up the Browse Items - Action Type
window used to define your action types. This works the same way for actions as
it did before for code definitions. Enter all action types you will need for
Manuel while you are in this action type definition window. Let's define three
actions; "Called", "Left Message", and "Sent Letter" that we can use later for
every individual that we enter into our database system. After these actions
are defined and saved, press the Quit button to return to the previous view.

Perhaps you have placed a call to Manuel. The action to enter for Manuel could
be " Called. " If you type "c" in the combobox, Called will be selected.

Now, using the Tab key or the mouse to get to the next fields, fill in the
Date, Time, and User fields if you wish. Fill in a Summary of your
conversation, such as "Talked about Installation Procedure" in the summary
field. Add any free form notes in the Notes field. This could be a more
detailed discussion of your conversation. Press the Save button. Now continue
entering other actions for Manuel by repeating the above steps. When done
adding Manuel's actions, press the Save button and then the Quit button. The
Action and Summary will appear in the Actions window. Press the Save button to
save this view and Quit.

If you have written a letter to Manuel, or wish to attach a document to
Manuel's record, you may do so by clicking on the Files button at the bottom of
the View Item-Individual window. This will bring up a window listing all files
presently linked to Manuel. As Manuel is just being entered into Omnifile,
there will be no files listed here. Click on the Add A File button. This brings
up the View Item-File window. In the File Type field, click on the Add New
button. Defining file types works the same as defining codes and actions. Once
entered, the file type and its associated path can be used again and again.

Define the File Type and Program Path for a program now. The file type could be
"MSWord." The full path could be "c:\apps\msoffice\winword\winword.exe." The
complete path including the executable file name must be typed in here. The
active checkbox should be selected if the program currently is on your hard
drive. After entering this information, press the Save button to save the
information. Enter any other programs now that you want. When done, press the
Save button, then the Quit button on the bottom of the window.

Now we are ready to use the programs we just defined. Select a File Type of
MSWord by typing the letter "M." Omnifile will match that to MSWord and fill it
in for you. In the File Path field, fill in the document's name, with its full
path, such as "C:\Letters\MUGuide1.doc." If you enter a name without a path,
Omnifile will default to using a sub-directory called Files. Add a Description
of the document, the File Date, and the Author you want associated with the
document in their proper fields. Press the Save button to save this
information. This document file can now be opened by clicking on the Launch
File button. When you are done editing this document, you will be returned to
Omnifile. At this point click on the Quit button and then the Quit button on
the window showing existing files.

Congratulations! You now have one complete record in your Individuals database.
Add a few more individuals before proceeding to the next section.

Click here  to continue with instructions on browsing records.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2. Browse Record Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Browse button allows you to look at all of the records in the database of
the module that you are currently using, one by one. By using the |<< (first
record), << (previous record), >> (next record) and >>| (last record) buttons
at the bottom of the screen, you may go to any record in the module.

Let's say you have many records in the Individuals module, and you want to find
someone whose name you have forgotten.You may press the >>| button, and you
will see the last individual that was entered. If that is not the individual
that you really wanted to find, you may press the << button to see the
individual just previous to that one. You may continue to press the << button
until you reach the one you are looking for.

Alternatively, you may press the |<< button if you want to browse starting at
the beginning of the database. The >> button will bring you to the second
record in that database. You may continue to press the >> button until you find
the individual you are looking for. Records may be edited directly in the
browse window. You do not have to click on the Add/Edit button to edit.
However, you must remember to save the record or any editing changes will be
lost.

Clicking on the Add/Edit button brings up a new, blank window for adding a new
record.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.1. Add/Edit Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The data that you have entered in any window may be edited directly on the
screen without using this button. However, if you wish to add a new record, you
may do so by clicking on the Add/Edit button. This brings up a new, blank
window for adding a new record.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.2. Save Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you have edited any of the fields in any screen, you must save the screen,
using this button or CTRL-S. Failure to save will result in your changes being
lost!

Note:  If the Auto Save option (under the Preferences page of
Maintenance/Options) is turned on then any changes will be automatically saved
when you leave the record and you do not need to press the Save button.  (This
option is initially turned on when you first install the program.)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.3. Save to Folder Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you want to save the information in any record to a specific folder, click
on this button. The Categorize window will open. You will be prompted to select
a folder from a list. Select the folder that you want to put the information
in, and save. If you want to put the information into a folder that is not on
this list, you will have to create a folder first.

See  Categorizing Data


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.2.4. Quit Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When you have finished adding, browsing, finding, and editing any records that
you wish, and you have saved all of them, you may exit from the Browse mode by
clicking on the Quit button, double clicking in the upper left hand corner of
the window, or exit using CTRL-Q.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.3. Find Record Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Clicking on the Find button brings up the Find Items-Individual window from
which you may enter search criteria for the record that you want to find.
Omnifile uses query by example in this mode. To find any given information in
this mode, just enter the information you are looking for in the appropriate
location on the window. All records which contain this value in this location
will be found.

To start the search process, press the First, Last, List, or Folder buttons on
the bottom of the window. Use the First, Prev., Next, or Last buttons in the
same manner you used the |<<, <<, >>, >>| buttons in the Browse mode. The List
button will show the search results in a list format. The Folder button will
display the information you are searching for in a Results of Last Search  with
every record shown as a separate icon. Each icon can then be double clicked
upon to be viewed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1.4. Reports Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Clicking on the Reports button opens the Reports folder. Omnifile comes with
many pre-defined reports. From this folder, you may choose a report that you
want to view or print. If the report that you want to print is not there, you
will need to create one of your own.

See Designing and Using Reports


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. General Overview ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When Omnifile is started, a main window is opened containing different icons,
or graphical representations of objects. An icon can represent a specific
predefined group of information, called a module.

Currently, these include Actions, Calendars, Contacts, DocuTrack, Expenses,
File Cabinet, Hour Tracker, Inventory, Library, Notes, Phone Message Pad,
Property, Recipe, Meeting Planner, Personal Planner, Software, and To Do. The
version of Omnifile that you have purchased may not contain all of these
modules.

See Versions  to find out which modules you have.

There are also folder icons for Data, Find Items, Maintenance, Templates, and
Reports. Folders are an easy way to group related types of data together. They
also represent an easy way to categorize your data.

See General Help  for information on using all icons in the Omnifile main
window.

See Basic Concepts  for a description of some basic database definitions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. Basic Omnifile Concepts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There are some basic concepts in Omnifile that need to be defined.

Field

One data item. For example, the name field.

Record

Group of related data items that together form one piece of information of a
specific type. For example, the name, address, and phone number fields together
might define a record called "friend."

Module

Group of records that store the same type of information. For example, the
"Friend" module is used to group records of type friend. All records accessed
in the friend module will be of type friend.

Database System

Group of modules that together store all types of information needed by a
specific user.

Definition

Contains all of the fields that are needed to save all information of a
particular type of record. It also defines what type of data is contained in
each field. For a listing of defined data types in Omnifile, see the listing in
the Appendix. For our friend example, the definition would contain fields for
name, address, and phone number. In this case, all three fields would be
defined as type string as well. Each record type can only have one definition.

View

A view of a record is a certain way of looking at the information stored in a
record. The view is used to both display information already in a record type
and to enter new information into a record. The view defines at what location
information will be displayed in the view window. Pre-defined values for
certain fields are defined here. The view determines the tabbing order of
fields. All of the objects that are used in a view to provide this
functionality are called controls.

There can be more than one view for each record type, but only one definition.
Not every view needs to display every field in a record type. However, at least
one view must display each field or there will be no way to enter information
into that orphaned field.

Template

A template can be thought of as a blueprint, or set of instructions, that tells
the computer how to create any type of record that is contained within the
Omnifile database system. When a template icon is dragged from the Template
folder, it automatically creates a new record of that type of data.

Icon

An icon is a graphical representation which can be associated with some object
or action in the database system. Operating on the icon is the same as
operating on the object it represents.

Item

An item is a record of any type in the Omnifile database system. Views,
definitions, folders, and records are all items at the system level.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Basic Omnifile Commands ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There are six basic commands that can be performed on any record in the
database.

Add

Brings up a new blank record which can be filled in with data.

Edit

Allows the information stored in one record to be changed, or the record's
location within the database to be changed.

Browse

Allows all the information stored in a module to be viewed one record at a
time.

Delete

Removes a record from the module permanently.

Deactivate

Hides a record from viewing, but still keeps it in the program. This is usually
done for outdated records that will not be used in the future, but may be
needed for historical purposes.

Copy

Copies a record of information. Useful if most of the information on a new
record you are entering is the same as the information contained within a
previous record. For example, if two of your friends lived together, you would
enter one and then copy that information to a new record, changing only the
name for the second one.

Find

Searches a specific module for a particular value or set of values. It can also
be used to search a user-selected type of information (or all types) for a
specified value or a specified set of conditions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.1. Drag and Drop ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile supports the concept of visually categorizing your data. Any icon
representing data can be moved to any folder just by holding down the right
mouse button and dragging the icon to the new folder.

If the folder you are moving the record to is closed, simply drop the record on
the folder by releasing the mouse button. The record will be added to the
folder automatically.

If the folder you are moving the icon to is already open, simply move the mouse
pointer to whatever position you want the icon to appear within the folder.
Then release the mouse button and the icon will appear in the new location.

Folders can be placed within folders to further sub-categorize data. One of the
exciting things about Omnifile is that different types of data can be placed in
the same folder so data can be grouped the way you use it and need to think of
it.

Please note that icons representing data records can also be placed in folders
by choosing the Save to Folder  button when the data is entered into a record
from any of the predefined modules.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.2. Window List ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The drop down window list displays a list of all currently open views in
Omnifile.  Selecting any one of them will immediately bring that view to the
foreground.

See Jump List Folder for information on a related subject. Note that the Jump
List can be user customized and will open views that aren't already open.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.3. Linking ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Another exciting capability of Omnifile is the ability to link any record of
any type of data to any other.  This is a very powerful tool which allows your
data to be very dynamic.

Say you are a salesman who has a contact at XYZ corporation, but you can't
remember his name. You would open the record for XYZ corporation and check all
the individuals linked to this business. Maybe you want to ask him about his
wife and children. They are all records linked to this contact. While you are
checking this information, you also notice a link to the last letter you sent
him regarding your offer. Maybe there is also a link to a scheduled appointment
with this contact.

The ability to link different types of records gives you the flexibility to use
your data in an interactive way not possible with most database products.

See Linkingfor more details on linking.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.4. Table of Contents View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Table of Contents view of any module is brought up by clicking on the icon
on the main window which represents that module. This view gives the user
access to all the data stored in the module. There are 5 major functions
available on every Table of Contents window.

The main function is a listing of selected fields from each record of the type
represented by a particular module.

The next portion contains one or more search fields to allow narrowing the list
of records displayed. There is also an Advanced Search button to allow
customized searches.

The next portion allows entering or reviewing records. This functionality is
accessed using the Add New and Browse buttons.

The next portion allows printing records. This functionality is accessed
through the Reports button.

Finally the Find button allows searching for any particular record using a
Query By Example technique.

Clicking on the Add New button brings up a view window used to enter a new
record of that data type. The user then has the option of saving the data,
saving the data to a specific folder (i.e. category), or quitting without
saving.

Clicking on the Browse button brings up the Browse View window. This window
allows you to page through all records in the module by using either the
Control Page Up and Control Page Down keys or clicking on the buttons at the
bottom of the screen: |<< , <<, >>, or >>|.

Selecting the Browse button and then clicking the Add/Edit button brings up a
new blank window to add data. After saving the data with the Save button, a new
record will automatically be waiting for further input.

Clicking on the Find button brings up a find view which allows the user to
search using query by example. Just type the information you are looking for
into the displayed record. Omnifile will then find all the records in the
module that match that search criteria.

The resulting records can then be browsed through one by one, or the user can
choose to have the results of the search displayed in a folder with each record
represented by an icon.

Searches can also be performed across modules and for more complex queries.

Any record can be edited while it is being displayed by changing the
information that is incorrect or adding new information. Remember that any
editing changes will not be saved unless Save is selected before leaving the
currently displayed record. To add a new record to the module at any time when
in Browse mode, click the Add/Edit button or press CTRL A to toggle to append
mode, which will bring up a new record so new data can be entered.

Note:  To tell if data is being entered into a new record, make sure that the
legend to the right of the bottom menu bar says New Record and does not display
a record number.

Clicking on the Reports button opens the Reports Folder  folder which contains
all the pre-defined reports for the Omnifile database system. Double clicking
on any report will open it for use.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.5. Basic Use of Modules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Modules are the easiest to understand categorization of Omnifile. Each module
contains data records of a particular type. Accessing information that is
stored in these predefined modules, or adding new data to these modules is very
easy.

All that is required is to double click on the icon that represents that
specific type of information.

For instance, click on Contacts and a Table of Contents window will open.

The Table of Contents window will allow the user to: view (browse) information
stored as individuals, add a new individual, or search (find) for a specific
individual or group of individuals from within the database.

A module is basically a pre-defined way of entering and accessing a specific
type of information. Omnifile also gives users the ability to create their own
modules.

See Designing and Using Views for more information on how to create views and
modules.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.6. To Add an Individual ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following steps show the process involved in adding an individual to the
individual module. These steps focus on the more advanced portions of adding an
individual. For more information on the basic procedure, see Add Record Button
in the basic tutorial.

I. Click on the Add New Individual button. This is the button with the icon
shaped like a head.

 II. Populate each field with the appropriate information. Add as many phone
numbers and addresses as you have for the person. Include fax numbers, pagers,
and cellular phones. Include all locations, post office box numbers, E-Mail
addresses, etc. that are needed for each individual. Give the individual as
many Codes as you find applicable.

 III. Add any actions as they occur by clicking on the Actions button. The
window that appears will list all actions currently associated with this
individual. To view any action listed, select it by double clicking on it. To
add a new action, click on the Add an Action button.

 A. In the window that appears, select the type of action in the list or select
Add New to add a new action to the list.

 1. For an example, let's select Add New and enter "Sent Letter" in the action
field of the window that appears. Then select the Save button and then the Quit button.

 B. Fill in the rest of the information needed to finish this action including
the date, time, user (who performed the action), a summary of the action, and
any notes about the action. For more details on actions, see the Actions module
or the To Do module. Select the completed check box if this particular Action
has been completed.

 C. Press the Save button to save this action. Then either enter another action
or press the Quit button or Ctrl Q to exit this window.

 IV. To add a link, click on the Links button. This brings up the Link window
with Link New Record and Link Existing Record buttons.

 A. To link this record with an existing record, press the Link Existing Record button.

 1. Select the Type of record to link to from the drop down list by clicking on
the appropriate item in the list. For our example, select "Businesses" from the list.

 2. Select the Field Name from the drop down box. In our example, choose
"Business Name" from the list.

 3. Enter a value in the Value field which will specify the exact record for
which you are looking. For our example, enter "Computer Interface Corporation."

 4. Click on the Refresh List button.

 5. A list will appear of all records that match these search criteria. Select
the appropriate one from the list by clicking on it. Click on the Link Selected
Record button and the record will be linked to the original individual record.

 B. To link this individual record with a new record of any type, select the
Link a New Record button.

 1. Select the Type for New Link from the drop down list by clicking on the
appropriate type for the record to be created. For example, to link a business
to this individual record, select Business as the type.

 2. Click on the Link a New Record button. This opens a new record of the type
selected in the previous step.

 3. Fill out the information needed in this record, just as if you had entered
a new record from the Business module in this example. Click on the Save button
to save this record.

 C. To view the record for any link displayed in the Existing Links list,
double click on the record in the list to open up a view of that record.

 D. Click on the Show Link Details button to display and enter any
relationships associated with this link.

 V. Click on the Files button to link a File to this individual record.

 A. Click on the Add a File button at the bottom of the window that appears.

 B. Click on the Add New button to add a new file type or start typing the name
of an existing file type. Omnifile will try to match what you are typing to all
existing file types as you type until enough letters have been typed to limit
the selection. Press the tab key to move to the next field.

 C. Type in the file name in the File Path field. The program path is the full
name of the file, including its drive and directory path.

 D. Click on the Save button to save the record.

Note:  This record will be linked to this individual record and will appear in
the DocuTrack Module

 VI. Add any free form notes regarding the individual by clicking on the Notes button.

 VII. Click on the Save button to save this record to the individual module or
the Save to Folder button to save this record in a particular folder.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.7. Data Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Data Folder contains icons representing the different folders where
information can be stored for each of the predefined data types in the system.
This is the default categorization of the database system.

Double clicking on the Data Folders icon on the main screen opens a folder
containing icons representing Data Folders for every type of module pre-defined
to the database system. Each icon that you see represents a folder into which
you can put records as you create them.

Let's say you entered a note in the Notes module and saved it to the File
folder. Double clicking on the File icon in the Data Folders folder will open
up the File folder. An icon representing the Note that you just saved to this
folder is now located here.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.

Note:  The user can create as many folders as needed to group data in any way
meaningful to him. Folders can be placed within folders to provide levels of
sub-categorization.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.8. StartUp Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The StartUp folder contains a list of icons representing actions that will be
executed when Omnifile is started.

 For example: To start the Add New Individual view when Omnifile is started,
place an icon representing that view into the Startup Folder.

Copying or moving icons representing modules from the Main Window into the
Startup folder will automatically start the module when Omnifile is started.

Note:  Do not place any folder icons into the StartUp folder.

See Jump List Folder for information on using a Jump List.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.9. Jump List Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Jump List folder contains icons representing actions to be taken when
selected from a drop down menu bar list on the menu bar of every view in
Omnifile. The default is for every system module to be shown.

However, the user can modify this listing as desired. Simply deleting an icon
from the folder will make the corresponding menu item disappear.

If the view is already open, the existing view will be shown. If the view is
not open, a new view will be opened.

Adding an icon representing any valid function to this folder will result in
that action being accessible from any view in Omnifile that has a Jump menu
associated with it.

See Window List for related information.

See StartUp Folder for related information on automatically starting views when
Omnifile is started.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.10. Templates Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Templates folder contains templates for every type of pre-defined data in
the entire Omnifile database system.

A Template can be thought of as a blueprint, or set of instructions, that tells
the computer how to create any type of record that is contained within the
Omnifile database system. Templates are also used to create the folders needed
to categorize those records.

Each icon in the Templates folder is a template for a specific type of data
which is represented by the icon. For example, the silhouette represents an
individual record. Double-clicking on the silhouette icon or dragging it to
another folder will create a new record of the Individual type.

Dragging one of these templates to another folder, and then filling in the
information to complete the record, is the same as clicking on the module icon
on the main menu, selecting the add button, and then saving the record into the
folder where the icon was dragged. In either case, the result will be the same.
The new record will be added to whichever folder the user selected.

Double-clicking on a template icon to create a new record, filling the record
in, and then saving it adds the record to the module without saving it into any
particular folder. This is the same as entering data directly using the Add
button on the Table of Contents window of any module.

The Templates folder is very convenient if you have many different kinds of
data to be entered. You don't have to open each module to enter the data, and
then close it, and then open the next module.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.11. Find Items Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To use the Find Items folder, double click on the Find Items folder icon on the
Omnifile main screen. You will see three search icons representing three
different types of searches, and a folder icon labeled Results of Last Search.
Double-clicking on any of these icons will bring up the appropriate window.

See

Advanced Search Capabilities

Find Free Text Search

Find Record Number

Results of Last Search Folder.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.12. Design Views Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Design Views folder contains icons representing each type of system-defined
record. Double-clicking on one of these icons places the user in design mode.
At this time, modifications can be made to the view window that is used to
display or enter data.

See Design Search Window Folder for more info on which icons are in this
folder.

See Design System Items Folder for more info on which icons are in this folder.

See Design SubItems Folder for more info on which icons are in this folder.

See

New fields can be added. Old fields can be deleted or moved. New push buttons
or other functions can be added. Omnifile is only limited by your imagination.
Even entirely new modules can be created easily.

See Designing and Using Views for detailed instructions on how to create your
own views.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.12.1. Design Search Dialogs Folder Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This folder contains a listing of all Table of Contents search views defined by
the Omnifile database system. Accessing any of these icons will automatically
put Omnifile in Design mode and allow the customization of any of these system
defined searches.

See Designing and Using Views for detailed instructions on how to create your
own views.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.12.2. Design System Items Folder Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This folder contains icons representing system views. Accessing any of these
icons will automatically put Omnifile in Design mode and allow the
customization of any of these view windows which define how searches are
performed.

The standard views located here are Find Free Text, Find RecNum, Show Links,
and Link Existing.

See Designing and Using Views for detailed instructions on how to create your
own views.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.12.3. Design SubItems Folder Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This folder contains icons representing views of different data types used by
the system in other modules.

Examples would be code type, address, phone, codes, action, etc.

Accessing any of these SubItem icons will automatically put Omnifile in Design
Mode and allow the customization of any of these view windows.

See Designing and Using Views for detailed instructions on how to create your
own views.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.13. Design Reports Folder Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This folder contains icons representing the different reports used by the
system.

It also contains an icon for designing a new report.

Double-clicking on any icon brings up that particular report for customization
in Design Reports mode.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.13.1. Design Report Dialog Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This folder contains icons representing the different views used to access the
many system defined reports.

Double-clicking on any icon brings up that specific view in Design Views mode.
At this point, the view can be modified.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.14. Reports Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Double clicking on the Reports folder on Omnifile's main screen opens the
Reports folder. It contains many predefined reports for your convenience.

 To use one of these reports, simply double click on the one you want, enter
the data it asks for, and click on the Print to Screen or Print to Printer
button. Print to screen before printing to the printer to be sure the report is
in the format that you want. If you need more detailed reporting or want
another type of report,

see Designing and Using Reports

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.

See Printing Reports  for information on using the reports contained in this
folder.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.14.1. Printing Predefined Reports ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

1. Double click on the report you want to print.

2. Enter the data needed to define the report.

3. Select an Output Device.

Print to Screen

To preview the report press the Print to Screen button.

Print to Printer

Click on the Job Properties button to select the format for the report. This
will include items such as portrait or landscape and the printer resolution.
Click the Print to Printer button.

Printing Labels

Printing labels is as easy as printing reports. Simply click on the label
report that you need to print. Select the position on the sheet of labels of
the first label to be printed. Do this by entering the number of labels down
and across that represents the position of the first label to be printed. Enter
any search criteria needed as well. Click on the Print to Printer button to
print all labels that match the search criteria.

Printing Envelopes

Printing envelopes is as easy as printing reports. Simply click on the envelope
report that you want to print. Select the size of the envelope. Enter the
search criteria to determine what envelope needs to be printed. Click on the
Print to Printer button to print all envelopes that match the search criteria.

Note:  Remember to select landscape orientation and the size of the envelope
from the Job Properties window before printing.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.15. Maintenance Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Maintenance folder contains tools to work with all the data in the system.
It allows the designing of custom reports from the Designing Reports  folder.

See Maintenance Folder Help for more information. The Design View  tool is also
located in the Maintenance folder. It allows customization of screens,
including designing new screens and editing the design and functionality of
existing screens.

The Advanced Maintenance folder contains diagnostic aids for the entire
database system. From here all of your data can be backed up.

Importing and Exporting  is handled here, as well. Default values for printers
and the format for dates can be found under  Options.

The Startup Folder  contains a list of modules and other views that will be
started automatically when Omnifile is started. To use this folder, simply copy
an icon representing the view to be started into this folder. The next time
Omnifile is started, this view will automatically be displayed. If more than
one view is placed into this folder, all the views will be started. To switch
between the views, use the Window menu bar option which displays a list of all
open windows.

The Jump List Folder  contains a list of all actions that Omnifile will switch
to immediately. To add items to the menu list, just copy an icon representing
the desired action into this folder. To remove an item from the list, simply
delete the icon from the folder. If a view is not currently open, the Jump List
will automatically start it.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.16. Networking ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Office version of Omnifile has networking capabilities built-in. Each
registered user has a record in the database which keeps track of their
preferences for folder sizes, positions, and contents.

Omnifile uses a record-locking scheme.  This means that only one person will
have the ability to modify a record in the database at a time. However, more
than one person can view a record at a time.

If a user gets a message, record currently being edited by another user, the
user has three choices.

1.

Keep trying to access the record until it is freed by the other user. 2.

Access the record in a read-only mode which will allow viewing of the data but
no modifications of the data will be allowed. 3.

Try again at another time to access the data.

If there is no message displayed, then no-one else is currently using that
record and the user can modify it at will.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Ready To Use Modules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile contains many ready to use modules for your convenience. The modules
you have will depend upon the version of Omnifile you purchased.

For ease of use, each module works the same way, and has the same
functionality.

When you double click on an icon representing any module, Table of Contents
window will open that usually has four graphic push buttons, Add New, Browse,
Find, and Reports.

There is also a search box allowing the most common types of searching for each
specific module and a Table of Contents listing of records that match the
search criteria on this screen.

See also Advanced Search

See Window List for an easy way to switch between open windows.

See Jump List Folder for an easy way to create a menu list of commonly opened
windows which can be user modified.

See StartUp Folder for an easy way to have certain modules automatically start
when Omnifile starts.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Person Definition Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window allows entry of a name which can be accessed by many different
modules.

Name

Enter the name that will appear in any module that has a user or person prompt.

Note:  Using initials for persons in a company works well in this field.

Note:  It can also be accessed by any new user defined views.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Action Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This module is an ideal way to keep track of all of those nitty gritty tasks
that  need to be done.

In the workplace, the Actions list can help workers keep track of their job
assignments, and stay focused on what must get done.

Following is a list of fields to be populated in this module.

Type

Enter the type of action that is being recorded here. For flexibility, the end
user can define actions to suit their needs.

 See also Action Definition Window  for more information on entering actions.

Completed

Selecting this checkbox means this particular action item has been
accomplished.

Date

Enter the date when this action is or will be performed.

Time

Enter the time when this action will be performed.

User

This field also accesses the system wide person type to make entry easier. New
users can be defined here or all current users will be displayed in the list.

 See also Person Definition Window

Summary

This field can be used to enter key words about this action or for a quick
summary of the action. Try to be consistent in how it is used to make data
entry easier.

Notes

This area can be used to enter as much information about the action as needed.
Omnifile is very flexible and will allow entry of as much text as needed.

Show On Calendar

When this checkbox is selected, the action will be shown on the calendar.

Event Details

Clicking this button will show details about the date, time, frequency, and
reminder status of this action.  See the Calendars Module for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.1. Action Definition Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window allows the definition of different action types which can then be
used in other modules.

Action

Enter a value for a type of action here. Maybe it is Return Call or Follow
Sales Lead.

Note

Any note about the action that is needed to help the user remember how to use
this action can be entered here.

Active

Use this checkbox to denote whether this defined action is currently active in
the database system or not.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. Business Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All of the information on the businesses that you deal with, whether on a daily
basis, or just occasionally, can be stored in this module. It can be accessed
either from the main Contacts Table of Contents  screen or the Individual's
name entry screen.

See also  Individual Module

See also  Business Module

See also Contacts Module

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

ID

Enter any type of ID in this field. Usually initials of the business work well
here. The ID does not need to be unique.

Business Name

Enter the full name of the business here.

Description

Enter a description of the business here.

Addresses

All addresses for a business can be entered here. Entering an address entails
filling in information in the Address Definition Window

Phone Numbers

Multiple phone numbers can be entered for one business. Selecting add a phone
brings up a phone entry window.

See Phone Definition Window  for information on entering phone numbers.

Codes

Codes can be used creatively to categorize businesses in ways to make data
retrieval easier.

Perhaps you want to assign a particular code to all businesses from which you
purchase a particular type of product.

See Code Definition for more information.

Actions

Selecting this pushbutton brings up a window displaying all current actions and
allowing the entry of new actions to be linked to this record.

 See Action Link View  for more information.

Links

Selecting this pushbutton brings up a window listing all records currently
linked to this record. For more details on linking, see Linking

Files

Selecting this push-button brings up a window listing all files that are linked
to this record. For more details on what information is stored within these
modules, please see the DocuTrack Module  for a description.

Notes

Selecting this push-button brings up a Business Contact Note View  in which
information can be entered.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.1. Business Contact Note View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Notes for this business

Any type of note can be entered into this field. This field is usually used to
keep track of any information about the business that does not fit neatly into
any other category.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.2. Address Definition Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The address record contains information used in the Business and Individual
Modules to store information specific to addresses.

See also

Business Module

Individual Module

Contact Connection Module

Type

The type of address can be selected here. For a business it would usually be
work. Omnifile considers E-Mail addresses to be addresses also so E-Mail
addresses should be entered here.

Address

The actual address is entered here. Use as many lines as needed to include post
office stops and building numbers.

City

Enter the city the business is located within here.

State

Enter the state the business is located within here.

Zip

Enter the zip code for this business address here.

Country

Enter the country here if necessary.

Note

Enter any note about the address here.

Default Address

One address can be selected as the default address. This is the address that
will print on labels or envelopes. Clicking in this checkbox will select this
address and deselect any other address that previously had been set as the
default.

Add to Address

Any of the following items can be added to a label or address when it is
printed by selecting the appropriate check boxes here.

Contact's Name

The name of the contact associated with this business.

Business Name

The name of the business will be printed when this check box is selected.

Department

The department that the associated contact belongs to will be printed if this
check box is selected.

Job Title

The contact's job title will be printed if this check box is selected.

Copy an Address

Selecting this pushbutton brings up a window from which a previously entered
address can be selected and copied into this current one. This makes data entry
much easier.

See Copy Existing Address View

Print Envelope

Selecting this pushbutton allows printing the current address on an envelope.

See Printing Envelopes

Print Label

Selecting this pushbutton allows printing the current address on a label.

Printing Labels

Copy Address To Clipboard

Selecting this pushbutton will put a formatted copy of the address into the
operating system's clipboard.  You can then switch to any other application and
paste the formatted address into your application.  For example: This is a good
way to insert a contact's name and address into a letter.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.2.1. Copy Existing Address View. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This view is used to select an existing address and then copy it to the new
address.

See Individual Module

See Business Module

See Address Window

Six steps are needed to copy an address:

1. Select the type of record you want to copy from. Usually this is Business or
Individual.

2. Select the field from this record to use as the search field. For example,
name.

3. Enter a value to find in this field. For example, Computer Interface
Corporation.

4. Click on the Refresh List Button to update the listing.

5. Select the record needed from the displayed list.

6. Click on Copy Selected Address button to complete the copy.

Type

Enter the record type for record that will contain the fields you are looking
for here.

Field Name

Enter the name of the field from the record that would contain the value being
searched upon.

Note:  Only fields belonging to the type of record selected above will be
displayed.

Value

Enter the actual value that will be in the field selected above for the record
upon which the search is being conducted. For example, the record type chosen
was business,

 the field name chosen was Id,

 and the value to be found is CIC.

Refresh List Button

When this button is selected, a list of all records matching the above search
criteria will be listed.

Copy Selected Address Button After selecting an item in the list by clicking on
it, press this button to copy the address from the selected record to the one
you are currently entering.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.2.2. Print Envelope ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window is used to print envelopes from the individual and business
modules.

Envelope Type

Select the size of envelope to be printed from this list.

Output Device

Select the Printer to be used here for printing this envelope. Remember that
the checkboxes set on the Address Window determine what gets printed on the
envelope.

Job Properties

Set the job properties for your printer here if needed.

Select the Print to Printer button to print.

Select the Print to Screen button to preview before printing.

Select the Advanced Search  button to set search criteria before printing.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.2.3. Print Label ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window is used to print labels from the individual and business modules.

Label Type

Select the type of label to be printed from this list.

Label To Start With

Defines which label on the sheet of labels will be the first label to be
printed. Useful if a sheet of labels has been partially used already.

  Across

Enter the number of the label with which to start printing. For example, enter
2 if the label to start with is in the second column on the sheet of labels.

  Down

Enter the number of rows down where the first label to print is located. For
example, if the first label is in the second column and five rows down, enter 5
here.

Output Device

Select the Printer to be used here for printing this label. Remember that the
checkboxes set on the Address Window determine what gets printed on the label.

Job Properties

Set the job properties for your printer here if needed.

Select the Print to Printer button to print.

Select the Print to Screen button to preview before printing.

Select the Advanced Search button to set search criteria before printing.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.2.4. Copy Address to Clipboard ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Selecting this pushbutton will copy the selected address to the clipboard. This
address can then be pasted into your favorite wordprocessor or fax program.

The address will be pasted following the same rules as for printing on an
envelope or label. This means that the checkboxes set on the Address Window
determine what gets copied to the clipboard.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.3. Phone Definition Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Information relating to phone numbers for both the Business and Individual
Modules are stored here.

See also

Business Module

Individual Module

Type

The type of phone number is selected here. Types can vary from home or work to
fax or modem numbers.

Phone Number

Enter the phone number as you would need to dial it. If you need to dial the
area code, enter it as part of the phone number.

If you don't need to enter the area code to dial the number, don't enter it here.

To add an extension, type EXT and the extension will not be automatically
dialed.

Note

Enter any note about the phone number here. Maybe it's Bill's private line at
work.

Copy a Phone

Pushbutton that allows copying an existing phone number intended to simplify
data entry. See also Copy Existing Phone Definition View

Dial Phone

Pushbutton that will dial the phone number as entered. Any prefix needed to
access an outside line can be set in the Maintenance Options

Default Phone

The phone number that will be printed if more than one phone number exists and
only one has been selected for printing.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.3.1. Copy Existing Phone View. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This view is used to select an existing phone and then copy it to the new
phone.

See Individual Module

See Business Module

See Phone Window

Six steps are needed to copy an phone:

1. Select the type of record you want to copy from. Usually this is Business or
Individual.

2. Select the field from this record to use as the search field. For example,
Last Name.

3. Enter a value to find in this field. For example, Rabbit.

4. Click on the Refresh List Button to update the listing.

5. Select the record needed from the displayed list.

6. Click on Copy Selected Phone button to complete the copy.

Type

Enter the record type for record that will contain the fields you are looking
for here.

Field Name

Enter the name of the field from the record that would contain the value being
searched upon.

Note:  Only fields belonging to the type of record selected above will be
displayed.

Value

Enter the actual value that will be in the field selected above for the record
upon which the search is being conducted. For example, the record type chosen
was individual,

 the field name chosen was Last Name,

 and the value to be found is Rabbit.

Refresh List Button

When this button is selected, a list of all records matching the above search
criteria will be listed.

Peter Rabbit should now be one of the choices in our example.

Copy Selected Phone Button After selecting an item in the list by clicking on
it, press this button to copy the phone from the selected record to the one you
are currently entering.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.4. Code Definition Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Enter a code to be associated with the Business or Individual in this record.

See also

Business Module

Individual Module

Code

Select the code for this record from the drop-down list or click on Add New to
add a new code.

Note

Enter any note to be associated with this code here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.4.1. Code Type Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Enter the values for codes for your database system here. Any codes entered
here will be accessible from both the Individual and Business Modules.

See also

Business Module

Individual Module

Code

If a new code is defined, enter the name of the new code here.

Note

Enter any note to serve as a reminder on how to use this code here.

Active

Select this check box if this code is currently being used in the database.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Calendars Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Calendars module provides a quick view of all your daily activities in a
standard calendar format.  A summary of your first few activities for each day
is shown on the calendar.  If you maximize the calendar window even more
activities will be shown for each day.  You can browse between months by
clicking the << and >> buttons.

If you want full details for any day, simply double click on the day and a full
list of events will be displayed along with a list of any reminders for that
day.  Double clicking on any of these events pulls up the record associated
with the event so you can see all its information. To add a new event for the
day you are viewing, click on one of the buttons at the bottom of the window.

Appointments, actions, and notes are frequently added to calendars so they have
been designed with special controls that make it easy to show them on your
calendar.  For the quickest method, simply check the "Show On Calendar" box for
any of these records that you want displayed on your calendar.  For more
control of the details, click on the "Event Details" button on the record to
see the full information about the event.  If the record you want to add to the
calendar doesn't have an "Event Details" button then you can still show it on
your calendar by linking the record to an Event Detail.  See Linking for more
information on how to do this.

An Event Detail record describes the type of event that will be shown on the
calendar.  In addition to the date, time, and person for the event, it has
fields that allow specifying whether the event is to recur on a daily, weekly,
or monthly basis.  You can set the start and stop dates for these recurring
events, or you can leave them blank to indicate it recurs forever.

If you want to be reminded of any event, you can select one of the reminder
frequencies.  Omnifile will then automatically pop up a window reminding you
about the event at the time you specified.  Currently, these reminders will
only be shown if Omnifile is running at the time the reminder is to be shown.
(It doesn't, however, have to be the application you are using at the time - as
long as its running it will be brought to the foreground and the reminder will
be shown.)

When you select a reminder frequency, be sure to also set an advance warning
period.  This indicates how far in advance of the event the reminder should
occur.  For example, entering "2hrs" will cause Omnifile to remind you 2 hours
before the next event.  Other examples are "30m" for 30 minutes, "5d" for 5
days, "2w" for 2 weeks, "3mo" for 3 months, etc.

Sometimes, you may not want to be interrupted to be reminded about upcoming
events.  In this case, simply click the "Show Reminders" checkbox on the
Reminder window to turn it off for the current session.  If you don't want
Omnifile to ever remind you, you can delete the "Check Reminders" icon in the
Startup folder under Maintenance.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5. Contact Connection Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All of the information on the businesses that you deal with, whether on a daily
basis, or just occasionally, can be stored in this module along with
information on all individual contacts.

This module basically combines the functionality of the Business and Individual
Modules into one streamlined, easy to use module.

The Table of Contents screen contains a listing of all business and individual
contacts along with their phone numbers. It also allows the addition of a new
individual or business to the database or the browsing of existing individuals
or businesses.

Searching can be done by business name or individual last or first name or id.
The result of the search will be displayed on the Table of Contents screen as
the values are entered.

See also  Individual Module

See also  Business Module


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6. DocuTrack Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The DocuTrack Module helps you keep track of all of your important computer
files (papers, letters, resumes, spreadsheets, etc.).  It can even open the
file for you.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

File Type

The type of  the following file. Examples could be word processing, database,
editor, etc.

See the File Type Definition Window  for more information.

File Path

Enter the full path name, including drive, to the file you are describing and
will want to start automatically in the future. If only a file name is given,
the path will default to the Files subdirectory below Omnifile's data directory.

Description

Any description of the file that is meaningful to the user.

File Date

The date the file was created or the date the file was last modified could be
entered here.

Author

The person who created or modified the file would be stored here.

Notes

Any other information about the file can be entered here.

Launch File Push-button

Selecting this push button after the above information is filled in will start
the program defined in the file type entry field with the file defined in the
file path field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6.1. File Type Definition Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Enter the following values for the executable file here.

File Type

Enter the type of program here that will be associated with the following file.
For example, word processing.

Program Path

Enter the full path to the program here.

Active

Denote whether the program is currently located on your hard drive and
available for use by checking off this box by clicking on it.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7. Expenses Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This module is excellent for anyone who has an expense account, or who needs to
know how the money in an expense account is being spent.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Person

This is a cross module field. Data entered in other modules for person will be
accessible here. This field is to be used to keep track of the person for whom
this expense is valid.

See the Person Definition Window  for more information.

Date

Enter the date the expense occurred here.

Client

Enter the client who incurred the expense here.

Billable

The allowed values in this field are Yes and No. Either the expense is billable
or it is not.

Amount

Enter the amount of the expense here.

Expense Type

Enter the type of expense here. There is a predefined list of categories from
which to choose.

Voucher Id

Enter any unique identifier for the expense here.

Destination

Enter the destination if it is applicable for this type of expense. For
instance, if the expense type was travel, the destination could be "Computer
Interface Corporation."

Description

A more thorough description of the expense can be entered into this field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.8. File Cabinet Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The contents of your file cabinets and banker boxes will no longer be a
mystery!

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Building

Enter the building in which your folder is stored here. See the Building
Definition View  for more information.

Room

Enter the room within the building here. Try to keep your descriptions
consistent for ease of use in retrieving data.

File Cabinet

Enter the file cabinet within the room in which the document is stored.

Box

If the information is stored in a file box instead of a file cabinet, enter the
box name here.

Folder or Box Label

Enter the name of the folder or the label on the bankers box that contains the
information here.

Subject

Enter the subject of the information here. Maybe several key words can be
entered here to help find information.

Notes

Enter any additional notes about the document here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.8.1. Building Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This record stores the names of all buildings used in the File Cabinet Module .

Building

 Enter the name of the building in this field.

Note

 Enter any information about this building here.

For example, a brief description of the building might be valuable here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.9. Hour Tracker Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This module is especially useful for businesses that must bill for time, or
keep track of time spent on projects. It will help you determine profitability
for your billable time and set budgets for your work projects.

Whether you are a painter, lawyer, or a computer consultant, you will find this
module helpful when you are determining the cost of a job.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Person

Enter the name of the person who is keeping track of their time here. This is a
system wide field to make it easy to enter if the program is on a network.

See the Person Definition Window  for more information.

Date

Enter the date on which this service was performed

Start Time

Enter the starting time of the service here.

End Time

Enter the time when the service was ended here.

Duration

This is a computer generated field that will calculate the difference in time
between the start and ending times. As soon as the user tabs from the end time
field this field is recalculated.

Title

Enter the user specified title of the service performed here.

See Hour Title Definition View  for more information.

Description

Enter a description of the service in this field.

Client

Enter the name of the client for whom this service was performed.

Service

Enter the user defined service name in this field.

See Service Definition View  for more information.

Priority

This field can be used to set the priority of the service. Maybe more is
charged for a rush job.

Billable Time

The amount of time that the client will actually get billed.

Billing Note

A note to be sent to the client with his bill.

Notes

Any additional information of use to the user can be entered here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.9.1. Hour Title Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This record keeps track of all titles created in your system for use with the
Hour Tracker Module

Title

Enter an appropriate title that can be used for many Hour Tracker records here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.9.2. Service Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This record keeps track of all services used in the Hour Tracker Module.

Service

Enter a name for each type of service that will be used in the Hour Tracker
Module.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.10. Individuals Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All of the information on the people that you deal with, family, friends,
business associates, etc. can be stored in this module. Phone numbers and
addresses are available instantly. Every phone call, letter or fax that you
have made or received is easily filed away here for quick retrieval.

Sales professionals will find this module indispensable for keeping track of
their sales leads.

The following fields are used in the Individual Module.

See also Contacts Module for information on how this module is combined with
the Business Module.

ID

Enter any type of ID in this field. Usually initials of the individual work
well here. The ID does not need to be unique.

Name Information

Clicking on Edit here brings up the Name Information View in which all
information about the individual's name can be entered.

Addresses

All addresses for the individual can be entered here. See the Address
Definition View for more information.

Phone Numbers

Multiple phone numbers can be entered for one individual. Selecting Add New
phone brings up a Phone Definition View  phone window.

Codes

Codes can be used creatively to categorize individual's in ways to make data
retrieval easier. Perhaps you want to assign a particular code to all
individuals on your Holiday List.

See the Code Definition View  for more information.

Actions

Selecting this pushbutton brings up a window displaying all current actions and
allowing the entry of new actions.

See Actions for more information.

Links

Selecting this pushbutton brings up a window listing all records currently
linked to this record.

For more information on linking, see Linking

Files

Selecting this pushbutton brings up a window listing all files that are linked
to this record.

For more details on what information is stored within these modules, please see
the description of the DocuTrack Module .

Notes

Selecting this pushbutton brings up a view window in which the following
information can be entered.

See Individual Contact Note View


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.10.1. Individual Contact Note View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view attaches a note to the Individual Module

Notes for this individual

Any type of note can be entered into this field. This field is usually used to
keep track of any information about the individual that does not fit neatly
into any other category.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.10.2. Name Information Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window is where information is entered for each individual's name.

Title

Enter the title of the person here. Examples would be Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.

First Name

Enter the first name of the individual here.

Middle Name

Enter the middle initial or middle name of the person here.

Last Name

Enter the last name of the person in this field.

Suffix

Enter any suffix to the person's name here. Examples would be Jr., III, Ph.D.,
etc.

Informal Name

Enter any nick-name for the person here.

Business Name

Enter the name of the business at which this person works. If this business
already exists in the database, it will be highlighted. Pressing enter will
accept that business.

If the business is not in the database, you can either type the name into this
field without adding a separate business record, or you can click on the Add
New button to add the business record directly from this window.

Note:  If you have more than one individual that works at a business, it is
usually a good idea to enter the business as a separate business record.  This
allows you to link all the individuals to one business record.

Link This Business

Clicking on this push button will automatically link the individual you are
currently entering to the business that you have selected.

Note:  Only click on this button once; even though there is no change on the
screen, your selection has been linked.

Copy Business Address

Clicking on this push button will bring up a window listing all addresses
currently in the database for this business. Selecting any address and then
clicking on the copy address button will automatically copy the address in to
the current individual's address.

Department

Enter the department in the business at which this individual works.

Job Title

Enter the individual's job title here.

Description

Enter a description of the individual's job here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.11. Inventory Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Inventory module is as versatile as you want to make it. You can store
records of your business inventory here. You will have the make, model, and
serial number for your copier easily retrievable.

Registration information is instantly available if it is stored in the
Inventory module. Businesses will be able to keep track of where all inventory
items are located.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Name

Enter the name of the inventory item here.

SubName

If the item has a SubName, enter it here.

Category

Enter the category of the item here. Try to be consistent as you categorize. It
will make reports much easier to understand.

See Category Definition View

Bought By

Enter the name of the person who purchased the item.

Bought From

Enter the name of the company from which the inventory item was bought.

Date Bought

Enter the date when the item was purchased.

Payment Method

Enter the method of payment, for example, charge, check, or cash.

List Price

Enter the list price of the item if known.

Price Paid

Enter the actual price paid for the item here.

Model

Enter the model number of the item here.

Version

Enter the version number of the inventory item here, if applicable.

Serial Num.

Enter the serial number of the item here.

Manufacturer

Enter the manufacturer of the item in this field.

Date Registered

Enter the date upon which the item was registered for warranty purposes.

Folder

Enter the name of the folder in which all pertinent papers on this item are
stored.

Location

Enter the location of this item.

Status

Enter the status of this item here. Examples would be in use or in storage.

Codes

Enter any codes used to describe this item. As an example, this field could be
used to define how the item is handled at tax time.

Description

A detailed description of the item can be entered here.

Notes

Any notes dealing with this item can be entered here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.11.1. Category Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This record is used to store the categories defined on the inventory item
window.

Category

Enter the category for inventory items here.

Note

Enter any note pertaining to this category here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.12. Librarian Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Librarian module of Omnifile is useful for keeping track of articles that
you have read and may want to refer to again.

 Students doing term papers, doctors needing to keep up with the latest medical
discoveries, and software developers wanting to reread an article on some new
code will all want to take advantage of this module's features.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Magazine

This entry field brings up a list of magazines previously defined to the system
by a user. To add a new magazine to the list at this time, click on the Add New
button.

See also Magazine Definition View

Date

Enter the date of this issue of the magazine.

Issue

Enter the issue of the magazine here.

Volume

Enter the current volume of the magazine here.

Number

Enter the number of the current magazine here.

Notes

Add any notes about this particular magazine here.

Articles

This field can be used as a reference to all articles within this magazine of
which you need to keep track.

See also Article Definition View


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.12.1. Article Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Information from each article in a magazine is stored in this record.

Title

Enter the title of the article here.

SubTitle

Enter the subtitle of the article here if one exists.

Page Number

Enter the page number in the magazine on which this particular article begins.

Author

Enter the author(s) of the article here.

Subject

Enter the main subject of the article here.

Keywords

Enter any keywords here that might help find the article later. If you are
consistent in using keywords, searching is much more effective.

Notes

Enter any notes about the article here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.12.2. Magazine Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This record stores information about each of the magazines that are currently
used in your library.

Magazine

The name of the magazine would be entered here.

Description

A brief description of the magazine is entered here.

Publisher

Enter the publisher of the magazine here.

Category

Enter a category for the magazine here. For example, maybe all your computer
magazines should be categorized together. Perhaps you need to categorize them
by operating system.

Note

Any brief note about the magazine. For examle, subsciption expiration date.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.13. Meeting Planner Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Meeting Planner module is a basic appointment book. Use it to keep track of
all of your meetings and appointments.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Person

Enter the name of the person for whom this appointment is scheduled. This field
automatically accesses the same names as all other modules with a person field
to make data entry easier.

See Person Definition View  for more information.

Date

Enter the date of the appointment here.

Start Time

Enter the time when the appointment will begin here.

End Time

Enter the time when the appointment will end here.

Location

Enter the location where the appointment will be held in this field.

Type

Enter the type of the appointment here. Try to be consistent in defining
appointment types to make it easier to get meaningful reports from the data.

Description

Enter a description for this appointment here.

Notes

Enter any notes relating to this appointment here.

Show On Calendar

When this checkbox is selected, the appointment will be shown on the calendar.

Event Details

Clicking this button will show details about the date, time, frequency, and
reminder status of this appointment.  See the Calendars Module for more
information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.14. Notes Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Notes module is an easy way to keep track of all of your thoughts and
ideas. Just jot them down here as they come to you. Then, when you are ready to
organize them, they are right at your fingertips.

Just create a folder for each topic that you put in your Notes module, and drag
each note into the folder. Then, all of your ideas will be organized for you.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Summary

Enter a quick summary of what the note is about here. Keeping the summary to a
few key words will make it easier to retrieve the note later.

Note

Enter the body of the note here. The note can be as long as needed. Omnifile is
very flexible.

Show On Calendar

When this checkbox is selected, the note will be shown on the calendar.  Note:
Unless you specify a date and time for this event by clicking the Event Details
button, the Note will be displayed on the calendar for the current date and
time.

Event Details

Clicking this button will show details about the date, time, frequency, and
reminder status of this note.  See the Calendars Module for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.15. Personal Planner Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Personal Planner module is a basic appointment book. Use it to keep track
of all of your meetings and appointments, the kids' soccer schedule, or your
dentist appointment.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Person

Enter the name of the person for whom this appointment is scheduled. This field
automatically accesses the same names as all other modules with a person field
to make data entry easier.

 See also Person Definition View  for more information.

Date

Enter the date of the appointment here.

Start Time

Enter the time when the appointment will begin here.

End Time

Enter the time when the appointment will end here.

Location

Enter the location where the appointment will be held in this field.

Type

Enter the type of the appointment here. Try to be consistent in defining
appointment types to make it easier to get meaningful reports from the data.

Description

Enter a description for this appointment here.

Notes

Enter any notes relating to this appointment here.

Show On Calendar

When this checkbox is selected, the appointment will be shown on the calendar.

Event Details

Clicking this button will show details about the date, time, frequency, and
reminder status of this appointment.  See the Calendars Module for more
information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.16. Phone Messages Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This module serves as an electronic message center. Messages can be taken and
placed in each person's folder.

If the caller calls back inquiring whether his message has been received, the
phone operator will know, because the message recipient can click on the Read
check box to indicate that the message has been read.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

To

Enter the name of the person to whom this message is addressed. This field will
show a list of all people entered in the person field of any module. See the
Person Definition View for more information.

From

Enter the name of the person leaving the message.

See the Phone Individual Definition View  for more information.

Company

Enter the name of the company where the person who is leaving the message works
in this field.

See the Phone Company Definition View  for more information.

Phone

Enter the phone number here with all applicable area codes.

Message

Enter the text of the message left by the caller here.

Date

Enter the date when the message was left.

Time

Enter the time when the message was left.

Message Taker

Enter the name or initials of the person taking the message here. By default,
this field also accesses the common person field for ease of use in a small
business or personal environment.

See the Person Definition View  for more information.

Messages

There are a series of standard phrases here intended to make message taking
easy. Check off one or more of the applicable phrases below for each message.

Call Back

The caller expects a return call.

Returned Your Call

The caller was returning your previous call.

Schedule Meeting

The caller needs to schedule a meeting with you.

Will Call Again

The caller will call again later.

Urgent

The caller needs to speak with you urgently.

Action

These are common actions that the user of the phone module will perform on each
message. They are also meant to save time on typing information into the
message entry field.

Read Message

The user checks this box when the message is read.

Returned Call

The user can check this box if the call was returned.

Completed Action

This box can be checked off when the action required from this message is
completed.

Dial Phone push-button

Clicking on this push-button will automatically dial the phone number entered
in the phone field, along with any prefix entered through the Maintenance
Options  settings notebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.16.1. Phone Company Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This information is used to keep track of the businesses that commonly call
your business and leave messages.

See also Phone Message Pad Module

Company

Enter the name of the company for which the person making the phone call works.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.16.2. Phone Individual Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This record is useful to store names of people who have called. They are
readily accessible through the Phone Message Pad Module .

Name

 Enter the name of the person leaving a message here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.17. Property Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The property module is as versatile as you want to make it. You can store
records of your personal property here.

Jewelry, furniture, antiques, collectibles can all be recorded in the Property
module. You will have the make, model, and serial number at your fingertips
when your appliances break down.

Registration information is instantly available. You will know if your
coffeepot is still under warranty, and if your diamond earrings need to be
reappraised.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Name

Enter the name of the piece of property here.

SubName

If the item has a SubName, enter it here.

Category

Enter the category of the item here. Try to be consistent as you categorize, it
will make reports much easier to understand.

See the Category Definition View  for more information.

Bought By

Enter the name of the person who purchased the item.

Bought From

Enter the name of the company from which the piece of property was bought.

Date Bought

Enter the date when the item was purchased.

Payment Method

Enter the method of payment such as charge, check, or cash.

List Price

Enter the list price of the item if known.

Price Paid

Enter the actual price paid for the item here.

Model

Enter the model number of the item here.

Version

Enter the version number of the inventory item here, if applicable.

Serial Num.

Enter the serial number of the item here.

Manufacturer

Enter the manufacturer of the item in this field.

Date Registered

Enter the date when the item was registered for warranty purposes.

Folder

Enter the name of the manila folder in which all pertinent papers on this item
are stored.

Location

Enter the location of this item.

Status

Enter the status of this item here such as in use, in storage, etc.

Codes

Enter any codes used to describe this item. As an example, this field can be
used to define how the item is handled at tax time.

Description

A detailed description of the item can be entered here.

Notes

Any notes dealing with this item can be entered here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.18. Recipe Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Recipe module was developed for home use, but may also be of interest to
small restaurants that do not have a master chef on hand all of the time.
Secret and family recipes can be filed in this module. Once entered, they can
be retrieved again and again.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Title

Enter the title of your recipe here.

Description

Enter a description of your recipe here.

Category

Enter a category for your recipe here. Try to be consistent in picking
categories to make later accessing of the data easier.

Ingredients

Enter the list of ingredients needed by this recipe here.

Servings

Enter the number of servings that this recipe will make in this field.

Instructions

Enter all instructions needed to create this recipe here.

Nutrition Info

All items within this grouping describe the nutritional value of the recipe.
These values are very useful for anyone on a strict diet.

Serving Size

Enter the size of the serving here in grams or ounces.

Calories

Enter the total number of calories per serving here.

Calories From Fat

Enter the number of calories derived from fat here.

Total Fat

Enter the total amount of fat per serving here.

Saturated Fat

Enter the amount of saturated fat per serving here.

Cholesterol

Enter the amount of cholesterol per serving here.

Sodium

Enter the amount of sodium per serving here.

Carbohydrates

Enter the amount of carbohydrates per serving here.

Protein

Enter the amount of protein per serving here.

Vitamins

Enter all the essential vitamins provided by this recipe here.

Food Exchange

Enter any food exchange values for this recipe here if this recipe will be used
with any kind of diet plan.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.19. Software Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Suppose you've just gotten a fancy new computer. All of your software has to be
loaded onto your new computer. But where are the original disks or CD ROMs? The
Software module has the answer. Just file them away as you purchase them, and
enter the data into Omnifile. Print a report listing your software inventory
and keep it handy. Then, when you need to find a disk, it will be a snap!

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Product

The name of the program that is being recorded here. For example: Omnifile.

Version

The version number of the program being recorded.

Operating System

The operating system under which the program runs.

Disk Type

The type of disk that is being stored here. There are default values for all
situations. Types are typically program, data, work, etc.

Media Format

The type and size of the disk on which the software is stored should be entered
here.

Num. Disks

The number of disks needed to hold the software package being stored should be
entered here.

Note

Any applicable note regarding the software can be stored here. For example, you
could note when a backup was performed and by whom.

Backup Made

A check box that displays whether a backup of the disks has been performed or
not.

Disk Labels

This box holds the values to be printed on each disk label for the set of
disks. See the Disk Label Definition View  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.19.1. Disk Label Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This window allows entry of information to appear on the disk label.

Title

The name as it should appear on the disk label.

Note

Any note about the disk label should be entered here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.20. To Do Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The To Do module is an ideal way to keep track of tasks that need to be done.
At home, it could be a reminder that it is time to clean out the garage, or
wash the dog.

The following fields are predefined for storing information in this module.

Type

Enter the type of action that is being recorded here. For flexibility, the end
user can define actions to suit their needs.

Action Definition View

Completed

Selecting this checkbox means this particular action item has been
accomplished.

Date

Enter the date when this action is or will be performed.

Time

Enter the time when this action will be performed.

User

This field also accesses the system wide person type to make entry easier. New
users can be defined here or all current users will be displayed in the list.

Summary

This field can be used to enter key words about this action or for a quick
summary of the action. Try to be consistent in how it is used to make data
entry easier.

Notes

This area can be used to enter as much information about the action as needed.
Omnifile is very flexible and will allow entry of as much text as needed.

Show On Calendar

When this checkbox is selected, the action will be shown on the calendar.

Event Details

Clicking this button will show details about the date, time, frequency, and
reminder status of this action.  See the Calendars Module for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Categorizing Data ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

One of Omnifile's strengths is its ability to categorize data in any way you
want. The purpose of categorization is to group data together that is related
in some way. This makes it easier to access the data when needed.

Omnifile is very visual. It is easy to move icons representing data from one
place to another. This allows data to easily be grouped within folders. Each
folder then represents a category or sub-category.

The following ways to categorize your data are supported within Omnifile.

1.  Data can be categorized using fields in all pre-defined modules.

2.  Data can be categorized from modules by using the Save to Folder button.

3.  Data can be categorized using folders.

4.  Data is categorized visually by utilizing drag and drop to move data items
from one folder to another.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Using Modules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Modules effectively categorize data in three ways. The first way is by virtue
of the fact that a certain type of information is stored in each module. For
example, to look for a note about a certain subject, you would probably start
by searching the Notes module. That is where you would expect to find data of
type notes.

The other two methods are described below.

Using Pre-Defined Fields

Use the pre-defined codes fields or categorization fields that are contained
within most modules. Remember that it is very easy to do a search based on any
value in these fields. For example, this makes it very easy to find all the
contacts that are "sales leads" for a particular product.

Using Save to Folder Button

The next method of categorizing data within modules is the use of the save to
folder button on the bottom bar of any window that lets you view or enter data.
Clicking on this button, or pressing CTRL-V, will bring up a Categorize window
listing all folders (categories) currently defined in the system. There is also
a new folder icon on this screen.

Select any folder from the list by clicking on it with the mouse or by typing
the first letter of the name. Clicking on the plus sign will expand the tree
view down one level. Continue expanding until the correct folder is found.
Select the folder. Click on the Save button to save the record to the selected
folder or click on the Quit button to cancel this operation.

To create a new folder in which to save data, drag the new folder icon into the
list view. Dragging this folder using the right mouse button into the list of
folders at any point will create a new folder within whatever folder the folder
icon was dragged.

To add the new folder at the root level, drag the folder into the select list
box but not far enough to highlight any existing folder. Releasing the mouse
button at this point will create a new folder at the root level.

You will now be prompted for the name of this new folder in a pop-up window
entitled Folder Name. Type a name for your new folder. Press the Save button to
create the folder or the Cancel button to cancel this operation.

Click on the Save button on the Categorize window to save the record to the
newly created folder.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Using Folders ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Using folders is a more visual way of categorizing data. Each item of data will
actually appear in the folder. The folder itself represents the category. You
can actually group data together by any category that makes sense to you and
see each item residing in the folder.

 For instance, maybe you are working on a project at work or a school
assignment at home. You have some notes dealing with this project, some
individual contacts, some documents and other related files, and a few actions
you still need to do to complete the project. If you have created a folder
called My Project and placed all of these items in this folder, you can see all
the information needed for this project at a glance. Creating Folders from
Templates

At Omnifile's main screen, click on the Templates icon.

This opens the Templates Folder. Drag the folder icon from within the Templates
folder by pressing and holding down the right mouse button and moving the
pointer to wherever you want to place the new folder on the screen. Then
release the mouse button.

A single click of the right mouse button will bring up a Folder Pop-up Window .
Creating Folders from Menu Bar

Every folder window in Omnifile has a menu bar with an icon for a folder on it
with the letter N inside it. Clicking on this icon will create a new folder
icon within your current folder.

See Folder Pop-up Windows .

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2.1. General Folder Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This is the General Folder Help Window.

Folders are used to categorize data.

See Categorizing Data for details.

For information on how to use folders, see the following:

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2.2. Main Folder Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Welcome to Omnifile.

This main folder contains icons for different folders representing different
categories of information.

See Categorizing Data.

Other icons represent modules which are used to store information.

See Using Modules

For information on the system folders:

See Maintenance Folder

See Find Items Folder

See Template Folder

See Reports Folder

See Data Folder

For information on how to use folders:

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2.3. System Items Folder Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is the System Items Folder Help

This folder contains items used by the system.

Warning: Do not modify any of these items unless you are an experienced
Omnifile user.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2.4. SubItems Folder Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This folder contains templates of items used by the system.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2.4.1. Folder Title Bar Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Every Folder has icons on the upper left section of the title bar.

The icon that looks like a magnifying glass is for searching.

See Searching for more information.

The icon that looks like a folder with the letter 'N' on it creates a new
folder.

See Categorizing Data for more information.

The icon that looks like a folder with the letter 'T' on it opens the Template
Folder.

See Template Folder for more information.

The icon with a mouse icon means the right mouse button is active in the
current folder.

The icon with the question mark opens up a help screen similar to this one.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2.4.2. Folder Pop-up Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu is accessed by right mouse clicking on any folder icon from within
Omnifile.

Create Another

Clicking on this menu item results in a new folder being created with the same
name as the original one.

Copy Item

Clicking on this menu choice results in a copy of the folder being created with
the same name as well as all contents of the folder also being duplicated.

Delete Icon

Clicking on this menu choice deletes the icon representing this folder. Do not
do this unless there is another way of accessing the information contained
within this folder.

Delete Icon and Item

Clicking on this menu choice deletes the icon and the associated item. Using
this method can delete data from your database.

Edit Text

Clicking on this menu choice allows editing the name of the icon directly on
the screen.

Note:  This can also be accessed by pressing the Alt key while clicking the
left mouse button.

Settings

Clicking on this choice brings up the Folder Icon Settings Window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2.4.3. Folder Icon Settings Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Title

The name of the folder can be entered or modified here.

Icon File

The name of an icon that will be used to display on the screen instead of the
default folder can be entered here. If the icon file is not located in the icon
sub-directory of Omnifile, then the full path and name must be entered here.

Function

The type of function that is associated with the icon is entered here. For
folders, the function would be "View Item." See the appendix for more
information on available functions.

Function Options

Depending upon what function is chosen, different options will appear within
this group box.

Item Type

This combobox allows the selection of any of the different types defined to the
system. For a folder, select "Folder."  See the appendix for more information
on available item types.

Command

This combobox allows the selection of any command parameter associated with the
selected function. For more information on commands, see the appendix.

Auto Return When Save

When this checkbox is selected, clicking on the save button will automatically
save the current record and return to the parent view.

If this checkbox is not selected, then clicking on the save button will save
the current record and bring up a new blank record to allow entering data into
a new record immediately.

Item Num

This field contains the number of the item associated with the icon. To have
two icons represent the same data value, enter the item number needed here.

Template

Selecting this checkbox means that the icon represents a template. This means
it can only be used to create other items of the same type, but can't be used
to store information.

Read Only

Selecting this checkbox means that the information contained within cannot be
changed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.3. Using Drag and Drop ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Icons representing folders or records of data can be moved from folder to
folder visually. Any icon can be dragged into any folder. Drag by holding the
right mouse button down and moving the pointer to the position wanted. Release
the mouse button and the icon will be moved to the current location.

Icons can be dragged into open folders or closed folders. If dragged into an
open folder, the icon will remain where it is placed. If it is dragged into a
closed folder, Omnifile will place it in the beginning of the folder.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Searching ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

One of Omnifile's many strengths is its ability to find information located in
any module anywhere in the entire database system, and make this information
available to you at the click of a mouse button.

Simple Table of Contents searches let you find information in any particular
module, using key word searches using the most common fields.

The Find button in every module allows you to do query by example searches in
any one module. Just type in what you are looking for, and Omnifile will find
it for you.

If you need to access information in several modules at once, or if you need to
apply more advanced search criteria, Omnifile provides that capability through
the Find Items folder.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1. Search Commands ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Tells Omnifile how to search. There are seven search commands:

is equal to

Finds an exact match to what you type. For example, if you type "James" in the
First Name field, all individuals with the first name of James will be
displayed in the search format that you have chosen.

is greater than

Finds all values greater than the one you choose. For example, "10/21/96" will
find all appointments, etc., that occur after that date, but not any that occur
on that date. Can be used in conjunction with is less than to find values
between these two search criteria. For example, Date "is greater than" 10/18/96
AND Date "is less than" 10/22/96 will find all values with dates between
10/18/96 and 10/22/96.

is less than

Finds all values less than the one you have chosen. For example, "m" will find
all last names beginning with "l, k," etc., but not last names beginning with
"m." Can be used in conjunction with is greater than to find criteria between
two values.

is greater than or equal to

Finds all values equal to or greater than the value you have chosen. For
example, Date is greater than or equal to "10/21/96" will find all
appointments, etc., that occur on or after 10/21/96. Can be used in conjunction
with is less than or equal to to find values between these two search criteria
and including the search criteria.

is less than or equal to

Finds all values equal to or less than the value you have chosen. For example,
"m" will find all last names beginning with "m, l, k," etc. Can be used in
conjunction with is greater than or equal to to find criteria between two
values.

starts with

Searches for all matches that start with what you type. For example, if you
search for last names beginning with "Cab" your search will find all last names
that start with Cab, such as "Cab, Cabot, Cabbot, Cabette," etc.

contains

This search matches any value which has an occurrence of  the specified search
criterion in it. For instance, Name contains "an" could bring up "Andrew,"
"Daniel," or spaniel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.2. Table of Contents Search ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Table of Contents search is a search tool that is limited to the database
module that you are using. It consists of a group of search fields which
together are capable of performing the most common search needs for each
module. This group of search fields is located in a box at the top of the Show
View-Table of Contents screen.

Each predefined module contains a group of search fields on its main screen.
The user adds the values needed into the applicable fields at the top of the
screen. In the Individuals module, these are the Last Name, First Name and ID
search fields. Type in values into any of these fields and press Enter.

 This will bring up a list in the Table of Contents of all matches. Clicking on
any + sign will expand that category one level down. To select someone from the
list, simply double click on the name, and the record that you have selected
will be displayed. From here you may edit the record, add a new one, or return
to the main screen to select another record.

Omnifile uses multikey selection, so if you type only the first few letters of
a word, it will bring up all of the matches for those letters. For instance, if
you type the letter g, it will bring up all last names beginning with g. If you
type ga, it will bring up all of the last names beginning with ga, etc.

If the search capabilities provided by the group of search fields is not
adequate, clicking on the Advanced Search button opens up the Set Advanced
Search window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.3. Query by Example Search ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Query by example searches may be done from the Find button located on the Table
of Contents screen in every module.

This is the easiest search to use. Just type in the information you are looking
for in the appropriate fields in the search template record that is displayed.

For instance, if you need to find all the contacts in your database who live in
MA and have a code Good Friend, then simply type MA in the address definition
record state field. Then type Good Friend in the Code Definition View. Press
the Find button and Omnifile will do the rest.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4. Advanced Search Capabilities ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window allows searching across all types of data in the Omnifile database
system.

It can be accessed from the Find Items Folder

The procedure to perform an advanced search is as follows.

Enter all conditions which must be true at the same time for the search to be
successful in the AND box.

Enter conditions of which only one needs to be true for the search to be
successful in the OR box.

Click on either the First, Last, or Folder button to see results of the search
or click on the Quit button to exit this screen without performing a search.

AND

Entering search criteria in the AND box means that all conditions entered here
must be met for the search to be successful.

The steps to add each search criteria to the AND box is as follows:

Click on Add New button to bring up a new Search Criteria SubItem window.

Select an item type from the drop-down list of item types.

Select a field name from the drop-down list of field names.

Select a search command from the drop-down list of search commands.

Enter the value of the item to be found while searching.

OR

Entering search criteria in the OR box means that if any one of the conditions
is true, the search will be successful. Note that these searches are done on a
record by record basis.

The steps to add each search criteria to the OR box is as follows:

Click on Add New button to bring up a new Search Criteria subItem window.

Select an item type from the drop-down list of item types.

Select a field name from the drop-down list of field names.

Select a search command from the drop-down list of search commands.

Enter the value of the item to be found while searching.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4.1. Search Criteria SubItem Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window is used to add search criteria to the main Advanced Search window.
After populating the fields below with the necessary values, click the Save
button to enter the query into the main search item window.

Click the Quit key to exit without saving a query. The previous, next, first,
and last buttons allow modification of a previously entered search criteria.

For an example to follow, let's say we are searching for a note that contains
the phrase about time in its summary field.

Item Type

Enter the type of data item that is being searched for here. If <Any Type> is
selected, then Omnifile will search all types of items contained within the
Omnifile database system. For our example, here we would enter Note as the
type.

Field Name

Select the field name of the data type for which you are trying to find a
value. If you entered <Any Type> at the previous prompt, you should enter <Any
Field> here to search the entire database for a value. For our example,
"summary" would be entered here.

Command

Choose the Search Command needed to define the type of data match needed. For
our example, we would select "contains."

Value

Enter the actual value to be searched for here. For our example, we would type
the value "about time" in this entry field. Leaving this field blank will
search for any record of a selected item type.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.5. Find Free Text Search ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This icon can be used to perform database wide free text searches.

This icon is located in the Find Items Folder.

This type of search is useful to find all occurrences in the database of a
specific value. It can also be used to limit your search to a specific module
or to a specific type of data.

After entering Search Criteria  into the Type and Text fields, select the
method desired to view the data. Selecting the Folder button will bring up the
Results of Last Search  folder containing icons of every record of data that
met the search criteria. To view any particular record, just double click on
the corresponding icon.

Selecting the List button will display a list of all matches.

Selecting the First or Last button will bring up a browse window with either
the first or last record found displayed. Then clicking the Previous or Next
button allows the browsing of all records that match your specific search
criteria.

Note:  To easily browse all records found, resize the search window so the
button bar of the search window stays visible on the screen while the browse
window is open. This makes it easy to view all results of the last search.

Selecting the Advanced button brings up the Advanced Search item window.

Type

Enter the type of data that will contain the value you are searching for here.
To search the entire database, choose <any type>. If it is certain that the
value must be located in only a certain type of data, for example notes, then
select notes as the data type to limit the search and therefore speed it up
considerably.

Text

Enter the value you are searching for here. Be as specific as possible to limit
the number of matches found.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.6. Find RecNum ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window is used to locate a particular record in the database system given
its record number. The record number of each record is displayed at the bottom
of the window in many views.

Record Number

Enter the number of the record to be searched for here. Remember that record
numbers are unique in the database. They are numbered in order as records are
entered. Also remember that any type of record entered will increase the record
number by one.

For instance, if a note is entered, say record number 200, and then an
inventory item is entered, record number 201,

 and then another note is entered, record number 202. Note that the  new note's
record number will be two higher than the first note even though it is the next
note in the notes module.

See Find Items Folder for information on other searches.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.7. Results of Last Search Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Double clicking on this icon opens a folder containing the results of the last
search performed. Data stays in this folder until the next search is performed.

This icon is located in the Find Items Folder

Double clicking on any icon in this folder will bring up the appropriate
record. Results are only put into this folder if the Folder button is selected
on one of the search windows.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Linking ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Linking is an exciting concept implemented in Omnifile. Its usefulness is only
limited by your imagination. It allows the end user to easily associate any
record in the database system with any other record in the database system.
They do not have to be of the same type. This allows the user great
flexibility. It also makes the database system much more dynamic.

Links could be created between individuals to show they were all members of the
same family. Links could be used to show all individuals that were employees of
a certain business. They could also be used to associate property to a
business. Maybe you want to keep track of who borrows books or magazines from
your personal library by creating a link to the friend who borrows the volume.
The relationship field could contain the date the periodical was borrowed. When
the book is returned, the link can be broken.

There are two ways to access the main linking screen.

1.  Click on the link icon on the toolbar of any window. This icon looks like a
few links of a chain. If the links are open, it means there are no links to the
record currently. If the links are all closed, it means there are existing
links to the record.

2.  Click on the button marked Links on the main Individual screen or the main
Business screen.

Note:  Clicking the Actions and the Files buttons on the Individual or Business
views is a short cut for showing links of that type only.

There are four processes that can be done with links.

Show Existing Links for a Record.

Link Existing Record.

Link New Record.

Delete Links for a Record.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1. Show Existing Links ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Show Existing Links window is opened by clicking on the link icon on the
title bar or by clicking on the Links button from the Individuals or Business
module.

It is the main linking window used by all modules.

See Link View Item Window


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1.1. Link View Item Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is the main linking window. From this point the user can create new links
to either new records or existing records. All existing links to the current
record are also displayed. Links can also be deleted from this screen. The link
relationship can also be displayed from this screen. Existing Links for this
record

This list shows all current links for the current record. Selecting any link
from the list allows you to see details for the link. See Show Link Details for
more information.

Double clicking on any link will bring up the record at the other end of the
link. Type for New Link

Enter the record type of the record to which the link will be created. For
instance, if you are creating a link from an expense to an individual, select
individual in this box. If the box has a value in it from the current record
you are linking from, clicking on Link New Record will bring up another record
of that same type.

See Link New Record Link New Record

To link a new record to the current record involves two steps.

1. Choose the Type for new record in the combo box as described in the Type for
New Link section.

 2. Click on the Link New Record button to bring up a new record of the
selected type.

 Link Existing Record

Clicking on this button will bring up the Link Existing Window .


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1.1.1. Show Link Details ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Clicking on the Show Link Details button brings up the Link Details window.
This window allows the end user to define a link relationship for the current
link.

See Link View Item Window

Enter the name for the link relationship in this field. If you are linking
individual employees to a business, defining the link relationship as
"employee" would make sense. In our previous example of a friend borrowing
magazines, the link relationship could be the date the magazine was borrowed or
maybe even just "borrower."

Click on Accept to accept the link relationship as entered or Cancel to exit
the window without saving the link relationship.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.2. Adding Link to Existing Record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Steps to link to an existing record:

Select the Link Existing Record push-button.

Fill in search criteria to find the correct record.

Select the correct record from the displayed list.

Click on the Link Selected Record button.

See Link Existing Record View


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.2.1. Link Existing Record Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this window to find the record to which the link is to be made. The steps
in this process are as follows:

Set search criteria to find the correct record.

Select the correct record from the list of records that is displayed matching
the search criteria.

Link the selected record.

For the following example, let's say we are trying to link to an individual
record who's last name was "Jones."

Type

Select the type of record you are searching for here. This can be any type of
record that is defined in the Omnifile database system. The search can be
designed to be broad by selecting <Any Type> as the type. This would mean that
Omnifile would have to search the entire database trying to find a match. For
our example, we would choose "individual" as the type.

Field Name

The field name would be the name of the field in the particular record type
that would contain the desired value. In our example, the field name would be
last name.

Value

The value is the actual data value that the search should find. In our example,
the field value would be Jones.

Refresh List

After the search criteria have been set in the above three fields, clicking on
the Refresh List button will display a list of all records matching the search
criteria.

Link Selected Record

Select the correct record from the list of records displayed by clicking on the
desired record to highlight it. Then clicking on Link Selected Record completes
the link process.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.3. Adding Link to New Record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Click on this button after a type of record for the new link has been selected
in the Type for New Record entry field in the Show Existing Links window.

Clicking on this button will bring up a new blank record of the type selected
so data can immediately be entered into it. Save the record in the usual
fashion when finished.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.4. Deleting a Link ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To delete a link, select the link to be deleted in the Existing Links for this
Record  list. After the link is highlighted, click the right mouse button to
pop-up a window.

Select Delete Link from the menu by selecting it with the left mouse button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Designing and Using Views ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

In Omnifile, every window that the user interacts with is called a view. One of
Omnifile's strengths is that every view can be customized by the user. Beyond
that, entirely new views can be created as well. New views can be grouped
together into new user designed modules.

The icon to start Designing Views is located in the Design Views Folder

There are 5 basic steps to designing views in Omnifile.

Design your view on paper or in your mind.

Start the Design Mode of Omnifile.

Place all controls and objects needed for the new view on the design screen.

Save and name the new view.

Use the new view.

Design Considerations

Before designing your New View on screen, it is helpful to draw a plan on paper
of what you want your view to look like. Put in every type of field that you
will need in the approximate place. i.e. Name, Address, Date, etc.

Note:  It is helpful to use a consistent format for ease of use.

Remember to include fields for every item of data that is needed. Think about
the relationships between data fields.

Some fields may just require the user to select from a list of drop down
choices. Maybe the user needs to be able to add new choices to the drop down
list.

Think about how large each field needs to be to hold the largest data item
possible.

Some fields may just require a yes/no, on/off type of selection.

Give thought to what order the fields should have. It is usually easiest to
enter data in a similar manner to which it is found.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1. Starting Omnifile Design Mode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To design a new view, choose Design Views from the Maintenance folder. Choose
New View from the Design Views folder. When New View is selected from the
Design View folder, a window comes up allowing the placement of text and other
types of objects representing views of data or actions that can be performed on
the data.

A toolbar at the top of the screen represents each type of predefined object
and is used to place objects on the screen.

There is also an outline box on the screen which represents the border of the
view screen. This can be changed by the user to make the view larger than will
fit on one screen.

This border will automatically resize as controls are moved outside the border.

Double clicking on any blank area of the window will bring up the Saving Design
View Setting Window  which allows naming the view. It also contains a checkbox
allowing the display of a search toolbar instead of the default view toolbar.
This toolbar can be used to place search related controls in the view.

There are also vertical and horizontal rulers to help with aligning controls on
the window.

See Placing Controls  for information on placing controls on the window to be
used in your new view.

See Designing Views  for basic information on designing views.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.1. Placing Controls ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Clicking on an item on the toolbar and then clicking at a position inside the
view will create an instance of that type of object at your mouse position.
This object can then be moved and resized using its handles.

Double clicking within the object brings up a

Settings Window allowing the user to specify the type of object, the type of
data that can be entered if it is a data entry field, the name that will appear
if it is a straight text prompt, or the action to be taken if it is an action
object.

The object's position in the screen window is displayed here in the Xpos and
YPos fields. Its width and height are displayed in the Width and Height fields.

The steps involved in adding controls or objects to the screen are as follows:

Select Object to add from the toolbar.

Move object to correct position on screen.

Change object to correct size.

Bring up Settings Window to add any modifications or extra information for the
selected control.

1. Selecting and adding Controls

From the Design New View toolbar, click on the object that you want to place in
your View. The object will appear at whatever position where you then click.

Note:  If you are not sure what the toolbar icon represents, point at any
toolbar icon and a floating help window will appear with the name of the icon.

2. Moving Controls

Using your mouse, click on the newly placed object. This will select the
object. Handles will appear around the object showing that it is selected. Drag
the object by placing the mouse pointer on the object and holding down the left
mouse button while moving the mouse to the desired location for the control.

When the object is located where you want, release the mouse button. The text
box in the upper left corner of the design screen shows the current location of
the selected object.

All locations are measured from the bottom left corner of the screen.

3. Changing Control Size

Click on the control to select it. Small rectangles called handles will appear
around the object. Placing the mouse pointer on one of these handles will cause
it to change to a double headed arrow.

To make the object taller or shorter, drag the middle top or middle bottom
handles.

To make the object wider or narrower, drag the middle left or middle right
handles.

To do both at the same time, drag the corner handles.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2. Settings Windows ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Each control that can be added to a view or report has an associated settings
window.

Double clicking on the object brings up the associated settings window.

After entering the required information, select the Save button to save the
settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.1. Text Field ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Allows the user to enter text which can be placed and sized on the screen.
Usually used to place a prompt on the screen or provide information to the
person using your designed screen to enter information to a module.

The font size and color can be changed for any text item. The values for the
Text Settings window are as follows.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the screen, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the text will be displayed. Note that if the font
is changed, the width of the box will also need to be changed.

Note:  Pressing the F7 key will automatically size the width and height of the
box to fit around the text.

Height

The height of the box in which the text will be displayed. Pressing the F7 key
while the object is selected will automatically size the box to fit around the
text.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. See the Appendix for a description
and listing of special control ids.

Text

Enter the value to be displayed on the screen here.

Font

Brings up a font window which allows the user to select any font name and size
that is currently defined to the system. See font window for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.2. Entry Field ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A data entry box which can be positioned anywhere on the screen. Allows data to
be entered into this area by the user. Usually used to enter information into
one field in a record. The designer can select which type of data can be
entered here. For example, it could be data of type date or of type time.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data which will be entered here is set in this box. See Appendix
for a listing and description of all field types.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the entered data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the entered data will be displayed.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Heading

Any text entered here will be displayed to the left of the entry field. This is
an easy way to enter a prompt for the entry field. If the field is moved, the
prompt moves with it. Disadvantages of using this method are that it is more
difficult to align entry fields vertically and the heading font can't be
changed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.3. List Box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A box which shows a list of items. The user can scroll through all the items
listed in this box. Usually the user is allowed to select just one item from
the list. The designer must then program some action to take depending upon
what was selected by the user.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

Any text typed here will be displayed as a prompt above the list box on the
screen. This font can't be changed.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.4. ComboBox ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Drop down box. Allows the user to select one item from the list of items
dropped down as a choice. The user can't create new choices in these boxes. All
values for this box must be defined when the box is created.

The designer can create as many values for this box as desired. The designer
can also select which value will be the default value. This object also
supports multikey selection, where the box tries to match values continually as
an entry is made. Each letter typed narrows the selection list further.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data that will be displayed in this Combo Box should be entered
here. See the Appendix for a listing of all supported field types and their
meaning.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Values

The choices to be displayed when the user is entering data in this view must be
entered here. All values that will be displayed must be entered from this
settings window. Select one value as the default value which will show when the
view is opened.

Note:  If the person using the view to enter data needs to add values, use the
definable combo box, not a combo box. The definable combo box is described
later in this chapter.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.5. Checkbox ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A checkbox consists of a small box which can be selected and which then shows a
check mark. There is also text associated with the checkbox which describes
what value the checkbox represents. This control allows a user to choose
whether something is true or not. Examples: On/Off, Complete/Incomplete. More
than one checkbox can be selected at one time.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data that will be used to store the information on the status of
the checkbox. This should be left to the default value of integer. See the
Appendix for a listing of all supported field types and what they do.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Label

The value to be entered that will display on the screen. Use this label to
describe what the checkbox is intended to represent. For example, it could
stand for a completed action, such as "a phone call was returned."

Bitflags

The checkbox can use any one of 32 bits to represent its binary value. Select
one of the bits at this time. Realize that certain functions expect certain
bits to be set. See the Appendix for details on which bits are taken for
certain functions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.6. Multi Line Entry Field ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Similar to a text box, but is used for data entry of multiple lines of
information for one field. An example would be a large free form note field.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data that the program will expect to find entered in this entry
field. See the Appendix for an explanation of all data types.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Enable Tabs

Selecting this checkbox will allow the person entering information in this
entry field to use the tab key within the box to line up text or indent text.

Note:  Be aware that if this checkbox is enabled, the user will not be able to
press the tab key to tab out of this field.

Enable WordWrap

Selecting this checkbox will set the entry field to wrap text automatically to
the next line when the end of one line is reached. If this box is not selected,
then text will not wrap to a new line until the enter key is pressed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.7. Push Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Allows a user to select an action by clicking on this button or pressing the
Enter key when the button is highlighted. Every push button can be associated
with a function or action when it is selected.  Example: Find Individual button
opens the Find Items-Individual window.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Label

Enter the text to appear on the push-button here.

Note:  Entering the ~ symbol before any one character in the label field will
cause that character to be underlined and therefore accessible by that hot key.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Function

The action to be taken when the push button is pressed. The designer selects
one action from the list that appears in this drop down box. Actions can range
from viewing a record to dialing the phone.

Function Options

Depending upon which function is selected, different choices may appear within
this box. For many of the functions that deal with other records, choices might
be:

Item Type

This combo box allows the designer to select which type of record the function
or action will act upon. A list of available system types can be found in the
Appendix.

Command

Most of these commands are used for selecting a record to browse. A list of
available commands can also be found in the Appendix.

Item Number

A command can also be associated with a specific record number. If that is the
case, enter the record number here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.8. Radio Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Button to allow selection of a state; on or off. Text to describe the state
represented by the button is also part of the button.

Usually used in instances where only one choice can be valid at any given time.
If more than one option needs to be selected at one time, use checkboxes
instead of radio buttons.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data that will be used to store the information on the status of
the radio button. This should be left to the default value of integer. See the
Appendix for a listing of all supported field types and what they do.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Default Value

The value to be entered that will display on the screen. Use this label to
describe what the radio button is intended to represent.

Bitflags

The checkbox can use any one of 32 bits to represent its binary value. Select
one of the bits at this time. Realize that certain functions expect certain
bits to be set. See the Appendix for details on which bits are taken for
certain functions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.9. SubItem List Box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A list box which is used to show fields from a sub item. Each line of the Sub
Item List box shows the selected fields from the Sub View data type. An example
would be the address list in the individual module.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

SubView

The type of data that will be displayed in this SubItem List Box should be
entered here. All available system defined Sub Item Types are available here.
Note that each Sub Item List can only display one type of SubItem. See the
Appendix for a listing of all supported Sub Item types and the types of data
that they contain.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Heading Text

Enter the heading that will appear at the top left corner of the Sub Item List
Box here. This is usually used to let the user of the view know what type of
information is being displayed within the box.

Push Button Label

Enter the text to be displayed on the label here. Throughout most of Omnifile,
the text that is used is Add New. However, this can be changed to whatever the
user desires.

Note:  Adding the ~ symbol before any character in the text entered here will
cause the following letter to be underlined. This button can then be activated
with the appropriate hot key.

Field Names

Enter the field names from the Sub View that should be displayed in this Sub
Item List. Note that the fields will be displayed from left to right on one
line in the Sub Item List.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.10. Radio Group ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A button that turns off others in the group when selected. Only one of all
radio buttons within a group can be selected at one time.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data that will be used to store the information on the status of
the radio button. This should be left to the default value of integer. See the
Appendix for a listing of all supported field types and what they do.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Default Value

The value to be entered that will display on the screen. Use this label to
describe what the radio button is intended to represent.

Bitflags

The checkbox can use any one of 32 bits to represent its binary value. Select
one of the bits at this time. Realize that certain functions expect certain
bits to be set. See the Appendix for details on which bits are taken for
certain functions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.11. Group Box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Allows the grouping of related items on a view screen. This object helps to
make the view more readable to the user. It does not have any function
associated with it. The designer of a view can use it to draw rectangles around
groups of items relating to a particular function or idea. Example: on
Individuals screen, all four linking push buttons have a group box around them.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that will appear as a heading for the group box.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the group box.

Height

The height of the group box.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.12. Definable Combo Box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Drop down box similar to a combo box except that this box allows the user to
enter new values.

Only one item can be selected from the dropped down list at a time. This box
supports multikey selection. When a user types a value, the box continually
tries to match the value that the user is typing by narrowing the selection
list to only those values that match the letters already typed.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Record Type

The type of data that will be displayed in this Definable Combo Box should be
entered here. See the Appendix for a listing of all supported record types and
the type of information they contain. The user can also create a new type of
data and use it in a definable combo box.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.13. SubItem Combo Box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Similar to Combo Box but for SubItems. This type of box works the same way but
only displays field values from a sub item rather than from any other item.
Please see the Appendix for definitions of a sub item.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Record Type

The type of data that will be displayed in this Sub Item Definable Combo Box
should be entered here. See the Appendix for a listing of all supported Sub
Item record types and the type of information they contain.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.14. Custom MLE Field ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A Custom Multiple Line Entry Box is used to display information and to add new
information of a particular record type. For an example, look at the name field
in the individual module.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Heading Text

The text that is entered here will be displayed above the top left corner of
the Custom MLE box. Use this text to define the type of information that will
be entered in this box.

Push Button Label

The text that will appear on the push button which appears at the top right
corner of the Custom MLE box. Throughout Omnifile, the text that appears is Add
New.

Note:  Placing the ~ symbol before one character in this box will underline the
character and allow the push-button to be activated with a hot key.

Function

Select the action to be performed when the push-button is selected. Usually the
push button is used to bring up a view so data can be entered which will then
be displayed in the Custom MLE.

Function Options

The following values can change depending on the type of function that is
selected. As displaying a new view to enter data is the most common use of this
functionality from within a Definable Combo Box, that is what is described
here.

Item Type

The type of data to be entered is selected from this box. This will then
automatically bring up a view to enter this type of data.

Command

The command chosen will determine whether an existing or new record is brought
up when the push-button is selected. See the Appendix for more information on
the available commands and what they do.

Item Number

A specific record can be brought up when the push button is activated. To
accomplish this task, the corresponding record number would be entered here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.15. Select List ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Shows a list of items of which one may be selected. Each line of the select
list represents certain fields from one record of data. An example would be the
Table of Contents Screen.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Record Type

Select the type of record that can be displayed in this Select List. Only one
type of record can be displayed in any one Select List.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Field Names

Enter the names of the fields from the type of record selected to be displayed
in this Select List. Only the fields listed will be displayed.

Clicking on the Add New button here brings up a sub window with the following
fields:

Names

Select the field name from the drop-down list. All field names for the type of
record chosen are displayed.

Title

Enter a name to be displayed as the heading for the column in the Select List.

Width

Choose a width for the field in the Select List. If no value is chosen, the
column width will change depending on the length of the values displayed in the
column.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.16. Search Field ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be searched for will be entered.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be searched for will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.17. Search Combo Box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Drop down box. It allows the user to select one item from the list of items
dropped down. The user can't create new choices in these boxes. All values for
this box must be defined when the box is created.

The designer can create as many values for this box as desired. The designer
can also select which value will be the default value. This object also
supports multikey selection, where the box tries to match values continually as
an entry is made. Each letter typed narrows the selection list further.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data that will be displayed in this Combo Box should be entered
here. See the Appendix for a listing of all supported field types and what they
do.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Values

The choices to be displayed when the user is entering data in this view must be
entered here. All values that will be displayed must be entered from this
settings window. Select one value as the default value which will show when the
view is opened.

Note:  If the person using the screen to enter data needs to add values, use
the definable combo box, not a combo box.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.18. Search Defineable ComboBox Settings Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The search defineable combobox allows the user to select a value from the
dropdown list or add new values to the list.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data that will be displayed in this Combo Box should be entered
here. See the Appendix for a listing of all supported field types and what they
do.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Values

The choices to be displayed when the user is entering data in this view must be
entered here. All values that will be displayed must be entered from this
settings window. Select one value as the default value which will show when the
view is opened.

Note:  If the person using the screen to enter data needs to add values, use
the definable combo box, not a combo box.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.19. Search CheckBox ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A checkbox consists of a small box which can be selected and which then shows a
check mark. There is also text associated with the checkbox which describes
what value the checkbox represents. This control allows a user to choose
whether something is true or not. Examples: On/Off, Complete/Incomplete. More
than one checkbox can be selected at one time.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Field Type

The type of data that will be used to store the information on the status of
the checkbox. This should be left to the default value of integer. See the
Appendix for a listing of all supported field types and what they do.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Label

The value to be entered that will display on the screen. Use this label to
describe what the checkbox is intended to represent. For example, it could
stand for a completed action, such as "a phone call was returned."

Bitflags

The checkbox can use any one of 32 bits to represent its binary value. Select
one of the bits at this time. Realize that certain functions expect certain
bits to be set. See the Appendix for details on which bits are taken for
certain functions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.20. Graphic Push Button Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The graphic push button has all the functionality of a push button but also
allows the placement of a bitmap upon the button.

Allows a user to select  an action by clicking on this button or pressing the
Enter key when the button is highlighted. Every push button  can be associated
with a function or action when it is selected.  Example: Find Individual button
opens the Find Items-Individual window.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Label

Enter the text to appear on the push-button here.

Note:  Entering the ~ symbol before any one character in the label field will
cause that character to be underlined and therefore accessible by that hot key.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Function

The action to be taken when the push button is pressed. The designer selects
one action from the list that appears in this drop down box. Actions can range
from viewing a record to dialing the phone.

Function Options

Depending upon which function is selected, different choices may appear within
this box. For many of the functions that deal with other records, choices might
be:

Item Type

This combo box allows the designer to select which type of record the function
or action will act upon. A list of available system types can be found in the
Appendix.

Command

Most of these commands are used for selecting a record to browse. A list of
available commands can also be found in the Appendix.

Item Number

A command can also be associated with a specific record number. If that is the
case, enter the record number here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.21. BitMap ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The bitmap toolbar icon allows the insertion of a bitmap into any view. This
bitmap can then be used in the same fashion as a pushbutton if so desired.

Allows a user to select  an action by clicking on this bitmap or pressing the
Enter key when the bitmap is highlighted. Every bitmap can be associated with a
function or action when it is selected.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Label

Enter the name of the bitmap here including the path if needed.

Note:  Entering the ~ symbol before any one character in the label field will
cause that character to be underlined and therefore accessible by that hot key.

Name

A name can be given to each control. This name will appear in the Browse Views
Maintenance Mode making it easier to know what each control is used for in the
view.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box into which the data to be selected will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box into which the data to be selected will be entered.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Function

The action to be taken when the push button is pressed. The designer selects
one action from the list that appears in this drop down box. Actions can range
from viewing a record to dialing the phone.

Function Options

Depending upon which function is selected, different choices may appear within
this box. For many of the functions that deal with other records, choices might
be:

Item Type

This combo box allows the designer to select which type of record the function
or action will act upon. A list of available system types can be found in the
Appendix.

Command

Most of these commands are used for selecting a record to browse. A list of
available commands can also be found in the Appendix.

Item Number

A command can also be associated with a specific record number. If that is the
case, enter the record number here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2.22. Record Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Clicking on the Def button will open the Item Definition window. Name your
definition. Fill in the Default Icon File Name field with the name of the icon
you want to represent this view. The fields box should list all fields needed
for all the controls created in your new view.

Note:  The record definition defines the types of data that Omnifile needs to
store when the newly defined view is used to enter data.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2. Design View Settings ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view can be reached by double clicking in the middle of your design, in a
blank space where there are no fields. The following information needs to be
filled in here.

View Name

Enter the name of the view here. It can contain spaces in the name and should
describe the view.

Scale Units

The horizontal and vertical scale bars can be set to display inches or
centimeters by selecting the appropriate radio buttons with the mouse here.

Show Search ToolBar

By selecting this checkbox, the toolbar in the design view mode will change to
the search toolbar allowing the placement of controls relating to searching
into the view.

Click on the Save button to save your design.

Click on the Cancel button to exit this window without renaming your view or
changing any settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.3. Saving View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view can be reached by clicking on the Save button on a new view.The
following information and choices need to be made here.

View Name

Enter the name of the view here. It can contain spaces in the name and should
describe the view.

Icon File Name

The name of the icon to represent this view can be entered here. If no path is
entered, it is assumed that the icon will reside in the icons.os2 directory for
OS/2 versions or in the icons.win directory for Windows versions of Omnifile.

Add Icon to Template Folder

By selecting this checkbox, an icon will automatically be added to the Template
folder. This will allow end users to create new instances of your new data
format by dragging this icon to another folder.

Add Icon to Design Folder

Selecting this checkbox will automatically add an icon in the Design Folder
making it easy to access this newly created view to make changes to it.

Add A Data Folder

Selecting this checkbox will automatically add an icon inside the Data Folder
representing a new data folder to be used to store information of the new type
just created in this new view.

Create Standard Table of Contents View

Selecting this checkbox will automatically create a new module on the main
Omnifile window. Clicking on this icon will bring up a normal Table of Contents
window allowing the entry of new items of this new type of data, or the
browsing or finding of items of this type of data.

Note:  If the view you are saving is not a view of a new type of data, make
sure only the Add Icon to Design Folder is selected. None of the other choices
would make sense in this situation.

Click on the Save button to save your design and any associated icons.

Click on the Cancel button to exit this window without saving or naming your
design.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.4. Using Newly Defined View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If all checkboxes were selected when the new view was saved, all that is needed
to use the view is to click on the icon on the main Omnifile screen
representing the Table of Contents view for this newly created view. Then
proceed as normal for any module to enter, find, and review data.

The view can also be accessed from the Templates Folder. Open the Templates
Folder and look for the icon bearing the name with which you have just saved
your view. Double click on the icon to bring up a new view screen into which
data can be entered. Enter data to test that your newly designed view works
correctly.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Designing and Using Reports ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile contains many predefined reports for your use, but you may wish to
present the information that you have stored in Omnifile in a different way. To
design your own reports, go to the Maintenance folder on the main screen, and
choose Design Reports. From there, choose New Report.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.1. Report Overview ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Several design decisions about reports must be made before starting to design
one. First, you must decide what search criteria to apply to the report: print
all records in the database, print all records in one module, or print all
records in a module that match a specific keyword. Then, you must decide on a
display format: one record per page (browse mode), or a listing of many records
on a page, one line per record (list mode).

Reports are designed in a similar fashion to the way you design new views. A
blank page is displayed with a toolbar along the top of the page. Clicking any
item on the toolbar results in one object of that type being created on the
bottom of the page. These objects can then be moved, positioned, and resized by
the user. Remember that the objects represent various items of data to be
retrieved from the database, not data values to be entered into the database as
they do in designing views.

A report is divided into four sections: Report Headers and Footers; Page
Headers and Footers; SubItem Lists, Break Groups and SubTotals; and the Body of
the report.

The steps involved in creating a report are as follows:

Plan what data needs to be printed in the report and how it should be
displayed.

Plan what type of search criteria need to be applied to get the data needed
from the specified record type.

Create the screen needed for the search criteria and to choose the printer.

Create the actual report with all fields needed to be displayed.

Enable use of the report.

Planning Report

Think about what information needs to be printed from the record type from
which you are creating the report. For example, maybe you need a listing from
the individual module of every contact's first and last name and their default
phone number.

Planning Search Criteria

Plan what data you need to print. In our example, maybe you only need to print
all contacts who live in "MA". Maybe you are only printing all those whose last
name begins with "G."

Whatever you need to print, think about how to specify the data now.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.2. Creating Search Criteria Screen ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is done the same way as designing views. You will be designing a view that
uses search fields to define what data will be used.

Note:  Select Design Views from the Maintenance Folder and then Report Dialogs
from the Design View Folder. Select the report here which seems closest to what
you are planning to create and copy it to a new record to start.

To copy a record, select Copy a Record from the Record Edit menu item or press
CTRL Y. Then just modify the fields as needed to create your customized search
criteria. Remember to save the modified record.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3. Creating Report ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Creating a report works similarly to designing a view. Choose Design Reports
from the Maintenance Folder. Select New Report if that is what you want to do.

Note:  All system defined reports can also be modified by this same method.

See Report Introduction  for information on beginning the report design
process.

A Design Report window will open with a toolbar across the top of the window.
This toolbar is used to create the different types of controls needed to define
a report.

Clicking on an item on the toolbar and then clicking at a position inside the
view will create an instance of that type of object at your mouse position.
This object can then be moved and resized easily using its handles.

See Adding Controls  for more information

There will be a box representing the size of the report which can be sized
appropriately. The scale bar shows where fields will print upon output to the
printer.

Double clicking on a blank area of the window will bring up the
ViewSettingsWindow  which allows the naming of the view and the setting of
indexes, etc.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.1. Adding Controls ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The steps involved in adding controls (or objects) to the screen for your
report are as follows:

Select Control to add from the toolbar.

Move control to correct position on screen.

Change control to correct size.

Bring up Settings Window to add any modifications or extra information for the
selected control.

Save and Name the Report.

1. Selecting and adding Controls

From the Design Reports toolbar, click on the control that you want to place in
your view. The control will appear at whatever position where you then click.

Note:  If you are not sure what the toolbar icon represents, point at any
toolbar icon and a floating help window will appear with the name of the icon.

2. Moving Controls

Using your mouse, click on the newly placed control. This will select the
control. Handles will appear around the control showing that it is selected.
Drag the control by placing the mouse pointer on the control and holding down
the left mouse button while moving the mouse to the desired location for the
control.

When the control is located where you want, release the mouse button. The text
box in the upper right corner of the design screen shows the current location
of the selected control.

All locations are measured from the bottom left corner of the screen. These
numbers cannot be changed from the Design New Report screen, but serve to help
you align your fields so that they look attractive on the screen.

3. Changing Control Size

Click on the control to select it. Small rectangles called handles will appear
around the control. Placing the mouse pointer on one of these handles will
cause it to change to a double headed arrow.

To make the control taller or shorter, drag the middle top or middle bottom
handles.

To make the control wider or narrower, drag the middle left or middle right
handles.

To do both at the same time, drag the corner handles.

4. Report Settings Windows

.Each control that can be added has an associated settings window. Double
clicking on the control brings up the associated settings window. After filling
in the required information, select the Save button to save the settings or the
Quit button to exit the settings window without making any changes.

 See Report Settings Window for more information.

5. Save and Name Report

Double clicking on any blank area on the report while in Design Report mode
will bring up a Report View Settings Window

See View Setting Window for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.2. Report View Setting Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view allows the setting of general information about the view.

View Name

Enter the name of your view here. Use a name that describes what the report is
intended to print.

Note:  If you are creating a new envelope or label report, make sure that the
name includes the word label or envelope. Omnifile will then automatically add
it to the list of labels or envelopes that are displayed when it is time to
print either.

Record Type

Enter the type of record that the report is intended to print. In our example,
the type would be individual because all records that we are trying to print
are individual records.

Index

If the report uses a pre-defined index, use it here.

Note If you can set up your report to use a predefined index, then searching
and therefore printing will occur faster.

Setting of Scale

The user can set the scale displayed across the top and down the left side of
the design report view to read either in inches or in centimeters. Select the
appropriate radio button here.

After all choices are set, select Save to save the view or Cancel to exit
without saving your choices.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.3. Report Settings Windows ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Each control that can be added has an associated settings window. Double
clicking on the control brings up the associated settings window. After filling
in the required information, select the Save button to save the settings or the
Quit button to exit the settings window without making any changes.

Text Field

Allows the entry of text that will display on the paper wherever it is located
on the screen.

The font size and color can be changed for any text item. The values for the
Text Setting window are as follows.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Name

A name can be given to each control which will show up in the browse views
definition mode to make it easier to know what each control is for in the
listing.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the text will be displayed. Note that if the font
is changed, the width of the box will also need to be changed.

Pressing the F7 key will automatically size the width and height of the box to
fit around the text.

Height

The height of the box in which the text will be displayed. Pressing the F7 key
while the object is selected will automatically size the box to fit around the
text.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Text

Enter the value to be printed on the report here.

Font

Brings up a font window which allows the user to select any font name and size
that is currently defined to the system. See font window for more information.
Make sure that the font is supported by the printer to be used for this report.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.4. Display Field ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A display field can be positioned anywhere in the report. It can represent data
contained in one specific field from one type of record to be printed in the
report or it can represent groups of data such as names and addresses. Make
sure the size of the display field is large enough to contain the largest value
that will be displayed within it.

Type

Displays which type of view control for reports is currently selected. The user
can change the type of control here if needed.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Text

Any text entered here will be displayed in the display field on the screen.

Note:  This is an easy way to remember what field will be displayed by each
display field when the report is actually run.

Field Name

The name of the field to be displayed can be chosen from this drop down list of
available fields for the type of record that is being displayed in this report.
The type of record being displayed is selected in the View Settings Window.

See View Settings Window  for more information.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Heading

Any text entered here will be displayed in the report to the left of the
Display Field. It will also be printed when the report is printed. This field
is generally used for a description of the data to be printed by the text
field.

Font

Clicking on the font button brings up the font window. Make sure that the fonts
selected are available for both the screen and the printer that will be
selected.

Data Contains Multiple Lines

This checkbox when checked specifies that the data in the selected field will
print on more than one line if needed. If this box is not selected, the text
will all print on one line.

Dont Print Heading If No Data

This checkbox when selected specifies that the heading for the Display Field
will not be printed if the field in the particular record being printed has no
data.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control. See the Appendix
for a description and listing of special control ids.

Special Field ID

Special field id's are used to specify that a certain field in a record
contains information of a specific type. This information is needed by many of
the pre-defined functions in Omnifile.

See Special Field Id  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5. Section Settings View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A report is split up into many different types of sections. Select the
appropriate section below for more information.

Report Header

This section is used for information that appears once at the beginning of the
report.

Page Header

This section is used for information that appears once at the beginning of each
page of the report.

Report Body

This section is used for information that appears once for each record in the
database that will be printed.

Page Footer

This section is used for information that appears once at the end of each page
of the report.

Report Footer

This section is used for information that appears once at the end of the
report.

Report Break Statement

This section is used for information that will be printed each time the value
in a specified field changes.

Report SubTotal

This section is used to define the fields that will be subtotaled when a break
defined by a Report Break occurs.

Report SubList

This section is used to display information from a SubList in a report, such as
addresses or codes from the Contacts Module.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5.1. Report Header Settings Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Used to designate information that will occur one time at the beginning of the
report. All information that will only appear one time at the beginning of the
report should be placed within this group box. Typically this group box
contains information such as the report title, report author, and the report
date.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed. Will usually be section for all report
sections.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that displays above the section box defining which type it is. Unless
you are changing the type in the type box, the default title should be left in
this field.

Name

A name can be entered here to make it easier to understand what this control is
doing if the report is accessed through the Browse Views Maintenance Mode.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Vertically Compress This Section

If this box is selected, then all items within this group that are on separate
lines will have the spacing between lines automatically set. This spacing will
be determined by the system font in use at the time of printing. This is an
easy way to get an evenly formatted printout.

If this box is not selected, then the printout will occur at the exact spacing
as determined by the position of the lines on the screen.

Duplicate This Section

This allows the group box to be repeated across the page and down the page.
This option is usually used to print labels, but can also be used for certain
formatting situations.

Number Across

The number of times the group is repeated across a line. The value 0 and 1 mean
it is not repeated.

Number Down

The number of times the group is repeated down the page. The value 0 and 1 both
mean the group only appears one time.

Rec Type

Used to specify the type of record to which the section box pertains. The drop
down list contains a listing of all record types defined by the Omnifile
system.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control.

See Special Control Id  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5.2. Report Body Settings Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Used to designate information that will reoccur for each record of information
that is being printed. This includes both text fields and display fields that
must be printed over and over within the report.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed. Will usually be section for all report
sections.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that displays above the section box defining which type it is. Unless
you are changing the type in the type box, the default title should be left in
this field.

Name

A name can be entered here to make it easier to understand what this control is
doing if the report is accessed through the Browse Views Maintenance Mode.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Vertically Compress This Section

If this box is selected, then all items within this group that are on separate
lines will have the spacing between lines automatically set. This spacing will
be determined by the system font in use at the time of printing. This is an
easy way to get an evenly formatted printout.

If this box is not selected, then the printout will occur at the exact spacing
as determined by the position of the lines on the screen.

Duplicate This Section

This allows the group box to be repeated across the page and down the page.
This option is usually used to print labels, but can also be used for certain
formatting situations.

Number Across

The number of times the group is repeated across a line. The value 0 and 1 mean
it is not repeated.

Number Down

The number of times the group is repeated down the page. The value 0 and 1 both
mean the group only appears one time.

Rec Type

Used to specify the type of record to which the section box pertains. The drop
down list contains a listing of all record types defined by the Omnifile
system.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control.

See Special Control Id  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5.3. Report Footer Settings Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Used to designate information that will occur one time at the end of the
report. All information that will occur once at the end of the report should be
placed within this group box. Typically this group box would contain
information such as a total of all values for a certain field contained in the
report.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed. Will usually be section for all report
sections.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that displays above the section box defining which type it is. Unless
you are changing the type in the type box, the default title should be left in
this field.

Name

A name can be entered here to make it easier to understand what this control is
doing if the report is accessed through the Browse Views Maintenance Mode.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Vertically Compress This Section

If this box is selected, then all items within this group that are on separate
lines will have the spacing between lines automatically set. This spacing will
be determined by the system font in use at the time of printing. This is an
easy way to get an evenly formatted printout.

If this box is not selected, then the printout will occur at the exact spacing
as determined by the position of the lines on the screen.

Duplicate This Section

This allows the group box to be repeated across the page and down the page.
This option is usually used to print labels, but can also be used for certain
formatting situations.

Number Across

The number of times the group is repeated across a line. The value 0 and 1 mean
it is not repeated.

Number Down

The number of times the group is repeated down the page. The value 0 and 1 both
mean the group only appears one time.

Rec Type

Used to specify the type of record to which the section box pertains. The drop
down list contains a listing of all record types defined by the Omnifile
system.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control.

See Special Control Id  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5.4. Page Header Settings Window. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Used to designate information that will recur at the top of each page of data.
Typically this group box would contain information such as a page number and/or
other page heading.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed. Will usually be section for all report
sections.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that displays above the section box defining which type it is. Unless
you are changing the type in the type box, the default title should be left in
this field.

Name

A name can be entered here to make it easier to understand what this control is
doing if the report is accessed through the Browse Views Maintenance Mode.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Vertically Compress This Section

If this box is selected, then all items within this group that are on separate
lines will have the spacing between lines automatically set. This spacing will
be determined by the system font in use at the time of printing. This is an
easy way to get an evenly formatted printout.

If this box is not selected, then the printout will occur at the exact spacing
as determined by the position of the lines on the screen.

Duplicate This Section

This allows the group box to be repeated across the page and down the page.
This option is usually used to print labels, but can also be used for certain
formatting situations.

Number Across

The number of times the group is repeated across a line. The value 0 and 1 mean
it is not repeated.

Number Down

The number of times the group is repeated down the page. The value 0 and 1 both
mean the group only appears one time.

Rec Type

Used to specify the type of record to which the section box pertains. The drop
down list contains a listing of all record types defined by the Omnifile
system.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control.

See Special Control Id  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5.5. Page Footer Settings Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Used to designate information that will recur at the bottom of each page of
data. Typically this group box would contain information such as a page number
or a total of items on the page for some selected field.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed. Will usually be section for all report
sections.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that displays above the section box defining which type it is. Unless
you are changing the type in the type box, the default title should be left in
this field.

Name

A name can be entered here to make it easier to understand what this control is
doing if the report is accessed through the Browse Views Maintenance Mode.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Vertically Compress This Section

If this box is selected, then all items within this group that are on separate
lines will have the spacing between lines automatically set. This spacing will
be determined by the system font in use at the time of printing. This is an
easy way to get an evenly formatted printout.

If this box is not selected, then the printout will occur at the exact spacing
as determined by the position of the lines on the screen.

Duplicate This Section

This allows the group box to be repeated across the page and down the page.
This option is usually used to print labels, but can also be used for certain
formatting situations.

Number Across

The number of times the group is repeated across a line. The value 0 and 1 mean
it is not repeated.

Number Down

The number of times the group is repeated down the page. The value 0 and 1 both
mean the group only appears one time.

Rec Type

Used to specify the type of record to which the section box pertains. The drop
down list contains a listing of all record types defined by the Omnifile
system.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control.

See Special Control Id  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5.6. Report Break Group Settings Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Used to define the conditions under which a break is called. A break is called
when the value in any of the fields entered in this group box changes. The
fields are entered into this Break Group by placing Display Fields representing
the field(s) to be monitored for changes into this group box. This group box
can  be placed anywhere on the design report window.

For example, perhaps a report is being printed with many records containing the
same date. When the date changes to a different day, maybe the amount listed
for a field in each record, say expense, in the report body must be totaled.
The value entered in the break group would be a display box for the field
"expense."

The break group is often used in conjunction with the SubTotal Footer Group to
print sub-totals when the value in a field changes.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed. Will usually be section for all report
sections.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that displays above the section box defining which type it is. Unless
you are changing the type in the type box, the default title should be left in
this field.

Name

A name can be entered here to make it easier to understand what this control is
doing if the report is accessed through the Browse Views Maintenance Mode.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Vertically Compress This Section

If this box is selected, then all items within this group that are on separate
lines will have the spacing between lines automatically set. This spacing will
be determined by the system font in use at the time of printing. This is an
easy way to get an evenly formatted printout.

If this box is not selected, then the printout will occur at the exact spacing
as determined by the position of the lines on the screen.

Duplicate This Section

This allows the group box to be repeated across the page and down the page.
This option is usually used to print labels, but can also be used for certain
formatting situations.

Number Across

The number of times the group is repeated across a line. The value 0 and 1 mean
it is not repeated.

Number Down

The number of times the group is repeated down the page. The value 0 and 1 both
mean the group only appears one time.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control.

See Special Control Id  for more information.

Rec Type

Used to specify the type of record to which the section box pertains. The drop
down list contains a listing of all record types defined by the Omnifile
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5.7. SubList Settings Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Used to designate information from a sub record that will be printed in the
report. The Sub List group box allows the selection of the particular Sub
Record type from which the data will be obtained.

For example, addresses are a sub record of individual. This group would then
print all addresses for a particular individual.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed. Will usually be section for all report
sections.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that displays above the section box defining which type it is. Unless
you are changing the type in the type box, the default title should be left in
this field.

Name

A name can be entered here to make it easier to understand what this control is
doing if the report is accessed through the Browse Views Maintenance Mode.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Vertically Compress This Section

If this box is selected, then all items within this group that are on separate
lines will have the spacing between lines automatically set. This spacing will
be determined by the system font in use at the time of printing. This is an
easy way to get an evenly formatted printout.

If this box is not selected, then the printout will occur at the exact spacing
as determined by the position of the lines on the screen.

Duplicate This Section

This allows the group box to be repeated across the page and down the page.
This option is usually used to print labels, but can also be used for certain
formatting situations.

Number Across

The number of times the group is repeated across a line. The value 0 and 1 mean
it is not repeated.

Number Down

The number of times the group is repeated down the page. The value 0 and 1 both
mean the group only appears one time.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control.

See Special Control Id  for more information.

Rec Type

Used to specify the type of record to which the section box pertains. The drop
down list contains a listing of all record types defined by the Omnifile
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3.5.8. SubTotal Settings Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Used to designate information that will be printed when a break occurs. All
fields which are contained within this group box will be totaled and the
results will be placed in this group box every time a break occurs.

Note:  The field being summed does not have to be the same field as the one
which forces the break condition. This allows sub-totals to be printed whenever
the value in one or a group of fields changes.

Type

Displays which type of view control is currently selected. The user can change
the type of control here if needed. Will usually be section for all report
sections.

Note:  Changing from one type to another without changing the rest of the
settings can only be done from here.

Title

The name that displays above the section box defining which type it is. Unless
you are changing the type in the type box, the default title should be left in
this field.

Name

A name can be entered here to make it easier to understand what this control is
doing if the report is accessed through the Browse Views Maintenance Mode.

Xpos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object. This value is
measured from the left side of the box on the window, representing the left
edge of the view. The value is in units of inches or centimeters, depending on
what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Ypos

The position of the bottom left corner of the selected object from the bottom
line of the box representing the whole view. All objects are measured from the
lower left corner of the view screen box. The value is in units of inches or
centimeters, depending on what was selected in the View Settings Window.

Width

The width of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Height

The height of the box in which the data will be displayed.

Vertically Compress This Section

If this box is selected, then all items within this group that are on separate
lines will have the spacing between lines automatically set. This spacing will
be determined by the system font in use at the time of printing. This is an
easy way to get an evenly formatted printout.

If this box is not selected, then the printout will occur at the exact spacing
as determined by the position of the lines on the screen.

Duplicate This Section

This allows the group box to be repeated across the page and down the page.
This option is usually used to print labels, but can also be used for certain
formatting situations.

Number Across

The number of times the group is repeated across a line. The value 0 and 1 mean
it is not repeated.

Number Down

The number of times the group is repeated down the page. The value 0 and 1 both
mean the group only appears one time.

Rec Type

Used to specify the type of record to which the section box pertains. The drop
down list contains a listing of all record types defined by the Omnifile
system.

Special Control ID

A unique identifier for a control in a view. Usually used by a function to
perform an operation given the value in the specific control.

See Special Control Id  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.4. Enabling Report Use ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

After the report has been designed and saved and the report criteria view has
been designed and saved, they must be enabled to work together.

Do this by finding the report criteria view and clicking the right mouse button
on it. Choose settings from the popup window. A Folder Icon Settings window
will display. Enter the following information:

Title

Enter a descriptive title to display beneath the icon that will represent
printing this report. Icon File

If you want a special icon to show as the icon for this report, enter it's name
here. If it is not located in the icons subdirectory of Omnifile, the full
pathname must be entered here.

Function

Select the function Show Print Window from the list of functions.

Function Options

Allows the selection of the various options needed for the function selected
above.

View to Show

Select the name of the view you created which allows selection of search
criteria and the selection of  a printer.

Report Name

Select the name of the report you designed to work with the above view.

Select Save to save this information or Cancel to quit this screen without
saving.

Clicking on this icon will now run this report.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Import and Export ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile is capable of importing data to or from many different formats. To
begin the import/export process, double click on the Maintenance icon on the
Omnifile main screen. Then double click on the Import-Export folder icon.

 Or choose Maintenance from the main menu and then Import/Export Data. This
will bring up the Import/Export Data screen.

Select the procedure that you want to perform.

ASCII Import

ASCII Export

Import From a CIC database

Export To a CIC database

Export Definitions

Process A Rexx File

Import Data From Contact Connection v1.22 or less

Importing Data From ACT!

Importing Data From Goldmine

MailMerge

Double-click on it, or click on the Process button at the bottom of the screen.

This will bring up a window that is specific to this procedure.

Click on Cancel if you do not want to perform any importing or exporting at
this time.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.1. ASCII Import Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This screen is used to import ASCII delimited files from other programs.

Note:  To import from other CIC products, use either the import from Contact
Connection v1.22 or less or the import from another Omnifile database for
better results.

After populating the fields in this window, click OK to perform the import,
Help to bring up the help menu, or Cancel to exit the screen without performing
an import.

Import Options

The Field Delimiter To Use field defaults to a comma. This is the delimiter
used by most programs. If your file uses a different character to separate
fields, enter it here.

Import File Name

The name of the ASCII file to be imported must be given here. If no path is
given, Omnifile expects the ASCII file being imported to be in the Omnifile
data directory. If it is not, the whole path name must be given.

Header File Name

Omnifile expects the first line of the ASCII delimited file to contain the
field names of the data in the import file. These fields must be listed in the
same order as the fields located in the data file. If the ASCII file contains
no such header line, a file must be created containing one line which is the
list of field names in the correct order.

The name of this file must be entered here. If no path is given, Omnifile
expects the header file to be located in the Omnifile data directory. If it is
not so located, the full path name must be given.

See Header Field Names

Command File Name

Note:  This line should only be filled in if your system supports REXX.
Otherwise leave this field blank.

Many times fields must be converted to a format suitable for Omnifile import.
This functionality is provided by Rexx files. There is a sample Rexx file for
ASCII import called rxascin.cmd. This file can be easily modified for each
user's specific needs.

See Process A Rexx File for more specific information.

See also Header Field Names

Omnifile expects the command file to be located in the Omnifile data directory.
If it is not, the full path name to the file must be given.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.2. ASCII Export Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile is very flexible in allowing export of selected data or all data from
the database system in many different ASCII formats.

The steps to perform this export are:

Select the search criteria needed. Are you exporting all data or just a few
selected items?

Choose the export options needed to create the file in the format the other
program will be expecting to import it.

Choose a name for the export file and any other files needed.

Click Start button to start the export or the Cancel button to exit this screen
without performing the export.

Search Information

Enter the search criteria here to select the records needed for export. There
are 4 steps needed to set normal search criteria.

Select the type of data for export.

Select the Field Name containing the data to be exported.

Select the Search Criteria for the search.

Enter the value of the items for which you are looking.

Item Type

The item type can be any system defined type or any type the user has added to
the system. Selecting <Any Type> will allow exporting of all data in your
Omnifile database system.

The drop down list shows all available types.

Field Name

The field name can be any valid field name for the item type selected in the
previous step. Selecting <Any Field> will allow exporting of all fields in that
particular type of data.

Note:  Choosing <Any Type> on the previous screen and <Any Field> on this
screen will allow exporting all data in the database system.

Command

Here is where the search criteria is set.

See Search Commands . If you are looking for a specific value in a field,
select "is equal to" from this list.

Value

The actual field value for which the search is being performed. For example, if
you are trying to export all records which have MA in their state field, MA
must be entered in this field.

Advanced Search Button

If more than one Search Criteria  needs to be applied to export the data that
is needed, click on the Advanced Search button here.

Export Options

Different programs require different formats for their ASCII import/export
features. Omnifile gives the user the flexibility of creating an ASCII file in
whatever format the other program uses. See the documentation in that program
for what format is needed. Use Omnifile's flexibility to create that format.

Omnifile always uses a carriage return line feed character to mark the end of
each record. This value cannot be changed.

Place Quotes Around Fields

Many programs expect each field in an ASCII file to start and end with the
double quote character. Selecting this option by clicking on it to place a
check in the checkbox will tell Omnifile to place quotes around each field.

First Line of Export File Should List Field Names

Some programs expect the first line of the ASCII file to contain the field
names for each field in every record of the file. Check your documentation for
the program that will be importing the data to see if this format is needed.

Note:  If this box is checked, Omnifile will look in the output file for a
first line containing field names.

If you receive an error saying Omnifile was unable to open the output file,
this box is probably checked and should not be checked.

If this box is checked, do not enter a filename in the Header file name field.
It will not be used.

Field Delimiter to Use

ASCII files expect some character to separate each field in a record. Omnifile
defaults to using a comma as a separator. Any other character can be used
simply by typing whatever character is needed here.

It usually works better to use a character that is not contained within your
data. For example, using the ~ or | character as a separator usually works
well. Check the documentation for the program that data is being exported to so
a character is used that the other program can accept.

If the character being used as a delimiter is also used in your data, make sure
the Place Quotes Around All Fields checkbox is also set.

Output File Name

Enter the name of the ASCII delimited output file that Omnifile will create
here. If no path is given, the file will be placed in the Omnifile data
directory.

Header File Name

If the First Line of Export File Should List Field Names was not checked, then
the user should enter a name here. This file will contain the names of all
fields to be exported to the Output file.

Note:  If your output file is blank, or you get a message stating that the
output file does not exist, it usually means that the fields for export have
not been defined.

See Header Field Names  for more information.

Command File Name

Note:  This line should only be filled in if your system supports REXX. If it
does not, leave this field blank.

Many times fields must be converted to a format suitable for import to other
programs. Omnifile supports this functionality through a Rexx file interface.
There is a sample Rexx file for ASCII export / import called rxascout.cmd. This
file can be easily modified for each user's specific needs.

See Process a Rexx File  for more information.

The command file name entered here is the name of the rexx command file you
have created to perform some sort of data conversion. Omnifile expects the
command file to be located in the Omnifile data directory. If it is not, the
full path name to the file must be given.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.3. Process Rexx File Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Note:  This option is only available if your system supports the REXX language.
It can not be used otherwise. For OS/2 users, REXX is built in to the operating
system.  For Windows 95/NT users, Object REXX is a separate product that may be
purchased from IBM.

Omnifile gives the knowledgeable user the ability to modify Omnifile data in
any way needed.

A powerful Rexx programming interface has been included in Omnifile.

Creating a Rexx Command File

There are two Rexx files packaged with Omnifile that demonstrate the use of
Rexx files when importing data.

Rxascin.cmd is a Rexx file that demonstrates the use of a Rexx file to import
straight ASCII text directly into Omnifile.

Rxascin.cmd is a Rexx file that demonstrates the use of a Rexx file to import
straight ASCII text into the individual module.

This is the window that creates the interface between Omnifile and the Rexx
programming language.

Rexx Command File

Enter the name of the Rexx command file you have created to process data in the
Omnifile database.

The default directory is the Omnifile data directory. If the file is in the
default directory, just type the name of the file with no path. Otherwise, type
the full path and name of the file.

Input/Output File Name

Enter the name of the file that is either being created by your Rexx file or
the name of the file needed by your Rexx file to process your data. The default
directory is the Omnifile data directory. If  that is the directory you are
using, just type the name of the file. Otherwise, type the full path and name
of the file.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.4. Import From CIC Db screen ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This screen is used to import selected items from another Omnifile database. It
can be used to share data with another user or to share user created modules,
views, or reports with other users.

After filling in the information on this screen, clicking Ok will import the
data. Clicking Cancel will exit this screen without importing any data.

Import Definitions

Selecting this checkbox by clicking on it will import definitions from the
import file. Normally you would want to import both definitions and views if
you are importing a new module.

Import Views

Selecting this checkbox by clicking on it will import views from the import
file. Normally you would want to import both definitions and views if you are
importing a new module.

Import Records

Selecting this checkbox by clicking on it will import records from the import
file. Normally you would want to select this if someone is sharing data with
you and not just a new module that has no data associated with it.

Import File Name

Enter the full path and file name in this box. This box must be filled in for
the import to work correctly.

Add Standard Icons for Definitions, Views, and Reports

Selecting this checkbox by clicking on it will allow Omnifile to add the
standard system defined icons for a definition, a view, and a report to all of
these items that are imported into your database. Normally you would want to
check this item.

Note:  See Import from Contact Connection v1.22 or less to import Contact
Connection v1.22 or less data.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.5. Export To CIC DB screen ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This screen can be used to export a definition and views that a user has
created to an independent database. This independent database can then be used
to import this view to anyone else who has a copy of Omnifile.

The steps to do this are as follows:

Select the definition to export.

Choose what to export

Enter the name for the exported database.

Select the Ok push-button to proceed with the export. Select the Cancel
push-button to exit without exporting anything.

Remember that every copy of Omnifile has all the system definitions. There is
no need to export these unless they have been modified. Exporting the data
would be an easy way to copy the data in one module to another system.

Definition

Select the type of data that will be exported.

Note:  If <Any Type> is selected, then the whole database system can be
exported. In this case however, it might make more sense to do a backup.

Export Definitions

Selecting this checkbox will enable exporting the definition for the record
type selected. If a user has created a new record type and views to go with it,
this box should be checked. Views must have a corresponding definition.

Export Related Views

Selecting this checkbox will enable exporting the views related to a given
definition.

Note:  There can be more than one view corresponding to a definition. All views
for a definition will be exported using this checkbox. Remember that a view
cannot be used without a corresponding definition. The only reason to export a
view without it's definition would be if it was an additional view for a
definition that the other person already had in their database.

Export Records using this Definition

Selecting this checkbox will export all records which have data that was
entered using the selected definition. All records with this definition are
exported. There is no capability at this time to select only certain records.

Export File Name

Enter a file name in this box for the exported database. Do not add an
extension to the name. Omnifile will add appropriate extensions depending upon
which checkboxes were selected for the export.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.6. Import From Contact Connection v1.22 or less Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window is used if you have previously used Contact Connection v1.22 or
less and would like to import all your data into Omnifile. After entering
information on this window, clicking Ok will start the import and conversion
process. Clicking Cancel will exit this screen without performing the import

Contact Connection Data Path

Enter the full path to your Contact Connection data here. If you aren't sure
and originally installed Contact Connection using default values, the directory
would be c:\contacts.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.7. Export Definitions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window allows users to export definitions, views, and reports to
Omnifile's Rexx interface format.  The definitions can then be inserted into a
Rexx command file for automated processing.  For serious designer's this can be
a convenient way to backup and restore custom designs when numerous revisions
and modifications need to be made.

Enter the record number of the definition, view, or report you wish to export,
enter an output file name, and click Start.  Remember that each view needs has
an associated definition which you will usually want to export also.  Each
record number must be exported seperately.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.8. Importing Data From ACT! ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

In addition to the general ASCII import feature, Omnifile allows you to easily
import data from ACT!

Important: Prior to importing data, we recommend that you backup any data
already in Omnifile.  Also, please read through this entire section before
performing the import.

Exporting Data From ACT!

In order to transfer data from ACT! to Omnifile, you must first export the ACT!
data into files that can be read into Omnifile.  ACT! does not allow you to
export all of the data fields at one time, so it must be done in a two-step
process.

Step 1: First, we export fields such as name, phone, address, etc., into a
comma delimited text file.  To do this, go into the ACT! program, and open up
the contact database that you wish to export.  Choose Save As from the File
menu.  Select either Active Contact, Active Lookup, or Active Group to indicate
which contacts you wish to export, and then hit OK.  On the Save Database As
window, select Delimited as the file type.  Give the file a name, for example
"Actexp1.txt", and hit OK.  Write down the full path and file name since you
will need this later.

Next, you will be asked to choose a delimiter.  You must choose Comma.  Also,
you must select Export Secondary Fields.  Do NOT select Export Field Names.
Hit OK, and the export process will begin.

Step 2:  After completing Step 1, you now must export multiline data such as
notes and activities.  In order to do this you must run a report. Choose Other
from the Report menu in ACT!.  When prompted for the report name to run, move
into the directory where Omnifile is installed.  You should see actexp.rep
listed as a file in this directory.  Select this report as the one to run, and
hit OK.

You will now be prompted for which dates to export data.  If you want to export
all of your notes and activities, then select All Dates. Otherwise, set dates
to indicate which data you want to export, and hit OK. Select either Active
Contact, Active Lookup, or Active Group - this choice must be the same as you
made in Step 1.  Choose Document as the Output type.  Hit OK.

After the report has completed, you should see the output on your screen.
Select Save As from the File menu.  Choose Text as the file type. Give the
report a name, for example, "Actexp2.txt", and hit OK. Write down the full path
and file name since you will need this later.

You are now done with ACT!, and can exit the program.

Importing the ACT! Data into Omnifile

From the Omnifile Main Window, select Import/Export Data from the Maintenance
menu.  From the list of import/export options, select Import From ACT!.  You
will be prompted for the two files created above.

First enter the name of the first file to which you exported data (i.e., the
file where the 'simple' data was exported).  In our example above, this would
be "Actexp1.txt" (plus the appropriate path).  Next enter the name of the
second file to which you exported data (i.e., the file where the multiline data
was exported.  In our example, this would be "Actexp2.txt."

Hit OK and the data will be imported.

Comments on Importing Data

Note:  If your system does not support REXX, currently ACT! data will only be
imported using the default values. You will not be able to customize the import
process.

The import process from ACT! to Omnifile is very flexible.  We have set up a
command file that controls precisely how the imported data is handled.  In the
OS/2 version of Omnifile, this command file is a Rexx file called RXACTIN.CMD.
By modifying or adding Rexx commands to this file prior to importing the data,
it is possible for you to totally control how the import is done.  If you do
not modify this command file, then data will be imported as follows:

If a record in ACT! has a business name but has no contact name, then that
record will be imported into the Business database of Omnifile.  Otherwise, the
record is imported into the Individuals database.  If you want all records to
be imported into the Individuals database, then set the variable
separateBusinesses to 0.  (This variable is set near the top of RXACTIN.CMD.)

The data entered in the Manager and Owner fields of ACT! records will be
ignored (to save disk space).  If you want this data to be imported into
Omnifile, then set the variable useMgrOwner to 1. (This variable is set near
the top of RXACTIN.CMD.)

Any ACT! fields that do not directly map into Omnifile fields will be added as
part of the note for the contact in Omnifile.

All name, address, phone, history, activities, and notes information is
preserved.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.9. Importing Data From Goldmine ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

In addition to the general ASCII import feature, Omnifile allows you to easily
import data from Goldmine.

Important: Prior to importing data, we recommend that you backup any data
already in Omnifile.  We also recommend that you back up the following files in
the directory where Goldmine is installed:

impexp.dbf    impexp.dbt   impexp.ntx   impexp2.ntx

Also, please read through this entire section before performing the import.

Exporting Data From Goldmine

In order to transfer data from Goldmine to Omnifile, you must first export the
Goldmine data into a file that can be read into Omnifile.  We have already set
up the export profile for you, however, you need to move the files containing
the export profile into the directory where the Goldmine program is installed.

OS/2 Procedure

We have set up a batch file to manipulate the files for you.  From the
directory where Omnifile is installed, type "GMBATCH" at the command prompt.
You will be prompted for the directory where the Goldmine program is installed,
and the version of Goldmine you are converting.  Enter "WIN" if you are
converting data from Goldmine for Windows; enter "95" if you are converting
data from Goldmine for Windows 95.  Your original import/export profile files
will be stored in a subdirectory IMPEXP of the directory where Goldmine is
installed.

NOTE. (After performing the export, you may want to move the files in the
IMPEXP subdirectory back into the directory where Goldmine is installed.)

Note:  The following procedure assumes that goldmine is located in directory
c:\goldmine.

If goldmine is located in a different directory on your computer, substitute
the full path to goldmine in the following statements.

Windows 95 Procedure

Go to the directory where Goldmine is installed.

Make a directory called impexp by typeing mkdir impexp

Type copy impex295.ntx c:\goldmine\impexp\impexp2.ntx

Type copy impexp95.gbf c:\goldmine\impexp\impexp.dbf

Type copy impexp95.gbf c:\goldmine\impexp\impexp.dbt

Type copy impexp95.ntx c:\goldmine\impexp\impexp.ntx

Windows 3.1 or 3.11 Procedure

Go to the directory where Goldmine is installed.

Make a directory called impexp by typeing mkdir impexp

Type copy impex2wn.ntx c:\goldmine\impexp\impexp2.ntx

Type copy impexpwn.gbf c:\goldmine\impexp\impexp.dbf

Type copy impexpwn.gbf c:\goldmine\impexp\impexp.dbt

Type copy impexpwn.ntx c:\goldmine\impexp\impexp.ntx

After running the batch file, you are now ready to start exporting the data.
The directions for exporting from Goldmine are slightly different for the two
versions of Goldmine.

Exporting From Goldmine for Windows

Go into the Goldmine program and open up the contact database that you wish to
export.  Then choose Export Records from the File menu. Select ASCII File as
the data format.  After doing this, the profile cicexp should appear in the
list of profiles.

Note:  (If you don't see this profile in the list, then you may not have run
the batch file GMBATCH prior to exporting.)

Select the cicexp profile.  Enter a name for the file that will store the
exported data, for example "gmexp.txt."  Write down the full path and file name
since you will need this later.  Hit Export, and the data will be exported.
You may now exit Goldmine.

Exporting From Goldmine for Windows 95

Go into the Goldmine program and open up the contact database that you wish to
export.  Then choose Export Records from the Tools menu to bring up the Export
Wizard.  In the top half of the dialog box, select Export to a new file using
an existing profile; in the bottom half of the dialog box, select ASCII file.
Hit Next to move to the next screen.

In the next window, you should see a list of Export profiles.  Select cicexp.
(If you don't see this profile in the list, then you may not have run the batch
file GMBATCH prior to exporting.)  Hit Next to move to the next screen.  (You
should not need to set any Options.  The Field Delimiter should be a '|' (i.e.,
the pipe symbol), the field separator a ',' and the record separator CR/LF.)

Hit Next again to move to the next screen.  Then, enter a name for the file
that will store the exported data, for example "gmexp.txt."  Write down the
full path and file name since you will need this later.  Hit Next to move to
the next screen.

Note:   (If you are asked whether you want to save the export settings, select
No, and hit Next to move to the next screen.)

Importing the Goldmine Data into Omnifile

From the  Main Window in Omnifile, select Import/Export Data from the
Maintenance Menu..  From the list of import/export options, select Import From
Goldmine.  You will be prompted for the file to which you exported the Goldmine
data.  In our example above, this would be "gmexp.txt" (plus the appropriate
path).

Hit OK and the data will be imported.

Comments on Importing Data

Note:  If your system does not support REXX, you will not currently be able to
modify these import parameters. However, defaults have been supplied for this
process.

If your system supports REXX, we have set up a command file that controls
precisely how the imported data is handled.  In the OS/2 version of Omnifile,
this command file is a Rexx file called RXGMIN.CMD.  By modifying or adding
Rexx commands to this file prior to importing the data, it is possible for you
to totally control how the import is done.  If you do not modify this command
file, then data will be imported as follows:

If a record in Goldmine has a business name but has no contact name, then that
record will be imported into the Business database of Omnifile.  Otherwise, the
record is imported into the Individuals database.  If you want all records to
be imported into the Individuals database, then set the variable
separateBusinesses to 0.  (This variable is set near the top of RXGMIN.CMD.)

The data entered in the Created By and Owner fields of Goldmine records will be
ignored (to save disk space).  If you want this data to be imported into
Omnifile, then set the variable useCreateOwner to 1. (This variable is set near
the top of RXGMIN.CMD.)

The information relating to the last time the record was changed in Goldmine
will be ignored (to save disk space).  If you want this data to be imported
into Omnifile, then set the variable useLastInfo to 1. (This variable is set
near the top of RXGMIN.CMD.)

Any Goldmine fields that do not directly map into Omnifile fields will be added
as part of the note for the contact in Omnifile.

All name, address, phone, and note information is preserved.  Information on
the most recent appointment or call, the most recent call attempt, the next
scheduled call, the next scheduled action, and the forecast sale date is
preserved.  Information on other activities and some of the profile information
is not exported by Goldmine.

Above we indicated that the field delimiter should be set to | (i.e., the pipe
symbol).  However, if any data contains this symbol, the import of the
corresponding record may not be completely successful.  If there is another
character that you wish to use as a field delimiter, then you can set that
during the export process in Goldmine.  However, you must then also change the
delimiter setting in RXGMIN.CMD


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.10. Mail Merge ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mail merging is supported by exporting data in an ASCII format that can then be
read by your favorite word-processor.

Note:  Omnifile does have the capability of printing labels and envelopes
directly.

See Address Definition Window for more information.

See Reports Folder for more information.

Omnifile's ASCII export is very flexible so it can be customized to work for
any common word processor. Simply create an export file with the data that your
word processor needs and then use your word processor to perform the mail
merge.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Maintenance Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Maintenance Folder contains icons representing many system related
functions.

Note:  Most users will not need to access these functions once their system is
set up.

Design Views Folder

Double-clicking on Design Views opens up the Design Views folder containing an
icon representing every view in the system and an icon for creating a new view.

See Designing and Using Views

 Design Reports Folder

Double-clicking on Design Reports opens up the Design Reports folder which
contains icons representing every report defined to the Omnifile database
system and an icon to create a new report.

See Designing and Using Reports

Browse All Items

Double-clicking on this item allows the user access to all records in the
system, including all the predefined screens and databases. This view can be
used to repair the database if the user is knowledgeable enough.

See Designing and Using Views to better understand the information displayed
here.

Warning: Changing data here can corrupt the database if done incorrectly.

 Backup Data

Double-clicking on this icon brings up the backup window displaying the Backup
Directory. Clicking on the Backup Now button will backup the data to whatever
directory is currently displayed in the entry field. Clicking on Do Not Backup
Now will cancel the window and not perform the backup.

Import/Export Data

Double-clicking on this icon will bring up the Import/Export Data window.

See Import and Export

Options

Double clicking on this icon opens  the Options notebook.

Advanced Maintenance Folder

This folder contains icons for many functions that are used less frequently and
may be considered more dangerous for novices to use.

See Advanced Maintenance Folder for more details.

Startup Folder

Double-clicking on this icon opens up the StartUp Folder.

See Startup Folder for more information.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.

Jump List Folder

Double-clicking on this icon opens up the Jump List Folder.

See Jump List Folder for more information.

See Folder Title Bar Help for information on the title bar folder icons.

See Folder PopUp Menu  for more information on folders.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.1. Options ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Double-clicking on the options icon opens a notebook allowing access to all
user defined options in the database system.

General Page

This page in the notebook contains all general system related options.

General Info

Printer for Reports

Allows the selection of a default printer for reports.

Note:  A printer must be selected for Omnifile to work properly.

User Experience Level

User Experience allows the selection of  your user experience level. Many of
the higher level options are hidden from the beginner if Beginner is selected.
This allows the new user to learn how to use Omnifile without becoming confused
by the technical aspects of the software. The current levels are Beginner,
Intermediate, Advanced, and Support Technician.

Note:  Levels are not currently implemented.

Backup Options

Default Directory

This is the directory that Omnifile will use to store a backup copy of your
database. The default directory is a directory called backup beneath the
directory in which the Omnifile database is located.

Note:  To change the default back-up directory, just type in a new directory
name. If no path is included, Omnifile will create the directory below the
existing directory.

Backup Reminder Frequency

This determines how often you are reminded to backup your data. It can be set
to Off, Low, Medium, High.

 If set to off, the user will not be reminded of backups. This is not
recommended.

Low means the user will be reminded after every 10 times Omnifile is started.

Medium means reminder is displayed after every five times.

 High means user will be reminded after every 3 times Omnifile is started.

Modem Port Options

Modem Port

Selects the com port to which your modem is attached. Used for the phone
dialing option. For most people this will be Com2 which is the program default.
Available settings are Com1 through Com4 and None.

See Phone Definition Window

Modem Prefix

Allows entry of any prefix needed to dial an outside line, or to disable Call
Waiting. For Example: 9, *70 will dial a nine for an outside line, pause, and
then disable call waiting. This all happens before the actual phone number is
dialed.

Preferences Tab

This page in the notebook contains user preferences.

Date Format

Allows selection of the default date format for Omnifile. The format designated
mm/dd/yy will print the date September 22, 1996 as 09/22/96. The dd/mm/yy
format will print the date as 22/09/96. The yy-mm-dd format will print the date
as 96-09-22. The dd-MMM-yy format will print the date as 22-SEP-96.

In addition, you can specify the format for the year.  Selecting 'Always Show
Year As 2 Digits' will show all dates with only the last 2 digits of the year.
Selecting 'Always Show Year As 4 Digits' will show all dates with all 4 digits
of the year; so the format mm/dd/yy will show September 22, 1996 as 09/22/1996.
Selecting 'Show Year As 2 Digits if its between 1910 and 2009' will show the
year as 4 digits unless it is between 1910 and 2009.

Auto Save Checkbox

The default value is to have this box checked. This means that when the Quit
button is pressed on any view, or the view is closed using the system menu or
the close button on the title bar, then any changes made to the record will
automatically be saved without prompting.

To exit a view without saving changed data, choose Record Edit from the menu
bar, then Abort Window Without Saving. This will then exit the view without
saving any changes to the data.

If this box is not checked, then a message will pop up asking whether to save
changes to the record or not.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.2. Backup Data ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window allows choosing a directory for backing up files.

Backup Directory

Enter the name of the directory here. If no path is specified, then the
directory is placed below the Omnifile data directory. The default name is
backup.

Note:  This window will automatically display after Omnifile has been started a
certain number of times. To change how often this window is displayed, change
the settings in the Options notebook.

See the Options Page for more information.

Clicking on the Backup Now button will backup the data to whatever directory is
currently displayed in the entry field.

Clicking on Do Not Backup Now will cancel the window and not perform the
backup.

This window can also be accessed by the user at any time from the Backup option
of the main window menu bar or from the Maintenance Folder.

Double-clicking on this icon brings up the backup window displaying the Backup
Directory.

See the Maintenance Folder for more information on maintenance options.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3. Advanced Maintenance Folder ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This folder contains icons representing the more advanced maintenance options.
Do not change these settings if you are unsure what you are doing.

The following operations are contained within this folder.

Run Diagnostics

 Runs database diagnostics.

Browse Item Definitions

Allows the viewing of every item in the database.

Browse Views (Design Mode)

Allows the viewing of views as they would normally appear on the screen.

Browse Views (Maintenance Mode)

Allows the viewing of views as an item in the database. IE. As a listing of
controls, not as a view.

Select any link to find out more about each function.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.1. Run Diagnostics ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Double-clicking on the Run Diagnostics icon brings up the Diagnostics Window.
Diagnostics attempts to fix problems relating to corruption of the database.
There are two levels of diagnostics that can be performed.

Select which level of diagnostics you need to run by selecting the appropriate
radio button. Click on Ok to perform the selected diagnostic. Click on Cancel
to exit Diagnostics without performing any diagnostic function.

Diagnostics Level

Level 1

This level of diagnostics runs reasonably quickly. It checks indexes without
recreating them.

Level 2

Beware! Level 2 diagnostics will take quite a while and must not be interrupted
once started. In addition, your computer will be completely tied up and will
not be useable for other tasks until this diagnostic is completed. This level
of diagnostic will recreate all indexes in the Omnifile database system.

Options

Not currently implemented.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.1.1. Verifying Data ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile is currently running diagnostics.

Note:  Do not close Omnifile until diagnostics has completed.

Data corruption can occur if the diagnostics is terminated before completion.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.2. Item Definition View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Allows the user to browse through all screens that are record definitions. A
definition tells the database system how many fields and what type of fields
are needed to display and keep track of the information that is displayed on
any view screen.

See Designing and Using Views  for more information.

Definition Name

The name of the definition is stored here.

Icon file Name

The name of an icon that is associated with the definition is stored here. If
no path is given, the default directory is icons.win or icons.os2 depending on
the operating system.

Data String Function

This function determines how the name to be displayed under the icon is formed
by default. It can always be changed from the icon settings window if needed.

Default View Rec#

The record number of the view that is associated with this definition. Remember
that the definition defines the fields and types of data. The view defines how
the data will be displayed. This field then defines which view will be used by
default.

Options

Used to show any options associated with the definition.

Fields

Shows all fields used to store data associated with this record definition.

See Field Definition  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.2.1. Browse Field Definitions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window allows browsing through the definitions for each field that makes
up a record definition. Each field represents the type for one item of data
that can be stored in Omnifile.

Field Type

The type of data that will be stored in this field is chosen here.

Name

A name representing this field is entered here. Choosing a name that represents
what the data that will be stored here represents makes it easier to understand
when viewing in maintenance mode.

Options

Each field can have certain options associated with it.

Special Field Id

Each field can have a special field id associated with it which allows certain
functions to use the data in the field in specific ways. See Special Field Id
for more information.

Additional Info

Each field can also have additional options associated with it.

Marked for Deletion

If this field is checked, then the field is deleted and will not be used in the
record definition.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.3. Browse Views (Design Mode) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Allows the user to browse all the views that have been designed for input or
output, including all views that come with the Omnifile database system, and
all user customized screens. The design mode also lets the user modify any view
and see exactly how the changes will look. Any changes made will be immediately
reflected when the user next enters a module that utilizes one of these
windows.

See Designing and Using Views  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.4. Browse Views (Maintenance Mode) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Shows all of the controls defined for a view instead of displaying the view as
you would normally expect. Useful if data has been corrupted and the view will
not display properly.

Note:  Modifying information in this mode can be dangerous. Only do so if you
are sure about what you are doing.

See Designing and Using Views  for more information.

View Name

A descriptive name given to the view that will show in the title bar of the
view.

Width

The width of the view in pixels.

Height

The height of the view in pixels.

RecDef#

The record number of the definition that is associated with this view.

Note:  Each view can only have one definition. Each definition can have more
than one view.

Options

Each view can have options associated with it.

Controls

Each view has certain controls associated with it. These define how the view
will look and how it will operate on the data defined in the definition.

See Control Field Definition  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.4.1. Control Field Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view defines the attributes for each control in a view. The control
determines what data is displayed where and how it will be displayed. The order
of the controls will be the order in which tabbing works in the view.

Type

The type of the control is represented here.

Name

A descriptive name for the control is entered here.

Field#

The number of the field corresponding to the number of the field in the record
definition is entered here.

Special Control Id

Each control may have a special control id associated with it which will allow
certain functions to use the information in the control in specific ways.

See Special Control Id  for more information.

XPos

This value represents the x value of the lower left corner of the control
measured in pixels from the left side of the view.

YPos

This value represents the y value of the lower left corner of the control
measured in pixels from the bottom of the view.

Width

This value represents the width of the control in pixels.

Height

This value represents the height of the control in pixels.

Options

Certain controls can have specific options associated with them.

Additional Info 1

Certain controls can have specific additional fields associated with them.

Additional Info 2

Another additional field used by certain controls.

Default Value

Each control can have a default value associated with it. For a text field or
entry field, this could be the text that would display in the view. For a combo
box, this would be which record would show.

Extra Name

Any additional name associated with the control.

Additional String

Any additional value associated with the control.

Additional String2

Any additional value associated with the control.

Font Name

The name of the font associated with the control. For a text field, this would
be the font used to display the wording on the view.

Point Size

The size of the font in points associated with the control. For a text field,
this would be the size of the font displayed on the view.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.5. Reserved View Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view is reserved for future expansion of Omnifile capabilities.

Note:  Modify this view at your own risk as later versions of Omnifile may
overwrite any modifications made here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.6. User View Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view shows the values saved for a particular user. All folder positions
are saved for each user.

User Id

This is the value entered when the program starts. There is a separate record
for each user who uses the system both on a network and on a single user
system.

User Name

This field is usually reserved for the users full name.

Folders

This list box shows all folders and their settings for every folder accessed by
this specific user.

See User Folder Info Definition  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.7. User Folder Info Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view shows the attributes of each folder that are stored for each
individual user.

User View Definition  for more information.

Folder Rec#

This field shows the record number of the folder definition for which the other
values are being stored.

X Pos

This field stores the x position of the bottom left corner of the folder in
pixels.

Y Pos

This field stores the y position of the bottom left corner of the folder in
pixels.

Width

This field stores the width of the folder in pixels.

Height

This field stores the height of the folder in pixels.

Icons

This list box stores information on every icon that is displayed in this
folder.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.8. Folder View Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view shows the definition of a folder. I.E. It shows what size a folder is
and what icons are being displayed within the folder.

Note:  Modifying these views should only be done as a last resort. Data can be
corrupted.

Folder Xpos

This field displays the x position of the lower left corner of the folder in
pixels measured from the lower left corner of the workstation monitor.

Folder Ypos

This field displays the y position of the lower left corner of the folder in
pixels measured from the lower left corner of the workstation monitor.

Folder Width

This field displays the width of the folder measured in pixels.

Folder Height

This field displays the height of the folder measured in pixels.

Icons

This listbox stores information about each icon that is displayed in the
folder.

See Folder Icon View Definition  for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.9. Folder Icon View Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view shows all the attributes of each icon that is displayed in a
particular folder.

Icon Text

This field stores the value of the text that will be displayed beneath the
icon.

XPos

This field stores the x position of the bottom left corner of the icon in
pixels measured from the lower left corner of the workstation monitor.

YPos

This field stores the y position of the bottom left corner of the icon in
pixels measured from the lower left corner of the workstation monitor.

Icon Id

This value is a number representing the icon.

Icon File Name

This is the name of the icon including the path. The default directory is the
icon sub-directory below the data directory.

Options

This field stores any options associated with the icon.

Function

This field stores the number of the function associated with this icon.

Command

This field stores the number of any command associated with this icon.

Item Type

This field stores the number of the type of item that is associated with this
icon.

Item Num

This field stores the number of the item that is associated with this icon.

View Num

This field stores the record number of any view associated with this icon.

Func.Opt.

This field stores the number of any function options associated with any
function associated with this icon.

Additional 1

This field stores any additional information associated with this icon.

Additional 2

This field stores any other additional information associated with this icon.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.10. User Folder Icon Info ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This view shows the positioning and id of each icon used in the definition of
each user folder.

Icon Id

A number which represents which icon is being displayed in the user folder.

X Pos

A number which represents the x position of the left bottom corner of the icon
measured in pixels.

Y Pos

A number which represents the y position of the left bottom corner of the icon
measured in pixels from the lower left corner of the workstation monitor.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.11. Index Item Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view displays the definition of each index item.

Index Name

This field stores the filename of the index.

Note:  Currently this name is limited to 8 characters.

Rec Type

This field stores the type of record that is being indexed.

Fields To Index

This listbox stores the different fields that are being indexed with this
index.

See Index Field Browse Definition

Is QuickList

If an index is defined as a QuickList, the records are indexed in a special way
designed to speed up the loading of defineable comboboxes. Generally this
option should only be used if there are not expected to be more than about 100
records, they won't be changed very often, and the primary use for the records
is for display in the drop down lists of defineable comboboxes.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.12. Index Field Browse Definition ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view displays the name of the field to be indexed.

Field Name

This field displays the name of the field that will be indexed for a particular
index.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3.13. User Id Entry ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This view allows entry of a user id.

User Id

Enter your initials or some other unique identifier here. This user id is used
by Omnifile to keep track of user preferences for sizes and positions of
folders. Therefore each person in a family can have their own way of arranging
folders.

Note:  If you do not want to be prompted for this information each time, add a
variable called user_id to your config.sys for OS/2 or to your autoexec.bat for
Windows 95 by inserting a line SET USER_ID=name.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Troubleshooting ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Installation

Make sure that there is enough room on your hard drive before beginning the
installation procedure. Omnifile requires at least 6 Megabytes of free disk
space in order to install. If you are unsure how much disk space you have free,
open any command prompt and type dir. Then press Enter.

If the installation procedure says it is unable to create the directory, it
most likely means that it already exists. Delete the directory before running
install or choose a different directory name.

Why don't I have all the modules listed in this manual?

Each version of Omnifile has a different set of modules. No version has all the
modules.

Can I install Omnifile to a drive other than c:?

Yes, you will be prompted for the drive to install to during the installation
process.

Can I install my data in a different directory than the Omnifile program?

 Yes, see the instructions: New Installation.

How to Obtain Help

Computer Interface Corporation maintains a web site located at
http://computerinterface.com. There is a support page which lists frequently
asked questions. There is a good chance your question will be answered here.
Please check here first.

E-Mail can be sent directly from this web site to the support staff if the
answer to your problem cannot be found.

E-Mail can be sent to [e-mail]. Try to include all
pertinent information including what type of system you have, what version of
Omnifile you are using, the serial number, and a concise description of the
problem. State what can be done to reproduce the problem so the support staff
can understand your problem.

If it is a problem which can't wait, support is also provided over the phone
during EST business hours of  9 am - 5 pm.

Contact Computer Interface Corporation at [phone].

Please have handy the same information as described under E-Mail.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Advanced Topics ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All views and data in the Omnifile database system are fully customizable by
you, the end user. There are several tools provided within the Maintenance
folder to assist in this task. Before discussing how to customize data and
objects, certain system defined data types and actions need to be defined.

SeeSystem Defined Types

SeeFunctions

SeeSpecial Field Id

SeeSpecial Control Id


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.1. Start Up Options ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile supports the use of several command line options when started.

/NOLOGO

If this parameter is entered when Omnifile is started, then no logo will be
displayed upon startup.

/NOMULTIUSER

This parameter forces multiuser mode off. This option would only allow one user
to access the database. If one user logs onto a network database in this mode,
no one else will be able to access the database.

/USER=<userid>

This parameter passes a value to Omnifile for a user id. This option will
override the value set in the config.sys file. The value of using this
parameter is that each user of an Omnifile database will have their own
preferences for folder size and positioning saved for them.

/START=<jump Action>

This parameter passes a value to Omnifile defining which action will be
performed immediately after starting. It can be the name of any icon which is
represented within the Jump List Folder.

See Jump List Folder for more information.

See StartUp Folder  for more information.

If no value is given for <jump Action>, then Omnifile will start without
starting any action. This option will override any icons placed in the Startup
Folder.

/SCALE=<x,y>

This parameter can be used to make all Omnifile windows uniformly larger or
smaller if the default scaling is not working properly on your system. If only
one value is given, it is used for both x (horizontal) and y (vertical)
scaling.

/FONT="FontName", fontsize

This parameter will set the default text for all Omnifile windows to FontName
in fontsize type.

Note:  Make sure to enclose FontName in parentheses for proper parsing of the
command.

/NOTOOLBAR

This parameter will turn off the display of toolbars. These are the icons on
each window representing help, find, new template, linking, etc.

Note:  The toolbars for designing and reports still show even with this
parameter.

/REXX=<rexxfilename>

This parameter will cause Omnifile to run the given Rexx command file as soon
as it starts.

/NOLOCKFILE

This parameter will stop Windows 95 versions of the program from using
lockfile.dbt which keeps track of what records are currently being edited.

Note:  This option is only to be used when instructed by technical support.
Corruption of your database can occur when this option is used.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.2. System Defined Data Types ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Omnifile has several predefined data types available to the user.

Data Types

The type of data stored in the database can be set to one of several system
defined types.

Integer

A whole number. One that doesn't contain any decimal portion. Examples: 5,
1025,  not 5.4.

String

Text, i.e. letters, words, and/or numbers that don't need to be added or
subtracted, such as phone numbers and social security numbers. Examples: Name,
[phone].

Date

Date format is set through the Options icon in the Maintenance Folder.
Examples: 9/27/96, 27/09/96, 27-SEP-96.

Money

Numbers in a decimal format with a dollar sign. Examples: $10.00, $5,678.90.

Number

Any number, not just integers. Do not use this if an integer value will work.
Examples: 12.99, 1,654, 143.356.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.2.1. Functions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The type of function (or action that can be performed) by specific objects can
be set to one of many types. Following is a listing of many of Omnifile's
supported functions.

Note:  This information is only needed for users who are designing their own
views and modules.

See Designing and Using Views

viewItemFunction

browseItemsFunction

executeItemFunction

internalCommandFunction

showSubViewFunction

addSubRecFunction

findItemFunction

findItemFromTemplateFunction

showDialogFunction

browseViewsFunction

designViewFunction

printReportFunction

designReportsFunction

designReportFunction

showPrintWindowFunction

setJobPropertiesFunction

autoDialerFunction

fileLauncherFunction

refreshListFunction

makeDataStringForIndividualFunction

makeDataStringForAddressFunction

addLinkToNewRecFunction

addLinkToExistingRecFunction

browseLinksInMaintModeFunction

showLinksFunction

showNewItemFolderFunction

showFindFolderFunction

showReportsFolderFunction

linkSelectedFunction

showLinkDetailsFunction

copySelectedRecordFunction

setAdvancedSearchFunction

makeDataStringFromFirstFieldFunction

makeDataStringFromSecondFieldFunction

makeDataStringFromFirstTwoFieldsFunction


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.2.2. Special Field Id ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Special field id's are used to specify that a certain field in a record
contains information of a specific type. This information is needed by many of
the pre-defined functions in Omnifile.

Note:  These fields are only needed by users who are designing their own views
and modules.

See Designing and Using Views

iconTextFieldId

businessNameFieldId

titleFieldId

firstNameFieldId

middleNameFieldId

lastNameFieldId

suffixFieldId

jobTitleFieldId

anyTextFieldId

searchResultsFieldId

linkedRecNumFieldId

fieldNameFieldId

departmentFieldId

addressTypeFieldId

addressFieldId

cityFieldId

stateFieldId

zipCodeFieldId

startTimeFieldId

endTimeFieldId

durationFieldId

searchValueFieldId

countryFieldId

fileExecuteFieldId

typeFieldId

completedFieldId

dateFieldId

timeFieldId

frequencyFieldId

personFieldId

noteFieldId


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.2.3. Special Control Id ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A unique identifier which specifies which control in a view contains a certain
type of information. These values are needed by many of the pre-defined
functions in Omnifile.

Note:  These values are only needed by users who are designing their own views
and modules.

See Designing and Using Views  for more information.

linkListControlId

contentsControlId

typeListControlId

viewListControlId

startTimeControlId

endTimeControlId

durationControlId

recNumControlId

outputDeviceControlId

anyTextControlId

phoneDialControlId

fileExecuteControlId

searchConditionControlId

reportListControlId

addressControlId

cityControlId

stateControlId

zipControlId

numAcrossControlId

numDownControlId

fieldNameControlId

searchValueControlId

searchResultsControlId

dataStringControlId

countryControlId

fileDataControlId

dateControlId

completedControlId

frequencyControlId


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.3. Rexx Programming ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Rexx interface makes it easy to customize imports, exports, or other
specialized processes.

You may use any of the standard Rexx keywords and built-in functions.  In
addition, any Rexx file being processed by Omnifile can also use any of the
special functions provided by Omnifile's Rexx interface.

Depending on the Rexx program you are using, you may need to access field names
from within Rexx.  When doing so, remember that the field name recognized by
Rexx is the same as Omnifile's field name except that any spaces in the name
are removed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.3.1. Rexx Functions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following is a list of these Rexx functions that Omnifile provides.

SetHeaderLine

MakeOutputLine

SetRexxVariablesFromLine

SetRexxVariablesFromRec

SetRecFromRecVariables

GetTypeGivenName

SetDefaultType

SetDefaultDelimiter

SetDefaultQuoteChar

GetRec

AddRec

SaveRec

GetSubRec

GetField

SetField

SetSubRecField

CopyField

SetInputDb

SetOutputDb

GetRecType

SetRecType

MergeFolders

ShiftFolderSubItems

NumRecs

NumSystemRecs

GetDurationFromString

CopyRecData

CopyRecArray

ConvertStringtoDefineableComboBox

InitRecMap

AddRecMapping

ConvertRecNumsUsingRecMap

SetSkipListForRecMap

ConvertRecsToNewType

InitRecTypeMap

AddRecTypeMapping

ConvertRecTypesUsingMap

IsRecDeleted

AddLink


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4. Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To successfully control which fields within Omnifile are imported and exported,
the names of the database fields within Omnifile must be known. Following is a
list of the more commonly used fields. These names must be used exactly in
header lines when importing or exporting ASCII data.

TIP: An easy way to find the exact names of fields for a given type is to go to
the Advanced Search Window located in the Find Items folder and then select add
new. In the Browse Subitems window that then opens is a listing of all Omnifile
defined types. When a type is selected from this drop-down list, the field
names corresponding to that type are displayed in the drop-down list entitled
Field Names.

Note:  When accessing data that resides in sub-records such as addresses,
phones, and codes in the individual and business types, use a .1. or .2. or .3.
notation to differentiate among the different sub-records.  See

Action Module Field Names

Contact Module Field Names

DocuTrack Module Field Names

Expense Module Field Names

File Cabinet Module Field Names

Hour Module Field Names

Inventory Module Field Names

Librarian Module Field Names

Note Module Field Names

Phone Message Module Field Names

Property Module Field Names

Recipes Module Field Names

Scheduling Module Field Names

Software Module Field Names

To Do Module Field Names


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.1. Contact Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following types and fields are defined for use in the Contacts Module. Note
that there are separate types for individuals and businesses.

Business Type

Id

Business Name

Description

Addresses.1.Type

Addresses.1.Address

Addresses.1.City

Addresses.1.State

Addresses.1.Zip Code

Addresses.1.Country

Addresses.1.Note

Phones.1.Type

Phones.1.Phone Number

Phones.1.Note

Codes.1.Code

Codes.1.Note

Note

Individuals Type

Id

Salutation

First Name

Middle Name

Last Name

Suffix

Informal Name

Business Name

Department

Job Title

Description

Addresses.1.Type

Addresses.1.Address

Addresses.1.City

Addresses.1.State

Addresses.1.Zip

Addresses.1.Note

Phones.1.Type

Phones.1.Phone Number

Phones.1.Note

Codes.1.Code

Codes.1.Note

Note

Virtual fields for Individuals and Businesses

In addition to the fields listed above, several "virtual" fields have been
defined to make exporting and printing easier.  Virtual fields, are not real
fields in the sense that there is no data stored in them but the text they
display is constructed from other fields.  They can only be used when designing
reports or exporting (not importing).

Default Phone, Work Phone, Home Phone, Fax-Work Phone, Fax-Home Phone, Cellular
Phone, Pager Phone, Vacation Phone, Modem Phone, School Phone, Temp Phone,
Other Phone

Default Address, Work Address, Home Address, EMail Address, Vacation Address,
School Address, Temp Address, Other Address

Default Phone Note, Work Phone Note, Home Phone Note,  Fax-Work Phone Note,
Fax-Home Phone Note, Cellular Phone Note, Pager Phone Note, Vacation Phone
Note, Modem Phone Note, School Phone Note, Temp Phone Note, Other Phone Note

Default Address Note, Work Address Note, Home Address Note, EMail Address Note,
Vacation Address Note, School Address Note, Temp Address Note, Other Address
Note

Default Phone w/Type and Note, Work Phone w/Type and Note, Home Phone w/Type
and Note, Fax-Work Phone w/Type and Note, Fax- Home Phone w/Type and Note,
Cellular Phone w/Type and Note, Pager Phone w/Type and Note, Vacation Phone
w/Type and Note, Modem Phone w/Type and Note, School Phone w/Type and Note,
Temp Phone w/Type and Note, Other Phone w/Type and Note, Default Address w/Type
and Note, Work Address w/Type and Note, Home Address w/Type and Note, EMail
Address w/Type and Note, Vacation Address w/Type and Note, School Address
w/Type and Note, Temp Address w/Type and Note, Other Address w/Type and Note

Code List

Code Type Type

Code

Description

Address Type

Type - integer representing the following values

  1 - Home

  2 - Work

  3 - Vacation

  4 - Email

  5 - School

  6 - Temp

  7 - Other

Options

Address

City

State

Zip Code

Country

Note

Phone Type

Type - integer representing the following values

  1 - Home

  2 - Work

  3 - Vacation

  4 - Cellular

  5 - Pager

  6 - Fax-Work

  7 - Fax-Home

  8 - Modem

  9 - School

  10 - Temp

  11 - Other

Phone Number

Note


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.2. Note Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Notes Module.

Note Type

Summary

Note


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.3. Hour Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Hours Module.

Person Type

Person

Hour Title Type

Title

Service Type

Service

Hour Type

Person

Date

Start Time

End Time

Duration

Title

Description

Client

Service

Notes


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.4. Librarian Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Librarian Module.

Magazine Type

Magazine

Description

Publisher

Category

Note

Issue Type

Magazine

Date

Issue

Volume

Number

Notes

Articles

Article Type

Title

SubTitle

Page Number

Author

Subject

Keywords

Notes


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.5. Software Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Software Module.

Software Type

Product

Version

Media Format - contains integer representing the following values

  1 - 3.5"

  2 - 5.25"

  3 - CDRom

  4 - Removable

  5 - Electronic

  6 - Other

Disk Type - contains integer representing the following values

  1 - Program

  2 - Data

  3 - Work

  4 - Source Code

  5 - Other

Operating System - contains integers representing the following values

  1 - Win3.x

  2 - Win95

  3 - WinNT

  4 - DOS

  5 - OS/2

  6 - Mac

  7 - Linux

  8 - Unix

  9 - Aix

 10 - Other

Note

Number Of Disks

Backup Made

Disk Labels

Disk Label Type

Number

Title

Note


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.6. Property Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Property Module.

Category Type

Category

Note

Inventory Type

Name

SubName

Category

Purchaser

Bought From

Date Bought

Payment Method

List Price

Price Paid

Model

Version

Serial Number

Manufacturer

Date Registered

Folder

Location

Status

Codes

Description

Notes


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.7. File Cabinet Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the File Cabinet
Module.

Building Type

Building

Note

File Cabinet Type

Building

Room

File Cabinet

Box

Label

Subject

Notes


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.8. DocuTrack Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the DocuTrack Module.

File type Type

File Type

Program Path

File Type

Type

File Path

Description

File Date

Author

Notes


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.9. To Do Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the To Do Module.

Person Type

Person

Action Type Type

Action

Note

Action Type

Type

Completed

Date

Time

User

Summary

Note


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.10. Scheduling Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Scheduling
Module.

Appointment Type

Person

Date

Start Time

End Time

Location

Type

Description

Notes


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.11. Phone Message Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Phone Message
Module.

Phone Message Pad Type

To

From

Company

Phone Number

Message

Date

Time

Message Taker

Call Back

Returned Your Call

Schedule Meeting

Will Call Again

Urgent

Read Message

Returned Call

Completed Action

Phone Company Type

Company

Phone Individual Type

Individual


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.12. Expense Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Expense Module.

Expense Type

Person

Date

Client

Billable - integer representing one of the following values

  1 - Yes

  2 - No

Amount

Type - integer representing one of the following values

  1 - Travel

  2 - Personal

  3 - Other

  4 - Meals

  5 - Lodging

  6 - Entertaining

Voucher Id

Destination

Description


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.13. Recipes Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Recipes Module.

Recipe Type

Title

Description

Category

Ingredients

Servings

Instructions

Serving Size

Calories

Calories From Fat

Total Fat

Saturated Fat

Cholesterol

Sodium

Carbohydrates

Protein

Vitamins

Food Exchange


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.14. Inventory Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Inventory Module.

Category Type

Category

Note

Inventory Type

Name

SubName

Category

Purchaser

Bought From

Date Bought

Payment Method

List Price

Price Paid

Model

Version

Serial Number

Manufacturer

Date Registered

Folder

Location

Status

Codes

Description

Notes


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4.15. Action Module Field Names ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following are the fields and types defined for use in the Action Module.

Person Type

Person

Action Type Type

Action

Note

Action Type

Type

Completed

Date

Time

User

Summary

Note