Fields are common throughout Ability. The most obvious example of a field is a cell in a spreadsheet – it can contain plain text, numbers or dates, or it can display the result of a formula. The same is true of formula fields in Write documents and Database forms and reports.
Fields share common properties – fonts, borders, colors, numeric formatting, alignment – throughout the Ability applications.
There are other properties that depend on the particular type of field. For example, a mail-merge field in Write (also called a database field elsewhere in Ability) allows database information to be browsed and merge printed in Write, Spreadsheet and Database. To do this it accesses a source database, table and field. See Inserting fields.
Another powerful property of fields is their ability to refer to, or link to, fields in other documents and applications – see Linking through fields.
Here are some examples of fields:
Application |
Description |
Created through |
Write |
Date and time field |
Insert/Date and Time |
|
Mail merge field |
Insert/Mail Merge Field |
|
Formula field |
Insert/Field – this is the standard field, which can be used for formulas and links |
|
Database field |
Insert/Field – this field allows you to browse or change data held in a database table |
Spreadsheet |
Cells |
Standard spreadsheet cells – always present |
|
Floating field i.e. a database or formula field that can be dragged and dropped anywhere in spreadsheet. You can mail merge or browse database information, or separately store information in addition to the standard spreadsheet cell, as well as show the results of formulas |
Insert/Field – select either the Formula or Database field type in the field wizard. |
Database |
Formula field in forms and reports – equivalent to a standard field in Write. |
Insert/Formula Field when in design mode in forms or reports. |
|
Lookup Summary field – joins the current table to another table to provide summary information. |
Insert/Lookup Summary Field – available in both forms and report design mode. |
|
Database field – browse information from another database table |
Insert/Database Field – available in design mode in forms and reports |
|
Date and Time Page Number |
Insert/Date and Time Insert/Page Number – available in design mode in forms and reports |