 FastForms Form Entry

Introduction to Form Entry	A brief introduction on what the Form Entry is and an outline on how to use it.

Using the Form Entry	Description on how to use the Form Entry application.

Menu Bar Functions	A description of all the functions available on the menu bar.

Form Entry Keys	All the functions that can be accessed by key presses.

The Status Bar	Description of the status bar.


 Introduction to Form Entry

The FastForms Form Entry application is used for filling out forms, invoices etc, in situations where you want to print a filled form on a "one-off" basis, without having to create a database especially for one or a few form entries which will not be used again.

The Form Entry takes a form which was created using the FastForms Form Designer and enables you to fill it out on the screen before previewing and printing it.   After filling in the form you may also save the contents of the form as a separate document.

To use the Form Entry, you will need to do the following:

1.	Create the form or forms to be filled using the Form Designer.

2.	Choose a form you want to use from a list.

3.	Type information into the fields.

4.	Preview and print the completed form as desired.

Also see:

Using the Form Entry


 Using the Form Entry

Opening a Form for Filling

Filling a Form

Saving Form Contents

Print Preview

Printing a Filled Form


 Beginning the Form Entry

A FastForms form must be opened for filling. Therefore when you open a Form Entry document window, the Files Open Dialog Box will appear for you to select the form you wish to fill.

To open a form, type in an existing file name into the dialog box. This file is opened and the cursor appears in the first form field.

Also see:

Opening Files


Opening a Form for Filling (FE)
 Opening a Form for Filling

To open a form, select the File Open command. If you already have a filled out form on the screen that has not been printed, you will be given an opportunity to do so before the new form is opened.

Note

The default file extension is TFM, but this does not have to be used in file names.

Also see:

Opening Files


Filling a Form (FE)
 Filling a Form

The fields are the areas that can be filled by you. For details on filling out the fields, refer to the following:

Filling a Field

Editing Fields

Moving Around a Form


Filling a Field (FE)
 Filling a Field

To fill out a field, type in the text; this text will be placed where the cursor is. There are also a number of keys that can be used:

Key(s)	Function

,	Move the cursor left/right by one character.

,	For a field with more than one line, move the cursor one line up or down.

Home	Move cursor to the beginning of the current line.

End	Move the cursor to the end of the text on the current line.

Return ( [image])	Move the cursor on to the next line for editing in a multi-line field. If the cursor is on the last line, then it moves to the next field.

Del	Delete the character at the cursor.

Backspace	Delete the character before the cursor.

Using the Mouse

To move the cursor, click on the part of the field you want to edit. If you click beyond the end of the text, then the cursor is placed at the end of the text.

Note

The font, character style and alignment of the text that you type into a field is determined in the form when it is designed.

Also see:

Editing Fields

Moving Around a Form


Editing Fields (FE)
 Editing Fields

Clearing the Fields for Next Form Entry

Select the Edit Clear command, or press F2.

Copying the Contents of a Field

1.	Move the cursor to the field to be copied.

2.	Select the Edit Copy command, or press Ctrl+Ins.

3.	Move to the field to receive the copy.

4.	Select the Edit Paste command, or press Shift+Ins.

Moving the Contents of a Field

1.	Move the cursor to the field to be moved.

2.	Select the Edit Cut command, or press Shift+Del.

3.	Move to the field to receive the text.

4.	Select the Edit Paste command, or press Shift+Ins.

Note

If there is not enough space in the receiving field, then the text is truncated.

Also see:

Filling a Field

Moving Around a Form


Moving Around a Form (FE)
 Moving Around a Form

With the Keyboard

Key(s)	Function

PgUp/PgDn	Move up or down the form by the amount being displayed in the document window.

Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn	Move up or down the form by one page.

Ctrl+Home	Move to the top left of the current page.

Ctrl+End	Move to the bottom right of the current page.

With the Mouse

Use the scroll bars to move around the form. See Using Scroll Bars on how to use them.

With the F5 Go To Dialog Box

To move to a specific page or the top or bottom of a form press F5, or click the F5 button on the function key bar if displayed. This will bring up the Go To Dialog Box.

Moving Between Fields

With the Keyboard

Press Tab to move the cursor to the next field, or Shift+Tab to move to the previous field.

Press Shift+PgDn to skip forward several fields, and Shift+PgUp to skip back. The fields that are skipped is determined as part of the field filling order of the current form when it was designed.

With the Mouse

Click on the field.

Notes

1.	When using Tab and Shift+Tab to move between fields, the order in which they are edited is determined by the form's filling order. This is determined when the form is designed.

2.	Some fields may not be accessible for filling. This is because they have been set as protected. This is also determined when the form is designed.

Also see:

Filling a Field

Editing Fields


Saving Form Contents (FE)
 Saving Form Contents

You may save the form contents after filling it in.  When you save the contents from form entry they are saved as a separate document.

Use the File Save Contents command to save the contents of the form.  The File Save Contents As command allows you to give a new name for existing form contents so that you can save a copy of the contents.

Note

The default file extension is TFF.

Also see:

Saving Files

Files Save Dialog Box


Printing a Filled Form (FE)
 Printing a Filled Form

To produce a printed copy of the on-screen form, select the File Print command, press F10, or click the F10 Print button if displayed.

The print resolution of inserted pictures can be set by selecting the Options Picture Resolution command. This setting can be overridden when printing a form by selecting the Options>> button when in the Print Form Dialog Box and then selecting the resolution.

Also see:

Printing Problems


Printing Problems (FE)
 Printing Problems

1.	Meaningless characters are printing

The wrong driver may have been selected for your printer. Make sure you have the correct printer driver set up in the Control Panel. Also, if you have more than one printer driver set up, the target printer set up for the form is not the right one. This is determined when the form is designed. Start the Form Designer, open the form and select the Layout Print Routing command.

The printer is set to an emulation mode incompatible with the printer driver. Consult your printer manual on how to change this.

All forms use graphics, and these cannot be printed on daisy wheel printers or some of the earlier dot matrix printers.

There may be a fault in the cable and/or the printer connections.

2.	Nothing prints out

Check that the printer is switched on, has paper loaded and is on line.

The wrong port may have been selected in the printer setup on the control panel. For example if your printer is connected to the printer port LPT1, and the driver is set up to send the output to LPT2.

There may be a fault in the printer cable and/or the printer connections.

You may be using a spooler program that cannot run with Windows.

3.	Blank sheets of paper between pages, or text overflowing onto the next page

The page margins control the number of lines on the printed page. If this is not set correctly for the paper being used, then some of a page of text may overflow onto the next page. This may also lead to extra blank sheets being fed out of the printer. If this happens, go into the Form Designer and reduce the vertical page margins and check the paper size specified for this document.

4.	Uneven right margin

If the right margin is uneven in the places where you chose to alter a font then it may be because you are using a printer driver that is not totally compatible with your printer. If this is the case, set up the driver in the Control Panel. If your driver is set up, but is not the one being used, then change this by starting the Form Designer, opening the form and selecting the Layout Print Routing command.

5.	Areas specified as being in colour are printing out in monochrome

You are using a printer driver that does not support colour. Select an appropriate printer driver that does support colour in the Control Panel.

Your printer may not be capable of printing in colour.

If it is, then for a dot matrix printer a colour ribbon has not been installed, or for ink jet printers the appropriate colour ink cartridge has not been installed.


Form has been filled but not printed
 Form has been filled but not printed. Print now?

At least one of the fields has been filled, but has not yet been printed before it is to be cleared. You have three options:

1.	Click Yes (or press Y) to print the filled form before continuing.

2.	Click No (or press N) to continue without printing the form.

3.	Click Cancel (or press Esc) to abandon the operation you were performing and go back to the current form entry.

Also see:

Printing a Filled Form


 This field is protected against input

The field that you are trying to select for filling has been defined as protected in this form. No data can be entered into this field.

Also see:

Filling a Form


Print Preview (FE)
 Print Preview

You can use the print preview to view on the screen the filled form in a similar way to the way it would appear on the printed page.

To switch to the print preview, select the File Print Preview command on the menu bar. Editing cannot be carried out whilst print preview is being used.

Also see:

Using the Print Preview


Menu Bar Functions (FE)
 Menu Bar Functions

File	Opening, closing and printing forms.

Edit	Editing the filled contents of forms.

Options	Miscellaneous options and settings.

Window	Switching between and arranging document windows.

Help	On line help on how to use FastForms.

See FastForms Menu Commands for a general help on menu bar commands in FastForms.


File Menu Bar Commands (FE)
 File Menu Bar Commands

Open	Open a form for filling

Save Contents	Save form contents

Save Contents As	Save copy of form contents with new name

Print Preview	Displays the current form on the screen in a form similar to the way it would appear on the printed page.

Print	Print the filled form.

Printer Setup	Change the windows default printer.

Close Window	Close the current form and document window.


File Open Command (FE)
 File Open

Use this command to open a blank form or form contents that have already been saved to disk. This command brings up the File Open Dialog Box; ready for you to open a blank form.

If you want to open form contents press the Filled Forms button to select from saved form contents.

Fill in the file path and name of the form that you want to open.

Also see:

Opening Files


File Save Contents Command (FE)
   File Save Contents

Use this command to save the form contents.  The contents are saved as a separate named document.   If you have not saved the contents before this command brings up the File Save Dialog Box; so that you can give them a name.  Fill in the file path and name of the contents that you want to save.

Also See:

Saving Form Contents


File Save Contents As Command (FE)
 File Save Contents As

Use this command to save a copy of the form contents.  The contents are saved as a separate named document.   This command brings up the File Save Dialog Box; so that you can give a name.  Fill in the file path and name of the contents that you want to save.

Also See:

Saving Form Contents


File Print Preview Command (FE)
 File Print Preview

Use this command to display a form on the screen as it would appear on a printed page from your printer. See Print Preview.


File Print Command (FE)
 File Print

Select this command when you want to print a filled form. The Print Form Dialog Box is displayed.

Note

The page margins, which printer the form is printed to, and which of the printer trays (if there are more than one) will be used is set up when the form is designed. If you want to change any of these things, use the Form Designer to alter and save the form, and re-open this form for filling.

Also see:

Print Preview


Print Form Dialog Box (FE)
 Print Form Dialog Box

Start Page

The first page that will be printed. By default this is page 1; type in another page number if you want it to be something else.

End Page

The last page of the form that will be printed. By default this is the last page of the on-screen form; type in another number if you want it to be something else.

Copies

The number of copies of the form to be printed. By default this is 1.

Clear Fields After Print

If this check box is set the contents of the fields are emptied after the form is printed so that it is ready for the next entry.

Print Field Contents Only

If this check box is set then only the field contents that have been typed will be printed. This is useful if you are printing on to pre-printed forms which only need to be filled out.

Options>>

Select this button to reveal the following:

Picture Resolution

Select one of these buttons to override the current resolution for the printing of inserted pictures and charts.

Select OK to start printing, or Cancel to abandon printing.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


File Printer Setup Command (FE)
 File Printer Setup

Use this command to change the windows default printer.

Doing this will change the printer used to print the form provided that it has been set up to use the windows default.


File Close Window Command (FE)
 File Close Window

Use this command to close the current form. Equivalent to pressing Ctrl+F4.


Edit Menu Bar Commands (FE)
 Edit Menu Bar Commands

Cut	Remove the contents of the current field and place it in the clipboard.

Copy	Copy the contents of the current field to the clipboard.

Paste	Copy the clipboard contents to the current field.

Clear	Clear all the fields.

Phrase	Edit standard phrases

Go To	Go to another page in the current form.


Edit Cut Command (FE)
 Edit Cut

When this command is selected, the contents of the current field are removed from the form and placed in the clipboard. This is used for moving the contents of a field within a form, or to move it to a field in another form.

Also see:

Editing Fields


Edit Copy Command (FE)
 Edit Copy

When this command is selected, the contents of the current field are copied to the clipboard. This is used for copying the contents of a field within a form, or to copy it to another form.

Also see:

Editing Fields


Edit Paste Command (FE)
 Edit Paste

Select this command to copy the contents of a field that has been previously cut or copied to the clipboard into the current field.

Also see:

Editing Fields


Edit Clear Command (FE)
 Edit Clear

Clear the contents of all the fields, ready for another form entry.

Also see:

Editing Fields


Edit Phrase Command(FE)
 Edit Phrase

Use this command to go edit the standard phrases

Selecting this command brings up a dialog box. See Edit Phrase Dialog


Edit Go To Command (FE)
 Edit Go To

Use this command to go to any page within a form, or the top or bottom of the form. Selecting this command brings up a dialog box. See Go To Dialog Box.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form


Go To Dialog Box (FE)
 Go To Dialog Box

This dialog box is used for going to a specific page in the form, or to the top or bottom of it.

Page No.

If you want to go to a specific page in the form, type in the page number here.

Top

Select this button to go to the first page.

Bottom

Select this button to go to the last page.

Select OK to go to the page specified in Page No., or Cancel to leave the current page on the screen.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form

Using Dialog Boxes


Insert Phrase Commands (FE)
 Insert Menu Bar Commands

Phrase	Insert a standard phrase into the form.

From Database	Insert data from a database into the form.

Todays Date	Insert todays date.

Picture	Insert a picture from a disk file into a picture field within the form.


Insert Menu Bar Commands (FE)
 Insert Phrase

This command allows the user to choose from a list of predefined standard phrases.  See the Edit Phrase Command for how the phrases are defined.


Insert From Database Command (FE)
 Insert From Database

This command allows the user to fill the current form from data taken from a selected database record.  When a record is chosen; those fields in the form which have the same name as items in the database will be filled from the database record chosen.


Insert Todays Date Command (FE)
 Insert Todays Date

This command simply causes the date to be inserted into the current field.


Insert Picture Command (FE)
 Insert Picture.

This command allows insertion of a picture into a picture field from a file on disk.


Options Menu Bar Commands (FE)
 Options Menu Bar Commands

Vertical Scroll Bar	Display the vertical scroll bar.

Horizontal Scroll Bar	Display the horizontal scroll bar.

Picture Resolution	Select the resolution for displaying and printing pictures.

Settings	Choose this command to change the settings that are used throughout FastForms.

Workgroup Items	Choose this command to edit the Workgroup Items.


Options Picture  Resolution Command (FE)
 Options Picture Resolution

Select this command to select the resolution of pictures for screen displaying and printing. This command brings up a dialog box.

Screen

Select one of the buttons for the resolution of pictures when displayed on the screen. Displaying pictures on the screen is a compromise between speed of displaying the pictures and the quality of the display.

Print

Select one of the buttons for the resolution of pictures when printed out. High print resolution is the best for quality output, but will be slower to print.

Select OK to set the new resolutions or Cancel to ignore them.


Options Vertical Scroll Bar Command (FE)
 Options Vertical Scroll Bar

Switch the display of the vertical scroll bar on and off.

Notes

1.	Even when the vertical scroll bar is set for display, it will only appear when not all of the form will fit vertically into the document window displaying it.

2.	The page buttons [image] and [image] will only appear if there is more than one page in the form.

Also see:

Using Scroll Bars


Options Horizontal Scroll Bar Command (FE)
 Options Horizontal Scroll Bar

Switch the display of the horizontal scroll bar on and off.

Note

Even when the horizontal scroll bar is set for display, it will only appear when not all of the form will fit horizontally into the document window displaying it.

Also see:

Using Scroll Bars


Options Settings Command (FE)
 Options Settings

Choose this command to change the settings that are used throughout FastForms. For details, see Settings. Selecting this command brings up the Settings Dialog Box.


Options Workgroup Items Command (FE)
 Options Workgroup Items

Choose this command to edit the Workgroup items.  Selecting this brings up the Workgroup Items Dialog.


Window Menu Bar Commands (FE)
 Window Menu Bar Commands

Overview	Brings up the The Overview Dialog Box for opening, closing document windows, or for switching to another window.

Maximize	Increase the current document window size so that it fills the FastForms window's workspace.

Cascade	Re-arrange the open document windows so that they are stacked with the title bars showing.

Tile	Re-arrange the open document windows so that they appear next to each other and do not overlap.

The remaining items on this menu list all the document windows that are currently opened. Select one of these if you want to swap to one of the other open document windows. The current document window is indicated by a check mark ( [image]).


Window TopLevel Command (FE)
 Window Overview

Selecting this command brings up the Overview Dialog Box for opening and switching between document windows. Equivalent to pressing F12.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Maximize Command (FE)
 Window Maximize

Select this command to make the current document window maximized.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Cascade Command (FE)
 Window Cascade

Select this command to arrange all the open document windows in the FastForms window so that they overlap with the title bars on the windows showing.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Tile Command (FE)
 Window Tile

Select this command to arrange and re-size all the open document windows such that the FastForms Window is filled.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Form Entry Keys (FE)
 Form Entry Keys

Movement and Editing Keys

Function Keys

Also see:

Dialog Box Keys

Application Keys

FastForms Keys


Movement and Editing Keys (FE)
 Movement and Editing Keys

Key(s)	Function

/	Move the cursor left/right by one character.

/	For a field with more than one line, move the cursor one line up or down.

Home	Move cursor to the beginning of the current line.

End	Move the cursor to the end of the text on the current line.

Return ( [image])	Move the cursor on to the next line for editing in a multi-line field. If the cursor is on the last line, then it moves to the next field.

Del	Delete the character at the cursor.

Backspace	Delete the character before the cursor.

PgUp/PgDn	Move up or down the form by the amount being displayed in the document window.

Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn	Move up or down the form by one page.

Ctrl+Home	Move to the top left of the current page.

Ctrl+End	Move to the bottom right of the current page.

Tab	Move cursor to the next field.

Shift+Tab	Move cursor to the previous field.

Ctrl+Ins	Copy the current field to the clipboard.

Shift+Del	Cut the current field to the clipboard.

Shift+Ins	Paste the field in the clipboard to the current field.

Shift+PgUp	Skip several fields to the next marked for skip field.

Shift+PgDn	Skip several fields back to the previous marked for skip field.


Function Keys (FE)
 Function Keys

Select the single key functions either by pressing the appropriate "F" key, or, if the function key bar currently displayed, by clicking it. The choice of available functions is listed below.

Key(s)	Function

F1	Call up context-sensitive help.

F2	Clear all the fields in the form.

F3	Open another form for filling.

F4	Save form contents.

F5	Go to a specific page in the form.

F6	Insert data from a database record into the form.

F7	Insert a standard phrase into the form.

F8	Insert today's date into the form.

F9	Insert a picture from disk file into a picture field.

F10	Print part or all of a filled form.

F11	Start the print preview.

F12	Leave the current document window open, and go to the Overview Dialog Box.

The following functions are not available on the function key bar.

Ctrl+F4	Close the current document window.

Alt+F4	Exit from FastForms.

Ctrl+F6	Go to the next open document window within FastForms.


The Status Bar (FE)
 The Status Bar

This is the bar just below the menu bar at the top of the window.

Page X of Y

Indicates the page number of the piece of the form that is currently being displayed (X), and the total number of pages that are in the form (Y).


 Specified file was not a FastForms form

The file you have tried to open is not a FastForms form.


 Failed to open form

The file with the file name and path you have just specified does not exist.


Help Menu Bar Commands (FE)
 Help Menu Bar Commands

Index	Bring up the first help topic.

Keyboard	Bring up help on the keyboard functions.

Commands	Bring up help on the menu bar commands.

Using Help	Bring up help on how to use help.

About	Bring up the About dialog box.


Help Index Command (FE)
 Help Index

Select this command to bring up the first topic in the help system.


Help Keyboard Command (FE)
 Help Keyboard

Select this command to get help on the functions available from the keyboard.


Help Commands Command (FE)
 Help Commands

Select this command to get help on the functions available from the menu bar.


Help On Help Command (FE)
 Help Using Help

Select this command to bring up the Windows help on how to use the help facility.


Help About Command (FE)
 Help About

Selecting this command reveals the About Dialog Box.


Choosing a Database form Insert (FE)
 Choosing A Database For Insert

This dialog allows choice between open databases from which to insert data.

It is normally only  invoked once.  From there, the Insert From Database command goes straight to display records from the chosen database.  If, however, the database has been closed in the mean time - this dialog will come up again.


Insert From Database (FE)
 Insert From Database

This dialog displays records from the database in list form.  When first invoked; it will use the database defaults for list layout (view) and order.

To select a record from which to copy data; move the cell cursor to the required row representing the database record and press the Insert button.

Order.

This allows selection between the defined database index fields.  The order in which records are displayed will be the order of the selected index.

Filter.

This allows selection between the defined database filters.  Filtering the data in this way allows the list to show only a desired subset of the records in the database.

View.

Allows choice of predefined list layouts or views.

Database.

Select a different database from which to insert records. Databases must first be opened into a database window before they appear on the resulting list.

Go To.

Brings up the standard database GoTo dialog.


FormTool Gold Form Designer
 FastForms Form Designer

Form Designer Introduction	A brief introduction to the Form Designer application and on how to create forms.

Using the Form Designer	Details on how to create, save and print forms, and other available features.

Menu Bar Functions	A reference of all the functions on the menu bar.

Form Designer Keys	A reference of all functions available by key combinations.

Using the Status Bar	Details on what items are on the status bar.


 Form Designer Introduction

The Form Designer enables you to create and manipulate forms e.g. application forms, invoices, printed records etc.

These forms can be save to and opened from disk, and can be printed directly, used in the Forms Entry Application for filling out and printing, or combined with a FastForms database to produce a batch of filled-out forms.

Also see:

Overview on How to Draw a Form


Outline on How to Draw a Form (FD)
 Overview on How to Draw a Form

The diagram below shows an example of a form:

A form: can consist of any combination of the following objects:

(a) Text	A variety of character style and fonts can be used with text on forms.

(b) Boxes	These are shaded areas. The shading and colour of the internal part of the box is adjustable, as is the thickness and colour of the outline.

(c) Fields	These are area within a form that, when it is combined with a database, will be filled out with information from that database during editing and printing within the Database. They can also be filled out with the Form Entry application.

(d) List Boxes	These are similar to fields with the difference that the values for a listbox may be chosen (optionally exclusively) from a predefined list of alternatives

(e) Check Boxes	These act like On/Off or True/False number fields.  Their value is either 1 or 0.  In appearance; they are square boxes with or without a cross displayed inside them.  Their value toggles between 1, in which case they are displayed with a cross inside them, and 0 in which case they are displayed without the cross.

(f) Lines	The thickness and colour of lines can be varied. Lines can be horizontal or vertical.

The following steps describe the process of designing a form:

Plan the layout of your form.

Set up the basics for the form i.e. the paper size and the page margins, the target printer to be used etc. These can be changed at any stage in the forms design process.

Create the form by drawing the shading boxes, lines, text and fields.

If necessary, you can adjust the form that you have created by moving and re-sizing the lines and boxes, and moving and changing the fields and text. Also, it is possible to delete any of these form objects, and to add, delete and insert pages into the form.

Once the form is drawn, it can be previewed on the screen before being printed.

Forms can be saved to disk.

For details on how to draw a form, see Creating and Editing a Form.


 Using The Form Designer

File operations:

Starting a New Form

Saving and Opening Forms

Saving and Applying Form Layouts

Editing operations:

Creating and Editing a Form

Altering a Form Layout

Page Margins and Orientation

Rulers

Ordering of Fields in a Form

Skipping Fields in Form Filling

Field Protection

Defining Calculations on Fields and Checkboxes

Viewing and printing operations:

Print Preview

Printing Forms

Inserting Material from Other Sources

Pictures can be inserted into a form. For details on this, see Inserted Pictures.


Creating and Editing a Form (FD)
 Creating and Editing a Form

Drawing and Altering Lines

Drawing and Altering Boxes

Adding Text to a Form

Altering Form Text

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Overview of Available Functions

Assigning Names to Fields

How to Create Object Groups

Moving Around a Form

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects

Copying Form Objects

Deletion of Form Objects

Retrieving Form Object Deletions

Adding, Inserting and Deleting Pages


Rulers (FD)
 Rulers

There are two rulers, one situated above the forms display, and one to its right. These indicate the sizes of the objects on the form as displayed on the screen.

The units that are displayed on the ruler can be either in inches or centimetres. The units being used at the time is indicated in a box that lies between the two rulers.

The highlighted bars on the rulers indicate the present position of the pointer. When objects or groups are being drawn, these indicate the position of the edges of the object or group.

Also see:

Settings

Creating and Editing a Form


Moving Around a Form (FD)
 Moving Around a Form

With the Keyboard

Use any of the following keys to move the pointer in the document window:

Key(s)	Function

, [image], [image],	Move the pointer left, right, up or down by 1/20 inch.

Home	Move pointer to the left hand margin.

End	Move pointer to the right hand margin.

Ctrl+Home	Move pointer to the top left of the current page.

Ctrl+End	Move pointer to the bottom right of the current page.

PgUp (Page Up)	Move form up by one display window

PgDn (Page Down)	Move form down by one display window

Ctrl+PgUp	Move form up by one page

Ctrl+PgDn	Move form down by one page

With the Mouse

To move to another part of the form currently being displayed in the window, click on it.

Another way of moving around a form is by the use of scroll bars at the bottom and right hand side of the forms window. See Using the Scroll Bars for details.

With the Go To Dialog Box

You can use the Go To Dialog Box to move to any page in, or the top or bottom of, a form. To bring up the dialog box, do one of the following: press F5, click the F5 Go To button on the function key bar, or select the Edit Go To command on the menu bar.

Also see:

Options Vertical Scroll Bar and Options Horizontal Scroll Bar commands.


Drawing and Altering Lines (FD)
 Drawing and Altering Lines

Drawing lines in a form, or moving or altering a line or its style.

Drawing Lines

With the Keyboard

1.	Select the Tools Line command; the indicator on the status bar will read LINE.

2.	Move the pointer to one end of the line to be drawn by using the arrow keys

3.	 Press the Shift key and hold.

4.	Move the pointer to where the other end of the line will be.

5.	Release the Shift key.

With the Mouse

1.	Click the Line button on the floating toolbar, or select the Tools Line command; the indicator on the status bar will read LINE.

2.	Move the pointer to one end of the line to be drawn with the mouse.

3.	Drag the pointer to where the other end of the line will be.

Notes

1.	Lines are always drawn over boxes.

2.	When a line is drawn, it will appear in the last line style that was used (a thin black line is the default style).

3.	After you have started drawing the line, highlight marks on the rulers indicate where the lines starts and finishes.

Altering Lines

To alter the thickness and colour of a line:

1.	Highlight the line by moving the pointer over it (the pointer will change to a [image]), and either click on it or press Return ( [image]).

2.	Press F6, click the F6 button or select the Edit Style command to bring up the Line Style Dialog Box.

3.	Choose the new line style and select OK.

To move or alter the size of a line, see moving and re-sizing Form Objects.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form

Deletion of Form Objects


Line Style Dialog Box (FD)
 Line Style Dialog Box

Select the line style that you want for the highlighted line.

Choose the colour for the line from the Colour list box, and choose the thickness and whether the lines will be single or double from the Appearance list box.

Select OK to make the change to the line style or Cancel to abandon changes.

Also see:

Drawing and Altering Lines

Using Dialog Boxes.


Drawing and Altering Boxes (FD)
 Drawing and Altering Boxes

Drawing boxes in a form, or moving or altering a box or its style.

Drawing Boxes

With the Keyboard

1.	Select the Tools Box command; this sets the indicator on the status bar to read BOX.

2.	Move the pointer using the arrow keys ( [image], [image], [image], [image]) to where one corner of the box will be

3.	Press and hold the Shift key.

4.	Move the pointer to where the opposite corner of the box will be.

5.	Release the Shift key.

With the Mouse

1.	Click the Box button on the floating toolbar, or select the Tools Box command; this sets the indicator on the status bar to read BOX.

2.	Move the pointer to where one corner of the box will be.

3.	Drag the pointer to the opposite corner of the box to be drawn.

Notes

1.	Lines will always overlap boxes.

2.	You cannot have overlapping boxes. Boxes must be either totally outside other boxes, or totally included in other boxes.

3.	When a box is drawn, it takes on the last box style that was used (a light gray box surrounded by a thin black line is the default).

4.	After you have started drawing the box, highlight marks on the rulers indicate the position of the edges of the box.

Altering Boxes

To change the box style:

1.	Highlight the box by moving the pointer over it (the pointer will change to a [image]), and either click on it or press Return ( [image]).

2.	Press F6, click the F6 button or select the Edit Style command to bring up the Box Style Dialog Box.

3.	Choose the box line style and select OK.

To move or alter the size of a box, see Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects.

Also see :

Moving Around a Form

Deletion of Form Objects


Box Style Dialog Box (FD)
 Box Style Dialog Box

Choose the box style that you want for the selected box from the lists in the dialog box.

Border: Appearance

Choose from the list for the thickness and appearance of the outline of the box.

Border: Colour

Choose from the list for the colour of the outline of the box area.

Border: Shadows

Choose from the possible shadow styles.  Auto results in the box casting a shadow that is a deeper shade of the colour or shade onto which the shadow is being cast.

Border: Rounded Corners

Causes the box to be drawn with rounded corners.

Shading:

The shading of the box.   Boxes can be shaded in one colour only, or in a mixture of two colours.  The Background Shading is always solid with the Foreground Shading superimposed on top of it.  You can control the % of foreground shading or apply it as a pattern from the Pattern list.

Select OK to make the changes, and Cancel to abandon them.

Also see:

Drawing and Altering Boxes

Using Dialog Boxes.


Boxes may not be partially overlapping (FD)
 Boxes may not be partially overlapping

You have tried to create a box or move a box or group containing a box such that boxes are partially overlapping. Boxes must be totally inside or totally outside other boxes.

To solve this, either move the box or group so that it does not partially overlap another box by moving the pointer then clicking or pressing Shift. If you  are drawing a box you can also abandon drawing the box by pressing Esc.

Also see:

Drawing and Altering Boxes

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Adding Text to a Form (FD)
 Adding Text to a Form

Setting Up Text Appearance

The status bar indicates the currently set font and character style. If you want the text to be added in a different font and character style, they can be changed.

With the Keyboard

To change the font for some text, press Ctrl+F. This will bring up the Fonts Dialog Box. To change the text character style, press the character style keys. See Short Cut Keys for Status Bar.

With the Mouse

To change the font and character style, click in the text area, then click on the Font button to bring up the Fonts Dialog Box and select the font. To select the character style, use the character style buttons in the middle of the status bar.

Adding the Text

With the Keyboard

1.	Select the Tools Text command; the indicator on the status bar will read TEXT.

2.	Use the arrow keys to move the pointer to one corner of the area where the text will be added.

3.	Press and hold the Shift key.

4.	Move the pointer to the opposite corner of the text area.

5.	Release the Shift key.

6.	A cursor will appear in the top left hand corner. Type in the text that you want.

7.	To finish entering text, press Esc or Return ( [image]) past the last line in the text area.

With the Mouse

1.	Click the Field button on the floating toolbar, or select the Tools Text command; the indicator on the status bar will read TEXT.

2.	Move the pointer to one corner of the area that is to have text.

3.	Drag the pointer to the opposite corner of the text area.

4.	A cursor will appear in the top left corner. Type in the text.

5.	To complete the text, press Esc or press Return ( [image]) past the last line in the text area.

Notes

1.	You will only be able to enter text if there is enough space for a least one line in the current font.

2.	After you have started drawing the text area, highlight marks on the rulers indicate where the text area will be.

Also see:

Altering Form Text

Editing Text in a Text Area

Deletion of Form Objects

Using the Status Bar


Altering Form Text (FD)
 Altering Form Text

Altering any aspect of existing form text i.e. the text itself and its font, character style, and alignment.

Altering the Text Itself

With the Keyboard

1.	Select the text area by moving the pointer over it (the pointer will change to a [image]), and press Return ( [image]).

2.	Press the space bar. The cursor appears in the text area.

3.	Edit the text.

With the Mouse

Double click on the text area. Then edit the text.

Altering Text Appearance

With the Keyboard

1.	Select the text area by moving the pointer over it (the pointer will change to a [image]), and press Return ( [image]).

2.	Then, depending on what aspect of the appearance you want to change:

To change the text alignment of some text, press F6, or select the Edit Style command. This will bring up the Text Style Dialog Box.

To change the font of some text, press Ctrl+F. This will bring up the Fonts Dialog Box.

To change the text character style, press the character style keys. See Short Cut Keys for Status Bar.

With the Mouse

To change the font and character style, click in the text area, then click on the Font button to bring up the Fonts Dialog Box, select the font. To select the character style, use the character style buttons in the middle of the status bar.

To adjust the text alignment, double click on the text area twice, choose the alignment and select OK.

To move the text, see Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects for details.

Also see:

Adding Text to a Form

Editing Text in a Text Area

Deletion of Form Objects

Using the Status Bar


Editing Text in a Text Area (FD)
 Editing Text in a Text Area

To edit text in a text area on the form, first select the text area. Then, type in the text. There are a number of editing functions:

Key(s)	Function

Delete	Deletes the first character after the cursor and moves all the following characters back one place.

Backspace	Deletes the first character behind the cursor and moves it one place back.

, [image], [image],	Moves the cursor left, right, up and down by one place in the text area.

Ctrl+ [image],	Moves the cursor one word backwards or forwards.

Home	Moves the cursor to the beginning of the line.

End	Moves the cursor to the end of the line.

Return ( [image])	Moves the cursor to the next line (if any), or completes the editing if the cursor is on the last line. Any text that lies after the cursor will be moved down one line, unless there is text on the last line, in which case pressing Return will have no effect.

Esc	Finish editing the text area.

Also see:

Adding Text to a Form

Altering Form Text


Text Style Dialog Box (FD)
 Text Style Dialog Box

Choose the button for the type of text alignment that you want for the selected area of text.

Select OK to make the change or Cancel to keep the alignment as it is.

Also see:

Adding Text to a Form

Altering Form Text

Using Dialog Boxes


Adding Fields to a Form
 Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Drawing fields, listboxes or checkboxes in a form.

Moving or altering a field, Listbox or checkbox or its style.

Setting Up Appearance of Field Contents

The status bar indicates the currently set font and character style. This can be set before you draw a field, or afterwards if you want to change it. To set up the font or character style of a field, do the following.

With the Keyboard

To set the field font, press Ctrl+F. This will bring up the Fonts Dialog Box. To change the character style for the field, press the character style keys. See Short Cut Keys for Status Bar.

With the Mouse

To set the font and character style, click in the text area, then click on the Font button to bring up the Fonts Dialog Box and select the font. To select the character style, use the character style buttons in the middle of the status bar.

Creating Fields

With the Keyboard

1.	Select the required Field, Listbox or Checkbox Tool.   The indicator on the status bar will change accordingly.

2.	Move the pointer to one corner of the area that will contain the object.

3.	Press and hold the Shift key.

4.	Move the pointer to the opposite corner of the field area.

5.	Release the Shift key.

With the Mouse

1.	Click the Field, Listbox or Checkbox button on the floating toolbar, or select the tool from the Tools menu.   The indicator on the status bar will change accordingly.

2.	Move the pointer to one corner of the area that will contain the object.

3.	Drag the pointer to the opposite corner of the object's area.

Notes

1.	Fields listboxes and checkboxes are not allowed to overlap.

2.	After you have started editing the field area, highlight marks on the rulers indicate the extent of the object.

3.	You can see how many lines of information a field can take when filled by selecting the Options Show Baselines in Fields on the menu bar.

Also see:

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Moving Around a Form

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects

Deletion of Form Objects


Altering Fields in a Form (FD)
 Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

If you want to change the field style, listbox style or checkbox style; move the pointer over the field and press Return ( [image]), followed by F6, or double click the left mouse button. This brings up the Field Style, Listbox Style or Checkbox Style Dialog Box.

Select the changes to the field you want to make, and select OK.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Assigning Names to Fields

Moving Around a Form

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects

Deletion of Form Objects


Field Style Dialog Box (FD)
 Field Style Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to change the field style of the selected field area.

Filling and Linking: Name

Each field has its own name.  Initially this is generated automatically by the package and is of the form "Field_12" .  There are, however, various advantages in giving the fields more meaningful names.   Specifically, calculations are much easier to follow when a field has a properly thought out name.

To use Workgroup items, select the field name from the pulldown list of workgroup item names.  This causes the field to be given an initial value taken from the workgroup item.

Filling and Linking: Type

The type can be one of:

o.	Text

o.	Number

o.	Currency

o.	Comma

o.	mm/dd/yy	e.g. 12/23/91

o.	mm/dd/yyyy	e.g. 12/23/1991

o.	dd/mm/yy	e.g. 23/12/91

o.	dd/mmm/yy	e.g. 23/Dec/91

o.	dd/mmm/yyyy	e.g. 23/Dec/1991

o.	dd/mmm	e.g. 23/Dec

o.	mmm/yy	e.g. Dec/91

o.	mmm/yyyy	e.g. Dec/1991

o.	Full Date	e.g. 23rd December 1991

o.	Picture

Filling and Linking: Decimal Places

Only applies to fields of type number, currency or comma.  Determines how many decimal places will be displayed.

Filling and Linking: Protect from Data Entry

If this is checked; the field cannot be overwritten from the keyboard in Forms Entry or the Database.

Filling and Linking: Mandatory Entry

If this is checked; the field must be given a value from the keyboard before the for can be printed or saved in Forms Entry, or before the record can be saved in the database.

Border: Appearance

Choose from the list for the thickness of the outline of the field area.

Border Colour

Choose from the list for the colour of the outline of the field area.

Border: Shadows

Choose from the possible shadow styles.  Auto results in the box casting a shadow that is a deeper shade of the colour or shade onto which the shadow is being cast.

Border: Rounded Corners

Causes the box to be drawn with rounded corners.

Text: Justification

Choose the text alignment for this field box i.e. the alignment of the text that is added into the field when this form is used with the Database or Form Entry applications.

Text: Horizontal Comb

If this is checked; the field will be divided horizontally into character cells.  Each letter that is typed into one of these fields will be in its own cell.

Text: Vertical Comb

If this is checked, and if the field is pulled out to have more than one line; the field will be divided at each line break.

Shading:

The shading of the field area.   Fields can be shaded in one colour only, or in a mixture of two colours.  The Background Shading is always solid with the Foreground Shading superimposed on top of it.  You can control the % of foreground shading or apply it as a pattern from the Pattern list.

Select OK to make the changes to the field, Cancel to abandon any changes.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Field Protection

Using Dialog Boxes.


Field Style Dialog Box (FD)
 Listbox Style Dialog Box

Filling and Linking: Name

Each listbox has its own name.  Initially this is generated automatically by the package and is of the form "Field_12" .  There are, however, various advantages in giving the listboxes more meaningful names.   Specifically, Calculations are much easier to follow when a listbox has a properly thought out name.

To use Workgroup items, select the listbox name from the pulldown list of workgroup item names.  This causes the listbox to be given an initial value taken from the workgroup item.

Filling and Linking: Type

The type can be one of:

o.	Text

o.	Number

o.	Currency

o.	Comma

o.	mm/dd/yy	e.g. 12/23/91

o.	mm/dd/yyyy	e.g. 12/23/1991

o.	dd/mm/yy	e.g. 23/12/91

o.	dd/mmm/yy	e.g. 23/Dec/91

o.	dd/mmm/yyyy	e.g. 23/Dec/1991

o.	dd/mmm	e.g. 23/Dec

o.	mmm/yy	e.g. Dec/91

o.	mmm/yyyy	e.g. Dec/1991

o.	Full Date	e.g. 23rd December 1991

o.	Picture

Filling and Linking: Decimal Places

Only applies to listboxes of type number, currency or comma.  Determines how many decimal places will be displayed.

Filling and Linking: Protect from Data Entry

If this is checked; the listbox cannot be overwritten from the keyboard in Forms Entry or the Database.

Filling and Linking: Mandatory Entry

If this is checked; the listbox must be given a value from the keyboard before the for can be printed or saved in Forms Entry, or before the record can be saved in the database.

Border: Appearance

Choose from the list for the thickness of the outline of the listbox area.

Border Colour

Choose from the list for the colour of the outline of the listbox area.

Border: Shadows

Choose from the possible shadow styles.  Auto results in the box casting a shadow that is a deeper shade of the colour or shade onto which the shadow is being cast.

Border: Rounded Corners

Causes the box to be drawn with rounded corners.

Shading:

The shading of the field area.   Fields can be shaded in one colour only, or in a mixture of two colours.  The Background Shading is always solid with the Foreground Shading superimposed on top of it.  You can control the % of foreground shading or apply it as a pattern from the Pattern list.

Values: List Data

The values entered into this list are the values that are displayed in the listbox when it is pulled down, and from which the value displayed in the main part of the listbox may be chosen.

Values: Permit Values Not In List

If this is checked; data can be typed in directly as well as being chosen from the pull down list.

Values: Move Up, Move Down

These buttons can be used to alter the order in which the list values are displayed.

Select OK to make the changes to the field, Cancel to abandon any changes.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Field Protection

Using Dialog Boxes.


Field Style Dialog Box (FD)
 Checkbox Style Dialog Box

Filling and Linking: Name

Each checkbox has its own name.  Initially this is generated automatically by the package and is of the form "Field_12" .  There are, however, various advantages in giving the checkboxes more meaningful names. Specifically, Calculations are much easier to follow when a listbox has a properly thought out name.

To use Workgroup items, select the listbox name from the pulldown list of workgroup item names.  This causes the listbox to be given an initial value taken from the workgroup item.

Filling and Linking: Protect from Data Entry

If this is checked; the checkbox cannot be overwritten from the keyboard in Forms Entry or the Database.

Filling and Linking: Mandatory Entry

If this is checked; the checkbox must be given a value from the keyboard before the for can be printed or saved in Forms Entry, or before the record can be saved in the database.

Border: Appearance

Choose from the list for the thickness of the outline of the checkbox box.

Border Colour

Choose from the list for the colour of the outline of the checkbox box.

Text: Justification:

Select left or right alignment within the area defined for the text.

Text: Position:

Select Left of Checkbox or Right of Checkbox as required.

Shading:

The shading of the checkbox box.   They can be shaded in one colour only, or in a mixture of two colours.  The Background Shading is always solid with the Foreground Shading superimposed on top of it.  You can control the % of foreground shading or apply it as a pattern from the Pattern list.

Select OK to make the changes to the field, Cancel to abandon any changes.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Field Protection

Using Dialog Boxes.


Available Number Formats (SS)
  Available Field Types

These are the field types that can be used:

Field Type	Format

Text	Free text entry

Number	Numbers only

Currency	Treats numbers as monetary values

Comma	Commas separating digits in numbers into groups of three

MM/DD/YY	American style dates e.g. 2/25/92

MM/DD/YYYY	American style dates with long year e.g. 2/25/1992

DD/MM/YY	European style dates e.g. 25/2/92

DD/MM/YYYY	European style dates with long year 25/2/1992

DD/MMM/YY	Long month display e.g. 25/Feb/1992

DD/MMM/YYYY	Long month and year e.g. 25/Feb/1992

DD/MMM	Long month without year e.g. 25/Feb

MMM/YY	Long date without day e.g. Feb/92

MMM/YYYY	Long month and year (no date) e.g. Feb/1992

Full Date	For example 1st January 1973

Picture	Allows pictures to be inserted into a form as it is filled in.


Field Formula Dialog Box (FD)
  Field Formula Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up a formula for a field contents.  The formula appears in the top box as you select operators, fields and functions from the drop down lists below.  Alternatively you may type the formula in directly.

Field

Select the name of another field in the form to include in the calculation.

Function

Offers a list of functions to choose from.

Setting Default Values

You can set default values by typing the value you want in directly.   For example, if you have a field on an invoice to  show the carriage charge you could set it to 7.50.

Including Text In Formulae

You can type text directly into a formula by enclosing it in double quotes ".  Again this could be used to set a default value.  For example, you may have a field on an invoice to show the terms and set the formula to "Strictly 30 days credit".

The \ is a special character in text:-

\" will include a " in the text instead of ending it.

\e will force the end of a line so that following text continues on the next line.

\\ will include a single \ in the text.

Also see:

Field Style Dialog Box

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Field Protection

Using Dialog Boxes.

Overview of Available Functions


Overview of Available Functions (SS)
 Overview of Available Functions

There are a number of functions that are available in FastForms. For all the arguments to these functions, you can use numbers, text, fields, data items or any combination of these.

Examples:

SUM(3,4,9,10)

AVG(ITEM1,ITEM2,ITEM3)

SUM(JANSALES,FEBSALES,MARSALES)

MAX(20,INVITEMS,DISCOUNT)

There are several categories of functions available:

Date and Time Functions

Financial Functions

Logical Functions

Mathematical Functions

Special Functions

Statistical Functions


Date and Time Functions (SS)
 Date and Time Functions

DATE(Year,Month,Day)

where Year is a number between 0 and 199, Month is a number between 1 and 12, and Day is a number between 1 and 31. This function returns the date and time serial number for the given parameters. If you type in Year as a two digit number, FastForms will assume it is a year in the twentieth century e.g. YEAR(DATE(38,7,19)) = 38 = YEAR(DATE(1938,7,19)).

Years in the twenty-first century must be typed in full.

DAY(DateTimeNumber)

where DateTimeNumber is a date and time serial number. It returns the day of the date represented by the serial number. The result will be between 1 and 31, if DateTimeNumber is inside the range of 2 to 65380.99999.

Examples:

DAY(31779) = 2  (2/1/1987)

DAY(DATE(87,9,10)) = 10

HOUR(DateTimeNumber)

where DateTimeNumber is a date and time serial number. It returns the hour represented by this number. As the time is indicated by the fraction part of DateTimeNumber the main part of the number is ignored. The result is between 0 (12:00 AM) and 23 (11:00 PM), if DateTimeNumber is in the range 2 to 65380.99999.

Examples:

HOUR(40.25) = 6

HOUR(40.5) = 12

HOUR(200.5) = 12

MINUTE(DateTimeNumber)

where DateTimeNumber is a date and time serial number. It returns the minute represented by this serial number . As the time is indicated by the fraction part of the number, the main part of the number is ignored. The result will be between 0 and 59 if DateTimeNumber is in the range 2 to 65380.99999.

Examples:

MINUTE(20.8118) = 28

MINUTE(TIME(3,15,22)) = 15

MINUTE(4500.8118) = 28

MONTH(DateTimeNumber)

where DateTimeNumber is a date and time serial number .It returns the month as represented by this serial number. The result is between 1 and 12 if DateTimeNumber is in the range 2 to 65380.99999.

Examples:

MONTH(58494) = 2

MONTH(58494.75) = 2

MONTH(DATE(92,3,2)) = 3

NOW

This function returns a date and time serial number corresponding to the current date and time.

Example:

MONTH(NOW) = 3  if the month is March

SECOND(DateTimeNumber)

where DateTimeNumber is a date and time serial number. It returns the number of seconds represented by the serial number. The result will be between 0 and 59.

Examples:

SECOND(100.01) = 24

SECOND(TIME(3,15,22)) = 22

TIME(Hour,Min,Secs)

where Hour, Min,and Secs are numbers representing the time of day. Hour must be between 0 and 23, Mins and Secs must be between 0 and 59. The returned result is the date and time serial number of the given time.

Examples:

TIME(3,0,0) = 0.125 (3:00 AM)

TIME(6,30,12) = 0.27097 (6:30:12 AM)

YEAR(DateTimeNumber)

where DateTimeNumber is a date and time serial number. It returns the year represented by the serial number, between 0 (for 1900) and 178 (for 2078).

Examples:

YEAR(25000) = 68 (1968)

YEAR(DATE(92,3,2)) = 92 (1992)

YEAR(DATE(2008,10,1)) = 108 (2008)

Also see:

Mathematical Functions

Financial Functions

Statistical Functions

Logical Functions

Special Functions


Mathematical Functions (SS)
 Mathematical Functions

ABS(X)

 where X is a number or a cell reference. Gives the absolute (positive) value.

ACOS(X)

 where X is a number between -1 and 1. Gives the arc cosine of the angle X, in radians.

ASIN(X)

where X is a number between -1 and 1. Gives the arc sin of the angle X, in radians.

ATAN(X)

where X is a number. Calculates the arc tangent of angle X, in radians.

ATAN2(X,Y)

where X and Y are numbers.Calculates the arc tangent of the angle represented by the point (X,Y) co-ordinates. The result is in radians.

COS(X)

where X is a number. Returns the cosine of the angle X, which must  be in radians.

DEGREES(X)

where X is a number. Converts an angular value in radians to degrees.

Examples:

DEGREES(PI) = 180

DEGREES(ASIN(1)) = 90

EXP(X)

where X is a number which is less than 710. It returns the mathematical constant e raised to the Xth power. This function is the opposite to the LN function.

INT(X)

where X is a number. This function returns the number rounded down to the nearest integer number.

Examples:

INT(18.35) = 18

INT(499.85) = 499

INT(-18.35) = -19

INT(-499.85) = -500

LN(X)

where X is a number greater than 0. This function returns the natural logarithm of X. This is the opposite of EXP.

Examples:

LN(3) = 1.0986

LN(EXP(10)) = 10

LOG(X)

where X is number greater than 0. This function returns the base 10 logarithm of X.

Examples:

LOG(100) = 2

LOG(10^23.8) = 23.8

MOD(X,Y)

where X and Y are numbers, and Y is not equal to 0. The result of this function is the remainder after dividing X by Y.

Examples:

MOD(6,2) = 0 (No remainder from 6 divided by 2)

MOD(7,2) = 1

MOD(28,6) = 4

PI

This returns the value 3.141592653..., the ratio for circle circumference to diameter.

RADIANS(X)

where X is a number. Takes a value in degrees and returns the value in radians.

Examples:

RADIANS(180) = 3.14159 (i.e. PI)

SIN(RADIANS(90)) = 1

RAND

Returns a fractional random number between 0 and 1.

Examples:

RAND = a random number between 0 and 1

RAND*9+1 = random number between 1 and 10

RAND+5 = random number between 5 and 6

ROUND(X,N)

where X is any number and N is a whole number between -15 and 15. The result is the number X rounded up to N decimal places. If N is positive, the number is rounded N places to the right of the decimal point; if N is negative, then the number is rounded N places to the left of the decimal point.

Examples:

ROUND(123.456,0) = 123

ROUND(123.456,6) = 123.456

ROUND(123.456,1) = 123.5

ROUND(123.456,-1) = 120

SIN(X)

where X is a number. The function returns the sine of the angle X (in radians).

SQRT(X)

where X is a number greater than, or equal to 0. It returns the square root of X.

Examples:

SQRT(9) = 3

SQRT(55.8) = 7.469939...

TAN(X)

where X is a number. The function returns the tangent of the angle X (in radians).

Also see:

Date and Time Functions

Financial Functions

Statistical Functions

Logical Functions

Special Functions


Financial Functions (SS)
 Financial Functions

CTERM(Rate,Outcome,Invest)

where Rate is a number representing a fixed interest rate, Invest is a number representing the original investment, and Outcome is a number representing the present value of the investment. Returns the number of compound intervals it would have taken for Invest to become Outcome at the given Rate.

Examples:

CTERM(5%,5000,2000) = 18.78

CTERM(0.05,5000,2000) = 18.78

DDB(Cost,Salvage,Life,Period)

This function calculates the accelerated depreciation value for an asset given the cost, life expectancy, end value and depreciation period. In the formula, Cost is the amount paid for an asset, Salvage is a number representing the value of the asset at the end of its useful life, Life is a number representing the expected useful life of the asset, and Period is a number representing the time period you wish to determine the depreciation expense over.

Examples:

DDB(10000,3000,5,1) = 4000

DDB(10000,3000,5,2) = 2400

DDB(10000,3000,5,3) = 600

DDB(10000,3000,5,4) = 0

DDB(10000,3000,5,5) = 0

FV(Pay,Rate,Nper)

FV returns the future value of an ordinary annuity when a regular payment Pay is made at a fixed interest rate Rate (a number greater than -1), and Nper is a number that represents the number of periods the payments are made and is a whole number greater than or equal to 2.

Example:	What is the future value of an investment starting with £10 invested over 2 years at 10% interest? Answer: FV(10,10%,2) = 21

PMT(Principal,Rate,Nper)

where Principal is a number representing the amount borrowed, Rate is a number greater than -1, representing the interest rate, and Nper is a number greater than 0, representing the number of periods of the loan. Returns the periodic payment for a loan with a fixed interest rate over Nper periods.

Example:	Suppose you wish to borrow £5,000 to buy a boat at 14% interest per year, paying the amount off over two years with 24 monthly payments.

PMT(5000,0.14/12,24) = £240.07 payment per month

PV(Pay,Rate,Nper)

where Pay is a fixed amount regularly paid, Rate is a number greater than -1 representing the interest rate, and Nper is a number greater than 0 representing the number of payments to be made. This function calculates the present value of an ordinary annuity of equal payments where Pay is paid over Nper periods and an interest rate of Rate.

Example:	Suppose one of your pension plans has matured and you have a choice of taking a £50,000 lump sum now or receiving payments of £7,000 per annum over the next 15 years. If you assume inflation of 5% over those years, you can work out the present value of the £7,000 annuity with PV.

PV(7000,5%,15) = £72,657

RATE(Fval,Pval,Nper)

where Fval is a number representing the future value of an investment, Pval is the present value of the investment, and Nper is a number greater then 0, representing the number of regular payments for the investment. Rate calculates the fixed interest rate for the loan or the rate of return on an investment.

Example:	You have bought a valuable antique for £10,000 and expect that it will be worth £15,000 in 5 years. What is the rate of return for the investment:

RATE(15000,10000,5) = 8.45%

SLN(Cost,Salvage,Life)

SLN returns the amount of depreciation for one period using the straight line depreciation method, where Cost is a number the amount paid for an asset, Salvage is a number representing its value when its useful life is ended, and Life represents the life expectancy, in years, of the asset.

Example:	You buy a car for £15,000 which you expect to last for six years and then sell it for £4,500. SLN can be used to find the straight line depreciation:

SLN(15000,4500,6) = £1,750

TERM(Pay,Rate,Fval)

where Pay is a number representing the amount of regular payment, Rate is the fixed interest on the loan, and Fval is the future value of the investment. The function calculates the number of regular payments requirement to accumulate an investment of Fval.

Example:	Suppose that at the end of every year you put aside £1,000 into a savings account which earns interest at a fixed 9.5% per annum. TERM can tell you how many years it will take to save £10,000.

TERM(1000,9.5%,10000) = 7.35 i.e. 8 years.

SYD(Cost,Salvage,Life,Period)

SYD returns the amount of depreciation for a specified Period, using the accelerated depreciation method, where depreciation is highest at the start of the asset's life. Cost is the cost of the asset, Salvage is the value you expect to get after Lift time, usually measured in years.

Example:	You buy a car for £12,000 which you expect to last for 5 years and then sell for £1,000. SYD can be used to find the depreciation in the second and third year:

SYD(12000,1000,5,2) = £2,933

SYD(12000,1000,5,3) = £2,200

Also see:

Date and Time Functions

Mathematical Functions

Statistical Functions

Logical Functions

Special Functions


Statistical Functions (SS)
 Statistical Functions

AVG(List)

where List is one or more numbers, data items or fields separated by commas. Calculates the average of all the numbers.

Example:	AVG(10,20,30) = 20

AVG(5,3,5,4,13) = 6

COUNT(List)

where List is one or more numbers, data items or fields separated by commas. It returns the number of non-blank items in the list.

MAX(List)

where List is a list of one or more data items, fields and/or numbers. This function returns the largest number or date and time serial number.

MIN(List)

where List is a list of one or more data items, fields and/or numbers. This function returns the smallest number or date and time serial number.

STD(List)

where List is a list of one or more data items, fields and/or numbers. This function returns the standard deviation for a group of numbers. a low standard deviation means that the numbers are close to the mean value, a high standard deviation means that the values differ from the mean substantially.

SUM(List)

where List is a list of one or more data items, fields and/or numbers. This function adds together all the values and returns the result.

VAR(List)

where List is a list of one or more data items, fields and/or numbers. This function calculates the variance of the values in the list by using the n biased method.

Also see:

Date and Time Functions

Mathematical Functions

Financial Functions

Logical Functions

Special Functions


Logical Functions (SS)
 Logical Functions

FALSE

This returns the logical value 0 and is usually used in IF functions.

Examples:

FALSE = 0

IF(VALUE=100,10,FALSE) = 10 if VALUE = 100, or 0 if VALUE <> 100

IF(Cond,TrueExp,FalseExp)

where Cond is a logical expression to be tested, TrueExp is the value used if Cond is true, and FalseExp is the condition used if Cond is false. The following logical operators can be used:

= and <>	equal and not equal.

< , > , <= , >=	less than, greater than, less than or equal and greater than or equal.

#NOT#	logical NOT

#OR# #AND#	logical OR and logical AND

Examples:

IF(8=7,4,5) = 5

IF(ANS="YES",TRUE,FALSE) = TRUE if ANS = YES, FALSE otherwise

IF(TOTAL < 100 #AND# QUANTITY=5,"Good","Bad") = "Good" if TOTAL is less than 100 and QUANTITY is 5, otherwise the result is "Bad".

ISERR(X)

where X is a data item, field or expression. It returns TRUE if there is an error, FALSE if there is not. This function is used to check for errors.

Examples:

ISERR(TOTAL) = TRUE if TOTAL contains or references an error, FALSE otherwise

ISERR(20/0) = TRUE

ISNA(X)

where X is a data item, field or an expression. This function tests for a special value, NA (Not Available). If X contains NA then TRUE is returned, otherwise FALSE is the result. It is used to check for incomplete information.

Examples:

ISNA(NA)) = TRUE

ISNA("NA") = FALSE

TRUE

This is a logical value 1. Used mainly in IF formulae.

Example:

IF(A1>A2,TRUE,FALSE) = TRUE if  A1 > A2, FALSE otherwise

Also see:

Date and Time Functions

Mathematical Functions

Financial Functions

Logical Functions

Special Functions


Spreadsheet Special Functions (SS)
 Special Functions

CHOOSE(N,List)

where N is a number and List is a list of data items, fields, numbers or text strings, or a combination of these. This formula selects one of the values in List, depending on the value of N. 0 chooses the first value in the list, 1 chooses the second, 2 the third and so on. The maximum number of items you can have in a list is 254.

ERR

This returns the value ERR, which is an error value. The value is returned in all formulae that directly or indirectly reference field that contain this value, with the exceptions of COUNT. It is used, for example, with the IF function where it is necessary to bring error conditions to light.

Examples:

ERR = ERR

IF(B6>B7,0,ERR) = 0 if B6 > B7 or,

IF(B6>B7,0,ERR) = ERR if B6 < B7)

NA

A special value (NA stands for Not Available). Any formulae that contain this value will return NA unless there is an error value to be returned instead. It is used to reserve fields that are to be filled in at some stage, but the data are not yet available for the values themselves to be entered.

Example:

MAX(A,B,C) = NA if any of A B or C have NA in them.

Also see:

Date and Time Functions

Mathematical Functions

Financial Functions

Statistical Functions

Logical Functions


Picture Format Dialog Box (FD)
 Picture Format Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to alter the appearance of the selected picture in your form.

Cropping %

Type into these text boxes the proportion of the picture you want to be cropped from the top, left, right and bottom of the picture when displayed.

Scaling

Percent	The scaling of the picture as a proportion of its original size.

Absolute	The absolute size of the picture. The units are in the currently defined settings.

Type into the Width and Height text boxes the width and height scaling for the picture.

Border

Choose from the lists the style and colour of the border that you want to surround the picture.

Select OK to set the new picture format, or Cancel  to abandon the changes.

Also see:

Inserting a Picture into a Document

Formatting Inserted Objects

Using Dialog Boxes


Fields may not be overlapping (FD)
 Fields, listboxes and checkboxes  may not overlap

You have tried to create a new field, listbox or checkbox  or move such an object or group containing such objects so that they overlap with others.  This is not allowed.

To solve this, either move the object or group so that they do not overlap or abandon the operation by pressing Esc.

Also see:

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Moving and Re-sizing Form Objects (FD)
 Moving and Re-sizing Form Objects

Refer to the following on how to move and alter the size of objects i.e. lines, boxes, text and fields, and groups:

Moving Objects or Groups Within One Page

Moving Objects or Groups Between Pages and Forms

Re-sizing Form Objects


Moving Objects or Groups Within One Page (FD)
 Moving Objects or Groups Within One Page

To move any type of form object e.g. text, fields etc, or group, do the following:

With the Keyboard

1.	If you are moving a group of objects, first create the group.

2.	Move the pointer over the object or group you want to move.

3.	Press and hold the Shift key.

4.	Move the pointer to where the object or group is to go to.

5.	Release the Shift key.

With the Mouse

1.	If you are moving a group of objects, first create the group.

2.	Move the pointer over the object or group you want to move.

3.	Drag the pointer to where the thing you are moving is to go to.

You can also use the cut-and-paste method as described in Moving Objects or Groups Between Pages and Forms.

Notes

1.	Lines are always drawn over boxes.

2.	Boxes may not partially overlap; a box must lie entirely outside or inside other boxes.

3.	Fields must not overlap in any way.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form

Deletion of Form Objects

How to Create Object Groups


Moving Objects or Groups Between Pages and Forms (FD)
 Moving Objects or Groups Between Pages and Forms

To move a selected object or group from one page to another in a form, or to move it to another form, do the following:

1.	If you are moving a group of objects, first create the group.

2.	Select the object or group that you want to move either clicking on it, or by moving the pointer over it and pressing Return ( [image]).

3.	Select the Edit Cut command, or press Shift+Del.

4.	Move to the page or to another form where the object or group will go.

5.	Select the Edit Paste command, or press Shift+Ins.

The object or group will then appear at the same point on the destination page as the original page.

Notes

1.	Lines are always drawn over boxes.

2.	Boxes may not partially overlap; a box must lie entirely outside or inside other boxes.

3.	Fields must not overlap in any way.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form

Deletion of Form Objects

How to Create Object Groups


 Re-sizing Form Objects

To change the size of lines, boxes, text area, fields etc, do the following:

With the Keyboard

1.	Use [image], [image], [image], [image] keys to move the pointer over the object. The pointer will change to a [image].

2.	Press Return ( [image]).

3.	Move the pointer over one of the blocks that have appeared on the perimeter of the object, the pointer will change shape to reflect what lies underneath it.

4.	Press left Shift and hold.

5.	Move the pointer, this will move the dotted line to indicate the new size of the object.

6.	Release the Shift key.

With the Mouse

1.	Move the pointer over the object to be changed.

2.	Click the left mouse button.

3.	Move the pointer over one of the blocks that have appeared on the perimeter of the object, the pointer will change shape to reflect what lies underneath it.

4.	Drag the pointer to adjust the size to what you want it to be, the dotted line indicates the new boundary of the object.

Notes

1.	Lines are always drawn over boxes.

2.	Boxes may not partially overlap; a box must lie entirely outside or inside other boxes.

3.	Fields must not overlap in any way.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form

Deletion of Form Objects


Copying Form Objects (FD)
 Copying Form Objects

Refer to the following on how to copy objects i.e. lines, boxes, text and fields, and groups:

Copying Objects Within a Page

Copying Objects Between Pages and Other Forms


Copying Objects Within a Page (FD)
 Copying Objects Within a Page

To copy a selected object or group, do the following:

With the Keyboard

1.	If you are copying a group of objects, first create the group.

2.	Use [image], [image], [image], [image] keys to move the pointer over the object or group. The pointer will change to a [image].

3.	Press the right hand Shift key, and hold it down.

4.	Move the pointer to where you want the copy to go; a dotted line representing the boundary of the object(s) will follow the pointer around.

5.	Release the right Shift key.

With the Mouse

1.	If you are copying a group of objects, first create the group.

2.	Move the pointer over the object or group and press the right mouse button, and hold it down.

3.	Move the pointer to where you want the copy to go; a dotted line representing the boundary of the object(s) will follow the pointer around.

4.	Release the right mouse button. The copied object(s) will appear on the form.

You can also use the cut-and-paste method as described in Copying Objects Between Pages and Other Forms

Also see:

How to Create Object Groups


Copying Objects Between Pages and Other Forms (FD)
 Copying Objects Between Pages and Other Forms

To copy an object or group from the on-screen page of the form to another, or into another form altogether, do the following:

1.	If you are copying a group of objects, first create the group.

2.	Use [image], [image], [image], [image] keys to move the pointer over the object. The pointer will change to a [image].

3.	Press Return ( [image]) to select the object or group.

4.	Select the Edit Copy command, or press Ctrl+Ins.

5.	Move to the page on this or into another form, where this object or group will be copied to.

6.	Select the Edit Paste command, or press Shift+Ins.

The object or group will then appear at the same point on the destination page as the original page.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form

How to Create Object Groups


Deletion of Form Objects (FD)
 Deletion of Form Objects

To delete objects e.g text, lines, boxes, fields etc, or groups.

With the Keyboard

1.	If you are deleting a group of objects, first create the group.

2.	Use [image], [image], [image], [image] keys to move the pointer over the object or group. The pointer will change to a [image].

3.	Then press Return ( [image]) to select the object or group.

4.	Press the Delete key.

Notes

1.	If you try to delete an area of text or a group, confirmation will be asked for before the deletion is carried out.

2.	If one object overlaps another, only the one which is selected i.e. with a dotted line around its boundary will be affected.

Also see:

Retrieving Form Object Deletions

Moving Around a Form

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects

How to Create Object Groups


Retrieving Form Object Deletions (FD)
 Retrieving Form Object Deletions

You can retrieve the last object or group deletion that you made to the on-screen form:

1.	Select the Edit Undo Deletion command.

2.	A dotted line representing the object or group will appear.

3.	Move the mouse pointer to where you want the object or group to go.

4.	Press the left mouse button or Shift.

Also see:

Deletion of Form Objects


Delete everything in group... (FD)
 Delete everything in group: are you sure?

An attempt has been made to delete all the objects in the selected group, all the objects in the group will have dotted lines around them. Confirmation is being sought for this deletion. Click YES or press Y to remove it; click NO or press N or Return ( [image]) to stop the deletion.

Also see:

Deletion of Form Objects


How to Create Object Groups (FD)
 How to Create Object Groups

To create an object group, for moving, deleting or copying several objects all at once, do the following:

With the Keyboard

1.	Select the Edit Group the indicator on the status bar will read GROUP.

2.	Use the [image], [image], [image], [image] keys to move the pointer to one corner of the area to be grouped.

3.	Press and hold the Shift key.

4.	Move the pointer to the opposite corner of the area where the objects lie on the form. As you move the pointer, a dotted lined box will appear between the point where you pressed the Shift key and the current pointer position. As each object becomes totally enclosed, a dotted line appears around them, indicating that they will become part of the group.

5.	When all the objects that you want to be in the group are selected (a dotted line will appear around them), release the Shift key.

With the Mouse

1.	Click the Group button on the floating toolbar, or select the Edit Group command. The pointer will change to a cross-hair shape, and the mode indicator on the status bar will read GROUP.

2.	Move the pointer to one corner of an area on the form to one corner of the area to be grouped.

3.	Drag the pointer to the opposite corner of the area where the groups to be selected lie. As you move the pointer, a dotted lined box will appear between the point where you pressed the left mouse button and the current pointer position. As each object becomes totally enclosed, a dotted line appears around them, indicating that they will become part of the group.

Also see:

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects

Copying Form Objects

Deletion of Form Objects


Adding, Inserting and Deleting Pages (FD)
 Adding, Inserting and Deleting Pages

To add a page, select the Edit Add Page command. The page is added to the end of the form.

To insert a page, select Edit Insert Page from the Layout menu. The inserted page becomes the current page and all subsequent pages are moved down by one page.

To delete a page, select the Edit Delete Page command. The current page is the one deleted. Confirmation will be asked for before the deletion is carried out.


Delete current page (FD)
 Delete current page: are you sure?

An attempt has been made to delete the currently displayed page from the form. Confirmation to do this is being sought. Click Yes or press Y to confirm the deletion; click No or press N or Return ( [image]) to stop the page being deleted.

Also see:

Adding, Inserting and Deleting Pages


Page Margins and Orientation (FD)
 Page Margins and Orientation

To view or change the paper size and the margins that are used in a form, select the Layout Margins command from the menu bar and select the values that you require.

Notes

1.	The paper size and page margins form part of the form layout, so that when a form is opened, the current page layout is overwritten with the layout of the form.

2.	Similarly, when a layout is opened, the current page layout is overwritten.

3.	The units used are defined by the Settings; inches or centimetres may be used.

Also see:

Altering a Form Layout

Settings


Saving and Opening Forms (FD)
 Saving and Opening Forms

Saving a Form

There are two commands available for saving forms to disk:

1.	File Save. The file is saved under its current name. If the form is being saved for the first time, then a dialog box will come up prompting you for the file name and path.

2.	File Save As. Enables you to save the form under a different name from the one it currently has. This brings up a dialog box which prompts you for a file name and path. Saving a file under a new name effectively makes a copy of it.

Opening a Form

To open a form already saved to disk, select the File Open command. If you already have a form on the screen that has not been saved, then you will be asked if you want to save it or not.

Converting a FormTool for DOS Form

To open an old FormTool for DOS select the File Open command just as though you were opening a FastForms form then select the appropriate directory path and choose FormTool for DOS from the List Files of Type box.  When you open the form it will be displayed on the screen ready for you to alter it and save it as a FormTool for DOS form.

Forms must be converted like this before they can be filled or linked to a database.

Notes

1.	Every FastForms form contains a form layout that is saved with the form.

2.	The default file extension for new FastForms forms is TFM, but this does not have to be used in form file names.

Also see:

Saving Files

Opening Files


Save Form in HTML Format
  Saving the Form in HTML Format

Forms can be saved in HTML format, which allows them to be displayed on a Web Site.

To do this:

1.	Create a form in the Form Designer.

2. 	Select File Export as HTML, and select the required path and name for the exported file using the displayed Save As File Dialog Box.

3.	Complete the Enter HTML Options dialog.

FastForms will create an HTM file, which can be used directly or further edited in a Word Processor or HTML Editor.

Note:

Some FastForms objects are not compatible with the HTML format.  These include Lines, Boxes and Images.  The Export as HTML process will screen out these objects, so there is no need to explicitly exclude them from your form design.


 Enter HTML Options

These options affect the resultant HTML document when processing a File Export As HTML command.

General:

1. Title

This is the title of the HTML Form (it must be less than 40 characters long).

2. Include Reset button on Form

The reset button will (when pressed) clear all the contents of the form when it is being filled in.

Submit Options:

1. Button Text

This is the text displayed on the submit button (it must be less than 30 characters long).

2. Scheme

Could be 'mail to:' or 'http://' or any other user entered option.

3. Address

Specifies the destination for the contents.

4. Method

Get or Post (you can only Post with the 'mail to:' command).

Multi-line Threshold:

This decides the threshold field size, after which scroll bars are added to HTML fields.


Starting a New Form (FD)
 Starting a New Form

When the form designer application is started up, a blank form space is created. The form layout used is the one in the DEFAULT.FLY file. A fixed default layout is used if this file does not exist.

Starting a New Form

If there is another form on the screen, and you wish to start a new one, select the File New command on the menu bar.

If the form currently on the screen has not been saved, or has been changed since it was last saved, then a warning message will be displayed and you will be given an opportunity to save it to disk before it is cleared from memory.

Also see:

Layout Menu Commands


Altering a Form Layout (FD)
 Altering a Form Layout

Refer to the topics below on how to change various aspects on a form layout:

Page Margins	See Page Margins and Orientation on how to adjust them.

Printer Control	Change the current target printer and paper trays used by selecting the Layout Print Routing command on the menu bar.

Also see:

Saving and Applying Form Layouts


 Saving and Applying Form Layouts

Saving a Form Layout

To save the current form layout:

1.	Select the Layout Save Layout command on the menu bar.

2.	This brings up a Files Save Dialog Box. Give a file name and path for the layout.

Applying a Saved Layout to the Current Form

To apply a form layout that has been previously saved to disk:

1.	Select the Layout Apply Saved Layout command on the menu bar.

2.	This brings up a Files Open Dialog Box. Give the file path and name for the layout that you want to use.

The new layout takes immediate effect.

Automatic Form Layout Application

When the Form Designer is started up, a form layout, DEFAULT.FLY is searched for. If it is found, then the layout is automatically applied. If you want to have a certain layout come up automatically, then save it as described above with this name.

Also see:

Altering a Form Layout

Saving Files

Opening Files


Print Preview (FD)
 Print Preview

To view the form as it would appear on printed output, select the File Print Preview command. This is equivalent to pressing F11.

Also see:

Using the Print Preview


Printing Forms (FD)
 Printing Forms

To produce a printed copy of the on-screen form, select the File Print command, press F10, or click the F10 button. This brings up the Print Form Dialog Box. Select the options and select OK to start printing.

The print resolution of inserted pictures can be set by selecting the Options Picture Resolution command. This setting can be overridden when printing a form by selecting the Options>> button when in the Print Form Dialog Box and then selecting the resolution.

Note

Forms are also printed as part of the forms entry printing and the Database print and FormMerge facility.

Also see:

Printing Problems

Layout Print Routing

Layout Margins


Printing Problems (FD)
 Printing Problems

1.	Meaningless characters are printing

The wrong driver may have been selected for your printer. Make sure you have the correct printer driver set up in the Control Panel. Also, if you have more than one printer driver set up, select the one that you need. You can change the currently used printer by selecting the Layout Print Routing command on the menu bar.

The printer is set to an emulation mode incompatible with the printer driver. Consult your printer manual on how to change this.

All forms use graphics, and these cannot be printed on daisy wheel printers and some of the earlier dot matrix printers.

There may be a fault in the cable and/or the printer connections.

2.	Nothing prints out

Check that the printer is switched on, has paper loaded and is on line.

The wrong port may have been selected in the printer setup on the control panel. For example if your printer is connected to the printer port LPT1, and the driver is set up to send the output to LPT2.

There may be a fault in the printer cable and/or the printer connections.

You may be using a spooler program that cannot run with Windows.

3.	Blank sheets of paper between pages, or text overflowing onto the next page

The page margins control the number of lines on the printed page. If this is not set correctly for the paper being used, then some of a page of text may overflow onto the next page. This may also lead to extra blank sheets being fed out of the printer. If this happens, try to reduce the vertical page margins and check the paper size specified for this document (using the Layout Margins command).

4.	Uneven right margin

If the right margin is uneven in the places where you chose to alter a font then it may be because you are using a printer driver that is not totally compatible with your printer. If this is the case, set up the driver in the Control Panel. If your driver is set up, but is not the one being used, then change this by use of the Layout Print Routing command.

5.	Areas specified as being in colour are printing out in monochrome

You are using a printer driver that does not support colour. Select an appropriate printer driver that does support colour in the Control Panel.

Your printer may not be capable of printing in colour.

If it is, then for a dot matrix printer a colour ribbon has not been installed, or for ink jet printers the appropriate colour ink cartridge has not been installed.


Ordering of Fields in a Form (FD)
 Ordering of Fields,Listboxes and Checkboxes in a Form

When a form is used in the FastForms Database for the entering of information, or being used with the Forms Entry application, the order in which fields listboxes and checkboxes are filled depends on the order specified when the form is designed.

By default, the filling order for data editing with a form goes from the top left to the bottom right of the form as it appears on the screen.

Changing the Filling Order

1.	Select the Edit Filling Order command on the menu bar. This brings up a dialog box, with which you can alter the filling order.

2.	Highlight the field name in the Order list box.

3.	Select the Move Up and Move Down buttons to move the field name up and down the list.

4.	To continue changing the field filling order with another field, repeat steps 2 and 3.

To Revert to the Default Order

1.	Select the Edit Filling Order command on the menu bar.

2.	Set the Natural Order check box. The list of field names will automatically be re-arranged.

Also see:

Assigning Names to Fields

Field Protection

Skipping Fields in Form Filling


Skipping Fields in Form Filling
 Skipping Fields, Listboxes or Checkboxes in Form Filling

When filling in fields , listboxes or checkboxes in a form whilst using the Form Entry or Database applications, the Shift+PgUp and Shift+PgDn key combinations can be used to skip several fields. You can select which fields will be skipped to when these keys are used as follows:

1.	Select the Edit Filling Order command on the menu bar.

2.	Highlight the field, listbox or checkbox which is to be set up as a skip field.

3.	Select the Mark For Skip button. A chevron '»' symbol appears next to the name of the object to indicate that it is marked to skipping.

4.	To mark other fields for skipping, repeat steps 2 and 3.

To stop a field from being skipped to on pressing Shift+PgUp or Shift+PgDn: highlight the field, and select the Remove Mark button.

Also see:

Assigning Names to Fields

Field Protection

Ordering of Fields in a Form


Assigning Names to Fields (FD)
 Assigning Names to Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

All fields , listboxes and checkboxes that are defined in a form have names. When a field is created, a unique name is automatically assigned to it, but you can also assign names of your own.

There are several reasons to name objects:

1.	To make the identifying easier when editing the filling order.

2.	To link specific form fields with workgroup items

3.	To build formulae for fields based on other named fields.

Assigning a Name

1.	Select the object by Clicking on it, or moving the pointer over it and pressing Return ( [image]).

2.	Now press F6 or click on the F6 button on the function key bar.

This brings up the appropriate Style Dialog.  Type in the field name into the Field Name box in the Filling and Linking section of the dialog.  You can link a field with a workgroup item by selecting one of the names listed in the drop-down list.

Select OK to store the new name, or Cancel to abandon the name change.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Ordering of Fields in a Form

Using Dialog Boxes


Field Protection (FD)
 Protecting Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes from Data Input

When a form is being used in the Database or Form Entry applications, those fields , listboxes and checkboxes that have been defined as protected cannot be edited. This protects data that is associated with the field from being altered.

Protecting a Field from Change

1.	Select the object.

2.	Call the appropriate  Field, Listbox or Checkbox Dialog; either by using the Style button (F6) or by using the Edit Style command.

3.	Choose Protect From Data Entry as described for the dialog box.

Removing Field Protection

To remove field protection, follow a similar procedure.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Ordering of Fields in a Form

Skipping Fields in Form Filling


Using the Status Bar (FD)
 Using the Status Bar

This is the bar just below the menu bar at the top of the window. The elements on this are described below.

Font

This indicates the font of the selected piece of text. The font of the text can be changed by clicking on the button or by pressing Ctrl+F and selecting the new font in the dialog box that comes up. See Fonts Dialog Box.

Character Style Buttons

Indicates what type of character style is on the selected text; a character style is set if the button for it is down. You can change the character style by moving the pointer over the button(s) and clicking with the left mouse button; this will change the character style of the text in the currently selected object. The character styles available are:

 Bold

 Italic

 Underline

 Double underline

 Word underline

 Colour

When you click on the colour button, or press Ctrl+. , the Colours Dialog Box will come up.

Editing Indicator

Shows what type of operation is being carried out in the form designer. This can be one of:

TEXT	creating text.

BOX	creating a box.

FIELD	creating a field.

GROUP	Selecting several objects to be in a group.

Page X of Y

Indicates the page number of the piece of the form that is currently being displayed (X), and the total number of pages that are in the form (Y).

Also see:

Short Cut Keys for Status Bar


The Go To Dialog Box (FD)
 Go To Dialog Box

This dialog box is used for going to a specific page in the form, or to the top or bottom of it.

Page No.

If you want to go to a specific page in the form, type in the page number into this text box.

Top

Select this button to go to the first page.

Bottom

Select this button to go to the last page.

Select OK to go to the page specified in Page No., or Cancel to leave the current page on the screen.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form

Using Dialog Boxes


Keyboard Functions (FD)
 Form Designer Keys

Function Keys

Movement and Editing Keys

Short Cut Keys for Status Bar

Also see:

Dialog Box Keys

Application Keys

FastForms Keys


Movement and Editing Keys (FD)
 Movement and Editing Keys

You can use the keys described below to move about the current form.

Key(s)	Function

, [image], [image],	Move the pointer around the form by 1/20 inch.

Home	Move the pointer to the left hand side of form.

End	Move the pointer to the right hand side of the form.

Ctrl+Home	Move to the top left corner of the current page.

Ctrl+End	Move to the bottom right corner of the current page.

Shift	When drawing or altering a field, holding this key down whilst moving the pointer will cause the form element to be altered in position and size.

Page Up (PgUp)	Move up one screen in the form.

Page Down (PgDn)	Move down one screen in the form.

Ctrl+PgUp	Move up one page in the form.

Ctrl+PgDn	Move down one page in the form.

F5	Go to a given page number or the top or bottom of the form.

Del	Delete the selected object or group.

Shift+Del	Remove the selected object or group from the form and place it in the clipboard.

Ctrl+Ins	Place a copy of the selected object or group in the clipboard.

Shift+Ins	Paste the object or group in the clipboard in the form.

Alt+Backspace	Retrieve the last object or group that was deleted from the form.

Also see:

Creating and Editing a Form


Short Cut Keys for Status Bar (FD)
 Short Cut Keys for Status Bar

Key(s)	Function

Ctrl+F	Brings up the Fonts Dialog Box for changing fonts in the form.

Ctrl+B	Toggle the bold character style on and off.

Ctrl+I	Toggle the italic character style on and off.

Ctrl+U	Toggle underline on and off.

Ctrl+D	Toggle the double underline on and off.

Ctrl+W	Toggle the word underline on and off.

Ctrl+.	Brings up the Colours Dialog Box for changing the text colour.

Also see:

Using the Status Bar


Function Keys (FD)
 Function Keys

Select the single key functions either by pressing the appropriate "F" key, or, if the function key bar is currently displayed, by clicking it. The choice of available functions is listed below.

Key(s)	Function

F1	Opens the context-sensitive help feature.

F2	Clears the current form and starts a new one.

F3	Brings up the File Open dialog to open a new form.

F4	Saves the current form to disk.

F5	Goto a given page or to the top or bottom of the form.

F6	Brings up the style dialog for the currently selected object.

F7	Toggles display of the Math Tool which allows calculations of fields and checkboxes to be defined and viewed.

F8	Toggles the display of the Floating Toolbar.

F9	Insert picture; this command brings up a dialog box.

F10	Print the form; this command brings up a dialog box.

F11	Starts the print preview.

F12	Switch to the Overview Dialog Box.

The following additional functions have no equivalent on the function button bar.

Ctrl+F4	Close the current document window.

Ctrl+F6	Move to the next open document window within FastForms.

Alt+F4	Close FastForms. If there are any open files anywhere within FastForms, you will be warned and given an opportunity to save any unsaved files you want to keep.


Menu Bar Functions (FD)
 Menu Bar Functions

File	Opening, saving and printing forms.

Edit	Editing existing objects in a form, and adding, inserting and deleting pages.

Layout	Adjusting the page margins, defining which printer the form is to be sent to and saving and using saved form layouts.

Insert	Inserting pictures into a form.

Tools	Drawing form objects.

Options	Miscellaneous options and the settings used in FastForms.

Window	Control of the document windows in FastForms.

Help	Bring up help on FastForms.


Insert Menu Commands (FD)
 Insert Menu Bar Commands

Picture	Insert a picture into the form.


Insert Picture Command (FD)
 Insert Picture

Select this command to insert a picture that is saved on disk. FastForms can insert pictures which are saved in a number of common picture file formats.


Files Menu Commands (FD)
 File Menu Bar Commands

New	Start a new form from scratch.

Open	Open an existing form that is on disk.

Save	Save the current form under its current file name.

Save As	Save the current form under a new name.

Send	Send current form as an attachment to a mail message.

Print Preview	View the current form on screen as it would appear on the printed page.

Print	Print the current form.

Printer Setup	Change the Windows Default Printer.

Close Window	Close the current document window.


Files New Command (FD)
 File New

Select this command to clear the current form from memory and clear the document window for a new form.

Also see:

Starting a New Form


Files Open Command (FD)
 File Open

Use this command to open a form that has already been saved to disk. This command brings up a dialog box; fill in the file path and name of the form that you want to open. See File Open Dialog Box.

Also see:

Opening Files


File Save Command (FD)
 File Save

Use this command to save a form. If the current form has not been previously saved, then a file name and path will be asked for.

Also see:

Saving Files


File Save As Command (FD)
 File Save As

This command enables you to save a form under a different file name from the one it currently has (if any). Saving a file under a new names effectively makes a copy of it.

Also see:

Save As Dialog Box

Saving Files


  File Send

This command sends the current form document as an attachment to a mail message.

Note: This facility requires other MAPI compliant software to be installed, for example Windows 95 and Microsoft Exchange.


 File Export As HTML

Selecting this command saves the current form in HTML format.

See:

Saving Form as HTML


File Print Preview Command (FD)
 File Print Preview

Selecting this command displays the form on screen as it would appear on the printed page. Editing cannot be carried out whilst the form designer is print previewing.

Also see:

Print Preview

Using the Print Preview


File Print Command (FD)
 File Print

This command is used for printing forms. The Print Form Dialog Box is displayed. To print, select the desired options and select the OK button.


File Printer Setup Command (FD)
 File Printer Setup

This command brings up a dialog which enables selection of a new windows default printer.


Print Form Dialog Box (FD)
 Print Form Dialog Box

Start Page

The first page that will be printed. By default this is page 1; type in another page number into this text box if you want it to be something else.

End Page

The last page of the form that will be printed. By default this is the last page of the on-screen form; type in another number into this text box if you want it to be something else.

Copies

The number of copies of the form to be printed. By default this is 1.

Options>>

Select this button to reveal the following:

Picture Resolution

Select one of these buttons to override the current resolution for the printing of inserted pictures.

Select OK to start printing, or Cancel to abandon printing.

Also see:

Printing Forms

Print Preview

Using Dialog Boxes


File Close Window Command (FD)
 File Close Window

This command closes the current document window. It is equivalent to pressing Ctrl+F4.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


The Layout Command Menu (FD)
 Layout Menu Bar Commands

Margins	Set the page size and margins for the current form.

Print Routing	Select which printer to use for printing forms, and which paper trays will be used (if there are any).

Save Layout	Save the form layout of the current form to disk.

Apply Saved Layout	Open an existing form layout file and apply it to the current form.


The Layout Margins Command (FD)
 Layout Margins

This command enables you to change the layout of the form on the page.

Type in those values for the margins that you require. These will be in inches or centimetres according to the units that you have specified.

Page size

This lists a number of page sizes that you can choose from. For example:

Page size	Dimensions (in inches)

US Letter	8.50 x 11.00

US Legal	8.50 x 14.00

US Executive	7.25 x 10.50

A4	8.27 x 11.69

Customized	Choose your own

Width and Height

Used to select your own page size.

Portrait and Landscape

Buttons that indicate which way around the form is to be printed on the page:

Left Margin

The gap between the left edge of the page and the left edge of the form contents.

Right Margin

The gap between the right edge of the page and the right edge of the form contents.

The width of the form contents will therefore be:

Form Width = Page Width - Left Margin - Right Margin

Top Margin

The gap between the top of the page and the top of the form contents.

Bottom Margin

The gap between the bottom of the page and the bottom of the form contents.

Fit to Screen

Select the button below the left and right margins boxes to automatically set these margins so that the form horizontally fits the screen. Select the button below the top and bottom margins boxes to set the vertical margins such that the form vertically fits the screen.

Select OK to make the changes to the document, Cancel to abandon such changes.

Also see:

Settings

Using Dialog Boxes


Layout Print Control Command (FD)
 Layout Print Routing

Select this command to alter which printer your form is to be sent to when printed, and which trays or bins will be used on the printer (if there are any). Selecting this command brings up the Print Routing Dialog Box.


Layout Save Layout Command (FD)
 Layout Save Layout

This command enables you to save the form layout of the current form separately.

Also see:

Altering a Form Layout

Saving and Applying Form Layouts


Layout Apply Saved Layout Command (FD)
 Layout Apply Saved Layout

Selecting this command opens a form layout from disk and applies it to the current form.

Also see:

Altering a Form Layout

Saving and Applying Form Layouts


Edit Menu Bar Commands (FD)
 Edit Menu Bar Commands

Undo Deletion	Retrieve the last form object or group that was deleted.

Cut	Remove the highlighted object or group and place it in the clipboard.

Copy	Copy the highlighted object or group and place it in the clipboard.

Paste	Copy the object or group in the clipboard (if any), and place it in the form.

Delete	Delete the highlighted object or group.

Group	Group together several objects.

Add Page	Add a new page to the end of the form.

Insert Page	Insert a page into the form.

Delete Page	Delete the on-screen page from the form.

Style	Edit the style of the highlighted object.

Filling Order	Alter the fill order of the fields in the form.

Phrase	Select a phrase for editing or define a new phrase.

Go To	Go to a given page in the form.


Edit Cut Command (FD)
 Edit Cut

Select this command to remove the selected object from the form and to place it in the clipboard. Also, use this command to cut a selected picture to the clipboard.

Also see:

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Edit Copy Command (FD)
 Edit Copy

Select this command to place a copy of the selected object into the clipboard for later work, if required. Also, use this command to copy a selected picture to the clipboard.

Also see:

Copying Objects Between Pages and Other Forms


Edit Paste Command (FD)
 Edit Paste

Copy a form object from the clipboard (if there is one in the clipboard) to the form. This may be a standard form object e.g. a box, line etc, or a picture.

When this command is selected, a dotted line representing the object's boundary will appear on the form. Move the pointer to where you want to paste the object and press the left mouse button or Shift. To abandon the pasting operation, press Esc.

Also see:

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects

Copying Objects Between Pages and Other Forms


Edit Delete Command (FD)
 Edit Delete

Selecting this command will delete a selected object or group. The objects may be standard ones e.g. boxes, lines etc, or an inserted picture.

If an attempt is made to delete a group, or a text object, a warning will be given with the opportunity to abandon the deletion.

Also see:

Retrieving Form Object Deletions

Deletion of Form Objects


Edit Undo Deletion Command (FD)
 Edit Undo Deletion

Use this command to retrieve the last deletion of an object or group.

When this command is selected, a dotted line representing the object's boundary will appear on the form. Move the pointer to where you want to paste the object and press the left mouse button or Shift. To abandon the pasting operation, press Esc.

Also see:

Retrieving Form Object Deletions

Deletion of Form Objects


Edit Add Page Command (FD)
 Edit Add Page

Adds a blank page at the end of the form.

Also see:

Adding, Inserting and Deleting Pages


Edit Insert Page Command (FD)
 Edit Insert Page

Inserts a blank page at the current page. All existing pages are moved down by one page.

Also see:

Adding, Inserting and Deleting Pages


Edit Delete Page Command (FD)
 Edit Delete Page

Deletes the currently displayed page. Confirmation will be sought before the deletion is carried out.

Also see:

Adding, Inserting and Deleting Pages


Edit Group Define Command (FD)
 Edit Group

Use this command to define a number of objects to be in a group. Equivalent to clicking the Group button on the floating toolbar.

Also see:

How to Create Object Groups

Moving Around a Form

Moving and Re-sizing Form Objects

Deletion of Form Objects


Edit Style Command (FD)
 Edit Style

Select this command if you want to alter the appearance of the selected object in some way. The style dialog box appropriate to the object will come up. This command is equivalent to double-clicking on the object.

Also see:

Drawing and Altering Lines

Drawing and Altering Boxes

Altering Form Text

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Deletion of Form Objects

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Edit Field Filling Order Command (FD)
 Edit Filling Order

Use this command to change the filling order of fields, listboxes and checkboxes in the form. This command brings up a dialog box.

Order

The list box contains a list of the names of all the fields in the form. The filling order goes from top to bottom, the top is the first, and the bottom last.

Natural Order

The natural filling order is from left to right, and top to bottom. Set the check box for all the fields to be arranged in this way. It is automatically cleared if the order is changed.

Move Up

Moves the highlighted field in the Order list up one place.

Move Down

Moves the highlighted field in the Order list down one place.

Mark For Skip*

When using a form in the Database or Forms Entry applications, it is possible to skip several fields to a pre-defined field by pressing Shift+PgDn and Shift+PgUp. Select this button to mark the highlighted field in the list be the next field that is filled on pressing Shift+PgDn.

When you have completed the changes, select OK. If you want to abandon them and stay with the current ordering, select Cancel.

* If the field is already marked for skip, then Remove Mark appears instead. If this is selected, then when using the form for filling, Shift+PgDn and Shift+PgUp will not skip to the field.

Also see:

Ordering of Fields in a Form

Using Dialog Boxes


Edit Phrase Command (FD)
 Edit Phrase

Use this command to set up standard phrases for inserting, either into forms in the Forms Entry module, or into Database records.


Edit Go To Command (FD)
 Edit Go To

Use this command to go to any page within a form, or the top or bottom of the form. Selecting this command brings up a dialog box. See Go To Dialog Box.

Also see:

Moving Around a Form


Tools Command Menu (FD)
 Tools Menu Bar Commands

Line	Draw lines.

Box	Draw boxes.

Text	Put in some text.

Field	Add fields to the form.

Listbox	Add listboxes to the form

Checkbox	Add checkboxes to the form

Group	Mark a group of objects move moving or deletion


Tools Line Command (FD)
 Tools Line

Select this command to draw lines on the current form.

Also see:

Drawing and Altering Lines

Deletion of Form Objects

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Tools Box Command (FD)
 Tools Box

Select this command to draw boxes on the current form.

Also see:

Drawing and Altering Boxes

Deletion of Form Objects

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Tools Text Command
 Tools Text

Select this command to place some text in the form.

Also see:

Adding Text to a Form

Altering Form Text

Deletion of Form Objects

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Tools Field Command (FD)
 Tools Field

Select this command to add a field to the form.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Deletion of Form Objects

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Tools Listbox Command (FD)
 Tools Listbox

Select this command to add a listbox to the form.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes to a Form

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes in a Form

Deletion of Form Objects

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Tools Checkbox Command (FD)
 Tools Checkbox

Select this command to add a checkbox to the form.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes to a Form

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Deletion of Form Objects

Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects


Tools Group Command (FD)
 Tools Group

Select this command to mark a group of objects on the form for moving or deletion.


Options Menu Bar Commands (FD)
 Options Menu Bar Commands

Rulers	Switch on and off the display of the rulers.

Vertical Scroll Bar	Switch on and off the display of the vertical scroll bar.

Horizontal Scroll Bar	Switch on and off the display of the horizontal scroll bar.

Toolbar	Switch on and off the display of the floating toolbar.

Math Toolbar	Switch on and off the display of the Maths Tool.

Show Baselines in Fields	Switch on and off the display of lines indicating the position of the contents of form fields.

Show Checkbox Outlines	Switch on and off the display of outlines indicating the position of the checkbox text.

Picture Resolution	Select the resolution for displaying and printing pictures.

Settings	Set the settings used throughout Form Tool Gold.

Workgroup Items	Set up data which can be used for initial values in Forms Entry.


Options Picture  Resolution Command (FD)
 Options Picture Resolution

Select this command to select the resolution of pictures for screen displaying and printing. This command brings up a dialog box.

Screen

Select one of the buttons for the resolution of pictures when displayed on the screen. Displaying pictures on the screen is a compromise between speed of displaying the pictures and the quality of the display.

Print

Select one of the buttons for the resolution of pictures when printed out. High print resolution is the best for quality output, but will be slower to print.

Select OK to set the new resolutions or Cancel to ignore them.


Options Rulers Command (FD)
 Options Rulers

This option enables you to toggle between displaying the rulers at the top and the right of the display area and removing them from display.

Also see:

Rulers


Options Vertical Scroll Bar Command (FD)
 Options Vertical Scroll Bar

Toggle the display of the vertical scroll bar on and off.

Notes

1.	Even when the vertical scroll bar is set for display, it will only appear when not all of the form will fit vertically into the document window displaying it.

2.	The page buttons [image] and [image] will only appear if there is more than one page in the form.

3.	The showing of the vertical scroll bar as a default is determined by one of the Settings.

Also see:

Using Scroll Bars


Options Horizontal Scroll Bar Command (FD)
 Options Horizontal Scroll Bar

Toggle the display of the horizontal scroll bar on and off.

Note

1.	Even when the horizontal scroll bar is set for display, it will only appear when not all of the form will fit horizontally into the document window displaying it.

2.	The showing of the horizontal scroll bar as a default is determined by one of the Settings.

Also see:

Using Scroll Bars


Options Toolbar Command (FD)
 Options Toolbar

This switches the floating toolbar on and off.


Options Math Tool Command (FD)
 Options Math Tool

This switches the Math Tool on and off.


Options Show Baselines in Fields (FD)
 Options Show Baselines in Fields

Select this command to switch the display of the position of the lines in all the fields that have been drawn into the current form on and off. These are shown as dotted lines.  These are used as a guide; the baselines will not show on printed output.

Also see:

Adding Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes

Altering Fields, Listboxes and Checkboxes


Options Show Checkbox Outlines (FD)
 Options Show Checkbox Outlines

Select this command to switch the display of checkbox outlines indicating the position of the box containing text associated with checkbox objects.  This is useful because the outline in a checkbox  can cover a larger area than has actually been filled with text.


Options Settings Command (FD)
 Options Settings

Choose this command to change the settings that are used throughout FastForms. For details, see Settings. Selecting this command brings up the Settings Dialog Box.


Options Workgroup Items Command (FD)
 Options Workgroup Items

Choose this command to edit workgroup items or add new ones. Selecting this command brings up the Workgroup Items Dialog Box


Window Menu Bar Commands (FD)
 Window Menu Bar Commands

Overview	Brings up the The Overview Dialog Box for opening, closing document windows, or for switching to another window.

Maximize	Increase the current document window size so that it fills the FastForms window's workspace.

Cascade	Re-arrange the open document windows so that they are stacked with the title bars showing.

Tile	Re-arrange the open document windows so that they appear next to each other and do not overlap.

The remaining items on this menu list all the document windows that are currently opened. Select one of these if you want to swap to one of the other open windows. The current window is indicated by a check mark ( [image]).


Window Overview Command (FD)
 Window Overview

Selecting this command brings up the Overview Dialog Box for opening and switching between document windows. Equivalent to pressing F12.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Maximize Command (FD)
 Window Maximize

Select this command to make the current document window maximized.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Cascade Command (FD)
 Window Cascade

Select this command to arrange all the open document windows in the FastForms window so that they overlap with the title bars on the windows showing.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Tile Command (FD)
 Window Tile

Select this command to arrange and re-size all the open document windows such that the FastForms Window is filled.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Help Menu Bar Commands (FD)
 Help Menu Bar Commands

Index	Bring up the first help topic.

Keyboard	Bring up help on the keyboard functions.

Commands	Bring up help on the menu bar commands.

Using Help	Bring up help on how to use help.

About	Bring up the About dialog box.


Help Index Command (FD)
 Help Index

Select this command to bring up the first topic in the help system.


Help Keyboard Command (FD)
 Help Keyboard

Select this command to get help on the functions available from the keyboard.


Help Commands Command (FD)
 Help Commands

Select this command to get help on the functions available from the menu bar.


Help On Help Command (FD)
 Help Using Help

Select this command to bring up the Windows help on how to use the help facility.


Help About Command (FD)
 Help About

Selecting this command reveals the About Dialog Box.


Formatting Inserted Objects (FD)
 Formatting Inserted Objects

A picture is currently selected if there is a dotted line around it. When a picture is selected, it can be moved, copied, altered or deleted.

To Unselect the Picture

Either click outside the picture or press Esc.

To Delete the Picture

Press Del, or select the Edit Delete command.

To Move or Alter the Size of the Picture

This is the same as for any other form object. See Moving and Re-Sizing Form Objects.

To Copy the Picture

This is also the same as any other form object. See Copying Form Objects.

To Alter the Format of the Picture

Press F6, or select the Edit Style command.

Also see

How to Create Object Groups


Defining Calculations (FD)
 Defining Calculations

When the Calculator tool is fully displayed during forms design; it means that a calculation is being defined for the currently selected field or checkbox.

To begin to define a calculation:

1.	Select the field or checkbox for which the formula is to be defined.

2.	Ensure that the reduced calculator tool is on screen by pressing f7 or by clicking of the Maths function key button or by selecting Options/Math Tool from the menu.  If there is already a calculation defined it will be displayed in the tool's edit control.

3.	Fully display the math tool by clicking within the tool's edit control, by clicking on the pulldown button or by selecting Edit/Formula from the menu.

Defining the Text of a Calculation.

The contents of a calculation may be defined in several ways:

o.	By direct typing.

o.	By selecting a field, listbox or checkbox from the form.  This results in the name of the object being copied in to the calculation at the current caret position.  It can be simply done with the mouse by clicking on the required item.  It can also be done with the keyboard by pressing [image] or [image] to start the operation and then using cursor keys to move from field to field, and finally Enter [image] to select the desired field, listbox or checkbox.

o.	Functions can be selected from a pulldown list of functions by clicking on the Functions button.  Alt-F will produce the same result using the keyboard.

When the calculation has been fully specified; OK will save it.

Cancel will abandon the newly specified calculation and return to the original (if any).

See also:

Overview of Available Functions

Mathtool Dialog


Contents


Database
 FastForms Database

Database Introduction	A brief introduction into what the Database can do, and an outline on how to construct a database.

Using the Database	A more detailed description on how to use the Database and the available facilities.

Menu Bar Functions	A description of the functions listed on the menu bar.

Database Keys	A list of all the functions available from key combinations.

Using the Status Bar	What the status bar does, and how to use it.


 Database Introduction

The FastForms Database will enable you to create and maintain computerized lists and records. For example, you may want to have customer lists or supplier lists, records on current stock etc.

 There are a number of features that are supplied by FastForms. There is a duplicate detection facility, with which you can detect duplicate records being entered into the database; a mailing list log, to make the handling of mailings easier e.g for sending follow-up mailings, and random sampling of a database for test mailings.

There is virtually no limit to the size of the database that FastForms can handle, the main constraint being the amount of free space left on the disk to which it is being saved.

You can form merge the records in a FastForms database with a form. You can also fill forms, invoices etc as created by the FastForms Forms Designer with information in the records in the database.

To construct a FastForms database, you will need to do the following:

1.	Set up the database data item definitions. This must be done.

2.	Set up other aspects of the database, such as the indices and selections.

3.	Add the records to the database.

In addition to setting up a database, you can add new records and amend existing records to, and perform other tasks such as database reports, selecting a group of records, printing labels and setting up the printing of records in forms.


 Using the Database

File Operations:

Creating a New Database

Opening a Database

Databases and File Saving

Importing Records from Other Databases

Exporting Records to Other Databases

Reducing File Size

Layout and record manipulation:

Setting Up and Changing Database Layouts

Adding and Updating Records

Deleting Records

Retrieving Deleted Records

Browsing Through Records

Changing Record Ordering

Filtering Records

Duplicate Detection

Logs

List View

Printing and viewing operations:

Print Preview

Printing a Single Form

Printing Labels

Form Merge Printing

Creating Reports


 Creating a New Database

Creating a New Database

Select the File Create New Database command on the menu bar.

This will display Step 1 of the New Database Wizard.

Select the path and name of the new database you wish to create, and also select how you want to create the new database.  There are two options, either:

1. Using an Existing Database as a Template

or

2. Create From Scratch

Press Next to continue.

1. Using an Existing Database as a Template

Step 2 of the New Database Wizard will ask you to select the existing database, on which you want to base your new database.  Press BROWSE

to choose it from the Files Open Dialog Box .

Press Next to continue.

Step 3 displays the names of the new and existing databases, and gives you the oppurtuniy to change any of the decisions you have made already (do this by pressing Back).

Press Finish to create the new database.

You are now ready to start entering data into your new database!

2. Create From Scratch

Steps 2 and 3 allow the user to define the layout of the new database.  This is done by choosing the data items that comprise your database.

In Step 2 you can choose from a list of commonly used data items, for example "Surname", "Address", "Telephone Number" etc.  To add these to your database, select them from the 'Commonly Used Fields' listbox on the left of the wizard and press the Add button.  This should transfer them over to the 'Fields To Use' listbox on the right of the wizard.  If you change your mind, you can remove an item from this listbox by selecting it and pressing the Remove button.

It is important to note that you aren't restricted to use ONLY these data items, they are just a commonly used selection to help you get started quickly.

Press Next to continue.

Step 3 displays the data items in your database so far, and allows you to edit them and add extra items.  See Defining Data Items for further information.

Press Next when you are happy with the structure of your new database.

Step 4 displays the name of the new database and gives you the oppurtunity to change any of the decisions you have made already (do this by pressing Back).

Press Finish to create the new database.

You are now ready to start entering data into your new database!

Also see:

Changing Database Layouts


Creating and Opening Databases
 Opening Existing Databases

To Open an Existing Database

1.	Select the File Open Existing Database command on the menu bar.

2.	The Files Open Dialog Box will come up asking for the name of a database. Select a name that is listed in the Files list box.

The database file is opened and the first record under the database's current index is displayed.


 Starting Up the Database

The FastForms database works in a different way to the other applications in that it automatically saves to disk every change that you make to a database. Therefore, you must give a database file name when you attempt to open a FastForms Database document window.

When you first enter the database module, you can either open an existing database (select by choosing the File Open Existing Database command) or Create a New database (select by choosing the File Create New Database command).


No database open (DB)
 No database open

Currently no database is open on the disk, therefore no operations can be carried out as there is nothing to operate on. Either open an existing database, or create a new one.

Also see:

Creating and Opening Databases


 Setting Up and Changing Database Layouts

The database layout consists of its: data items, indices label layout, report layout and list of forms linked to it.

Refer to the following topics on how to set up and change the database layout:

Defining Data Items

Defining Indices

Defining Selections

Defining Label Layouts

Defining Report Layouts

Linking Forms to Databases

Automatically Generated Form


Defining Data Items (DB)
 Defining Data Items

To add, change or delete the data items in the database.

1.	Select the Layout Data Items command from the menu bar. Selecting this command brings up a dialog box.

2.	There are four parts to define in a data item: its name, its data type, its length and whether it is to be used for duplicate detection. To define a data item, do the following:

(a)	Type in a name under the Name heading. To be valid, the name must consist of letters and numbers only, with no spaces (a hyphen can be used as a word separator).

(b)	Choose the data type from the drop-down list under Type.

(c)	Type in the maximum length for a field of a data item under Length (this is not relevant for dates which are fixed in length).

(d)	Optionally type in an initial Value to be given to the item when a new record is created.

(e)	If a data item is to be used as part of duplicate detection, then set the Dup. Detect check box.

(f)	If the item is defined as Auto Inc it means that the value given to it will increment by 1 from that defined in Value each time a new record is created.

3.	Repeat step 2 for each data item.

4.	Select OK to save the new data items.

Notes

1.	If the automatically generated form is currently being used as the screen form, then a new form field will be added. For other screen forms, those data item names that match any of the field form names are linked together i.e. anything typed into these fields will be saved in the database. If the form does not have a field for the data item, then you will need to:

1.	Close the database;

2.	Use the Form Designer to add a field to the form, specifying the data item name as the name of the field;

3.	Save the form;

4.	Re-open the database.

2.	You can only define data items if the layout for the database is not protected.

Also see:

Linking Forms to Databases

Duplicate Detection


Defining Indices (DB)
 Record Ordering and Defining Indices

To add, change or delete the indices in the database.

1.	Select the Tools - Database - Record Ordering command from the menu bar.

2.	Select the data items you want to use as indices by from the lists. To delete an index, select the Delete button next to it.

3.	Select OK.

Notes

1.	If you delete the currently used index, then the record number index is used instead.

2.	You can only define indices if the layout for the database is not protected.

Also see:

Changing Record Ordering


Deleting Indices (DB)
 Deleting Indices

To delete an index from a database:

1.	Select the Tools - Database - Record Ordering command.

2.	Select the button next to the index you want to delete.

3.	Select OK.

Notes

1.	If you delete the index that is currently being used for ordering, then record ordering will revert to the record number index.

2.	No indices can be deleted whilst the database layout is protected.

Also see:

Defining Indices

Browsing Through Records


Defining Selections (DB)
 Defining Selections

1.	Select the Layout Selections command on the menu bar. This will bring up a dialog box asking for a name for a selection.

2.	If you have an existing layout you want to edit, choose one of the names listed. Otherwise, type in a new name.

3.	This will bring up the Selection Definition Dialog Box. Set up and edit the conditions in the selection. There are three types of conditions that can be used in selections: range checks, comparisons, and nested selections. You can also delete and edit existing conditions.

4.	Select the OK button.

Notes

1.	Selections are automatically saved as part of the current database.

2.	No selections can be altered whilst the database's layout is protected.

Also see:

Filtering Records

Deleting Selections


Defining Label Layouts (DB)
 Defining Label Layouts

In order to print labels, you will need to use label layouts.

1.	Select the Tools Labels command on the menu bar. This will bring up a dialog box asking for a name for a label layout.

2.	If you have an existing layout you want to edit, choose one of the names listed. Otherwise, type in a new name, then select the Edit button.

3.	This will bring up the Label Layout Dialog Box. With this you can specify labels with up to 5 items on each line and with many lines deep.

4.	Fill in the details and select the OK button.

Notes

1.	Label layouts are automatically saved as part of the current database.

2.	No label layouts can be altered whilst the database's layout is protected.

Also see:

Printing Labels

Deleting Label Layouts


Deleting Label Layouts (DB)
 Deleting Label Layouts

To delete a label layout:

1.	Choose the Tools Labels command.

2.	Highlight the layout name in the list.

3.	Select the Delete button.

4.	You will then be asked to confirm the deletion.

Note

No label layouts can be deleted whilst the database layout is protected.

Also see:

Defining Label Layouts


Linking Forms to Databases (DB)
 Linking Forms to Databases

You can link forms that have been created by the Form Designer with a database. This enables you to fill in records with a variety of different displays on the screen and to create a variety of filled forms and form merge forms for a given database.

To link a form to your database, select Link Form from the Tools menu and a Wizard will guide you through the process.

Step 1 asks you for the path and name of the form to link.

Step 1 asks you to enter the path and name of the form to link to your database.

Press BROWSE to select from the Files Open Dialog Box .

Having chosen the form, press Next to continue.

Step 2 of the Form Linking Wizard will display the form chosen in Step 1 and also displays a list of all the data items in your database.  Simply select a data item from the listbox and click on the corresponding field on the form that you want to be associated with this data item.

When you have linked all the fields required, press Finish to link the form.

Your new form will stay displayed, so you can view your database through it.


Unlinking Forms from a Database (DB)
 Unlinking Forms from a Database

To unlink a form from a database:

1.	Select the Tools Unlink Form command.

2.	The forms linked with the current database are listed in the dialog. Highlight the name of the form to be unlinked.

3.	Select the Remove button.

4.	Select OK.

Also see:

Linking Forms to Databases


Automatically Generated Form (DB)
 Automatically Generated Form

FastForms will automatically generate a form which contains fields for all the data items in the database.  This can be used to enter or view data and to print out database records.

Selecting the Generated Form

If another form or list is being used, then you can select the generated form by selecting the View Auto Generated Form command.

Also see:

Linking Forms to Databases


ListView (DB)
 Database ListView

Invoking ListView in the database causes the database to be displayed as a list of records, one row for each record.

Associated with the list is a Cell Cursor which can be moved around in much the same way as the cursor in a Spreadsheet.  To alter one of the items in a record; simply move the cell cursor on to the item and type in the new value.

The VCR Control at the bottom of the list allows large and small scale movement through the database.

Different layouts of list may be set up and selected.  Use the Tools Reports and Lists command to set up list layouts, and use the View  menu to select the current List View.


Defining Report Layouts (DB)
 Defining Report Layouts

To print a report on the contents of a database, a layout is needed. The layout consists of the items that will be listed for each record, the headers for each page and each column, the order in which the records are listed, and any totals printed for numeric items. A database can have many report layouts, each of which is identified by a name you give it.

Setting Up a Report Layout

1.	Select the Tools Reports and Lists command on the menu bar. This will bring up a dialog box asking for a name for a report layout.

2.	If you have an existing layout you want to edit, choose one of the names listed. Otherwise, type in a new name.

3.	Select the Edit button.

4.	This will bring up the Report Layout Dialog Box. Fill in the details and select the OK button.

Notes

1.	Report layout are automatically saved as part of the current database.

2.	No report layouts can be altered whilst the database's layout is protected.

Also see:

Creating Reports

Deleting Report Layouts


Deleting Report Layouts (DB)
 Deleting Report Layouts

To delete a report layout, do the following:

1.	Select the Tools Reports and Lists command.

2.	Highlight the name of the report to be deleted in the list.

3.	Select the Delete button.

4.	You will then be asked to confirm the deletion.

Also see:

Defining Report Layout


Browsing Through Records (DB)
 Browsing Through Records

The FastForms Database needs to say UPDATE on the status bar, if you want to browse through records. If not, then either press F2, click the F2 button on the function key bar or select the Edit Update command on the menu bar.

With the Mouse

Click on the [image] on the status bar to move back by one record, and click the [image] button to move forward one record.

With the keyboard

Press Ctrl+ [image] to move one record backward, Ctrl+ [image] to move one record forward.

Using the Go To Dialog Box

You can go to a particular record by invoking the Go To Dialog Box. To do this, either: press F5, click the F5 button, or select the Edit Go To command on the menu bar.

Notes

1.	If a filter is currently being used, then only those records that pass the filter will appear.

2.	The order in which the records appear as you browse through the records will depend on what index is currently being used. This is indicated in the box next to the Order button on the status bar.

Also see:

Filtering Records

Changing Record Ordering


Go To Dialog Box (DB)
 Go To Dialog Box

This dialog box is used to go to a specific record by using either the currently used index,or any of the indices that are defined in the current database.

Index

This contains the list of the indices defined for the current database. The highlighted index is the one that will be used in finding a record to go to.

Index to Go To

Type the key value into this box that will be used to find a record to go to. If there are no records with the key value in the used index, then the record with the next greatest key value is sought. If there are no records with a greater key value, then the record with the next lowest key value is sought.

First

Select this button to go to the first record in the index order highlighted in the Index list.

Last

Select this button to go to the last record in the highlighted index order.

Select OK to go to the record, Cancel to abandon going to another record.

Also see:

Changing Record Ordering

Browsing Through Records

Using Dialog Boxes


No records are defined (DB)
 No records are defined

The operation that you have tried to perform cannot be done unless there are records defined in your database.


Duplicate Detection (DB)
 Duplicate Detection

The FastForms Database has a facility to screen records in a database for duplications of the same information.

How It Works

After setting up the duplicate detection items, any records that you add to your database will be checked to see if there are any possible duplicates amongst existing records.

FastForms will compare the values in the record being added with the corresponding values in all the other records for distinct similarities (in text fields, words such as "A","The" are ignored so that e.g. company names which refer to the same company, but are given as slightly different names will be detected).

If similarities have been found between the new record and another one on all the duplicate data items, then a warning will be given. You will then be given the option of rejecting the new record or saving it anyway.

Setting Up Duplicate Detection

To detect duplicates, set up the data items that you are going to use for detecting duplicate records. See Layout Data Items for details.  You can detect duplicates on up to three data items.

Viewing Duplicate Records Already in a Database

To inspect the database for all the duplicates of the on-screen record:

1.	Click the Filter button on the status bar, or press Ctrl+F.

2.	Select the Duplicates option button, and select OK.

Only those records that are detected as duplicates of the current record will pass the filter.

Also see:

Filtering Records


Duplicate found (DB)
 Duplicate found: Save record anyway?

The record being added has been found to be similar to another file in your database using the duplicate detection data items. You have the option of saving the new record anyway, or rejecting it.

Click Yes, or press Y to save the record, and click No, or press N, to reject it.

Also see:

Duplicate Detection

Layout Data Items Command


Failed to save record (DB)
 Failed to save record

The record you have tried to add or update has not been saved. If the record was being added, then it has not been saved. For an update, the changed are not saved, leaving the original record unaffected.

Also see:

Adding and Updating Records


Adding and Updating Records (DB)
 Adding and Updating Records

Adding New Records to a Database

1.	Press F3 (or click the F3 button if displayed), or select the Edit Add command on the menu bar; the indicator on the status bar will read ADD.

2.	You will be presented with a blank form i.e. with all of the fields blank. Then type in the first record.

3.	When you have finished with one record and want to move to the next, press Ctrl+ [image], or click the [image] button on the status bar.

To stop adding records, press the Esc key.

Updating Existing Records in a Database

1.	If the indicator on the status bar does not say UPDATE, switch to updating by clicking the F2 button, or by selecting the Edit Update command on the menu bar.

2.	Make the changes that you want to make to the current record.

3.	To make amendments on the next or previous record, press Ctrl+ [image] or Ctrl+ [image] , or click the [image] or [image] buttons on the status bar.

Notes

1.	The way that the records are presented on the screen is determined by the current screen form.

2.	If duplicate detection is switched on, then you may sometimes get a message warning you that the record you have tried to add or update is duplicated elsewhere. When this happens you will be given the opportunity of either saving or rejecting it.

Also see:

Linking Forms to Databases

Duplicate Detection

Editing Records

Using the Status Bar


Editing Records (DB)
 Editing Records

You edit records by typing the data into the fields in the form that is displayed on the screen. Fields may be left blank.

The order in which records are edited by using the keyboard is determined by the field filling order; this is set up when the form  displayed on the screen is designed. Some fields can also be protected from change; this is also set up during the form's design.

Refer to the following on how to edit a record:

Editing a Field

Moving Between Fields in a Form

When a Record Has Been Edited

To move to the next record, either click on the [image] or [image] buttons on the status bar, or press Ctrl+ [image] or Ctrl+ [image].

Undoing Changes Made to a Record

Recent changes made to the current record can be reversed by selecting the Edit Undo Changes command, or by pressing Alt+Backspace.

Note

The form that appears on the screen may be different from the form that appears when printing. See Linking Forms to Databases for details.

Also see:

Ordering of Fields in a Form (Forms Designer)

Using the Status Bar


Editing a Field (DB)
 Editing a Field

When you type in text, it appears where the cursor is. To move the cursor, you can do the following:

Using the Keyboard

Key(s)	Function

, [image], [image],	Move within a field.  and [image] only work in a multi-line field.

Home	Move cursor to the beginning of the current line.

End	Move the cursor to the end of the text on the current line.

Return ( [image])	End of line in a multi-line field.

Del	Delete a character.

Backspace	Delete a character.

Shift+Del	Remove the contents of the current field and places them in the clipboard. This is equivalent to selecting the Edit Cut command.

Ctrl+Ins	Copy the contents of the current field to the clipboard. Equivalent to selecting the Edit Copy command.

Shift+Ins	Copy the clipboard contents to the current field. Equivalent to selecting the Edit Paste command.

Using the Mouse

Click on the text in a field where you want to place the cursor for editing.

Text Alignment and Appearance

The font, character style and alignment of the text that you type will be set automatically for each field that you type in. The appearance and alignment of the text will be determined by the screen form that is being used with the database. The form that appears on the screen can be different to the form that appears on printing. See Linking Forms to Databases for details.

Multi-Line Fields

Forms can be designed with fields which can hold several lines. Words wrapping on to the next line is automatic irrespective of the text alignment. You can use the Return ( [image]) key if you want to move to the next line.

Also see:

Editing Records

Moving Between Fields in a Form


 Moving Between Fields in a Form

With the Keyboard

Key(s)	Function

Tab	Move down one field.

Shift+Tab	Move up one field.

Ctrl+Home	Move to the top left of the current page.

Ctrl+End	Move to the bottom right of the current page.

PgUp	Move down one screen.

PgDn	Move up one screen.

Ctrl+PgUp	Move up one page in a multi-page form.

Ctrl+PgDn	Move down one page in a multi-page form.

Shift+PgUp	Skip several fields to the next marked for skip field*.

Shift+PgDn	Skip several fields back to the previous marked for skip field.

* For the skipping of several fields to work, the screen form must have been designed to include "Skip To" fields. There is no skipping in the automatically generated form.

Using the Mouse and Scroll Bars

If the field you want to edit is currently displayed, then click on it.

If the field is not displayed, then you can use the scroll bars (if displayed) to move the field into display. See Using Scroll Bars for details on how to use them.

Notes

1.	When using Tab and Shift+Tab to move between fields, the order in which they are edited is determined by the form's filling order. This is determined when the form is designed.

2.	Some fields may not be accessible for filling. This is because they have been set as protected. This is also determined when the form is designed.

Also see:

Ordering of Fields in a Form (Forms Designer)

Editing Records

Editing a Field

Using the Status Bar


Field contents invalid (DB)
 Field contents invalid

You have typed in something into a field that does not match the data item in that field e.g. a date that does not exist. This message also tells you what type of data is required.

You have the option of clicking either Re-type (or press R), which will leave the field as it is so that you can re-type it, or Abandon (or press A) which will clear this field and move to the next.

Also see:

Editing Records


Abandon changes to current record? (DB)
 Abandon changes to current record?

You have pressed Esc to abandon adding records before you saved the one on the screen. Click Yes (or press Y) to abandon this record, or No (or press N) to save it.

Also see:

Adding and Updating Records


Deleting Records (DB)
 Deleting Records

Deleting the Current Record

1.	If the indicator on the status bar does not read UPDATE, then select the Edit Update command, or press F2.

2.	Select the Edit Delete Current Record command, or press F4.

3.	You will be asked to confirm the deletion of this record.

Deleting Many Records at Once

This can be done by deleting all those records that pass a particular filter.

1.	If the indicator on the status bar does not read UPDATE, then select the Edit Update command, or press F2.

2.	Set up the filter which all the records to be deleted will pass. See Filtering Records on how to do this.

3.	Select the Edit Delete Filtered Records command.

4.	You will be asked to confirm whether you want these records deleted or not.

Also see:

Retrieving Deleted Records

Adding and Updating Records


Retrieving Deleted Records (DB)
 Retrieving Deleted Records

To retrieve records that have been deleted from the current database:

1.	Select the Tools Maintenance command on the menu bar. This brings up a dialog box.

2.	Select the Undelete Records button.

3.	You will then be presented with each record in turn, with the option of retrieving each one.

Note

If you squash a database, then all records that were deleted before this cannot be retrieved.

Also see:

Deleting Records

Reducing File Size

Using Dialog Boxes


Delete this record (DB)
 Delete this record: are you sure?

If you want the record displayed on the screen to be deleted from your database, respond by clicking the Yes button (or press Y), otherwise click No (or press N).

Also see:

Deleting Records


Changing Record Ordering (DB)
 Changing Record Ordering

When you browse through the records in a database, the order in which they appear depends on the current index used to order them. By default, the order used is the record number order. However, you may want them to be ordered differently. There are two steps to this:

1.	Set Up an Index

The order can be selected on a data item e.g Date-of-Birth.

1.	Select the Tools - Database - Record Ordering command.

2.	Choose the data item you want to use by selecting it on one of the list boxes. Up to four data items can be used as indices in a database.

3.	Select OK.

2.	Apply the Index to the Database

1.	Click the Order button on the status bar, or press Ctrl+O.

2.	This brings up the Index Order Dialog Box. Select the index you want.

Also see:

Record Order for Printing and Mailmerging

Defining Indices

Browsing Through Records


Record Order for Printing and Mailmerging (DB)
 Record Order for Printing and Mailmerging

You can alter the order in which records are printed out during label and report printing, and during form merging. To do this:

1.	If the index does not yet exist, create it by selecting the Tools - Database - Record Ordering command. If it already does, skip to step 4.

2.	Choose the data item you want to use as the index from one of the drop-down list boxes.

3.	Select OK.

4.	Select File Print Labels, File Print Report, or File Form Merge commands, depending on what you want to print.

5.	When the dialog box for selecting the printing options is brought up, choose the index you want to use from the Print Order drop-down list box.

6.	Select Print to start the printing.

Note

For reports, the print sort order can also be determined in the a report layout. The sort order for reports allows you greater control over the printing order in the report. This therefore means that if a report layout which has a sort order already defined is used, then you will not be able to select an index for the print order.

Also see:

Changing Record Ordering

Defining Indices

Printing Labels

Form Merge Printing

Creating Reports


Index Order Dialog Box (DB)
 Index Order Dialog Box

The a list of all the indices that are currently defined for your database. The highlighted index name is the one being used. Select the index you want to use from the list.

Select OK to accept the change, or Cancel to abandon the change.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


Filtering Records (DB)
 Filtering Records

Filters are used to select out a group of the records in a database. Filters can be used to select a group for viewing and updating on the screen, or for the printing of records as part of printing labels, reports and for form merging.

Filtering for Viewing and Updating Records

By default, all records are included, but this can be changed:

1.	Click the Filter button on the status bar, or press Ctrl+F. This brings up the Filter Records Dialog Box.

2.	Select the type of filtering you want to use.

3.	If you have chosen Selection, then you will be given a list of all the selections currently defined. If you have chosen Log, then all the logs will be listed. Choose one from the list.

4.	Select OK.

If you choose the Duplicates of record X option button, you can view all those records that have been found to be duplicates of the current record.

To Stop Filtering

1.	Bring up the Filter Records Dialog Box as described above.

2.	select the No Filtering button.

3.	Then select OK.

Also see:

Filtering Records During Printing and Mailmerging

Defining Selections

Logs

Duplicate Detection


Filtering Records During Printing and Mailmerging (DB)
 Filtering Records During Printing and Mailmerging

1.	Select Print Labels, Print Report, or Form Merge according to what type of printing is being carried out.

2.	To use a selection for filtering, choose it from the Selection drop-down list box.

3.	To use a log for filtering, select the Options>> button, and choose the log name from the Include only records in mailing drop-down list. To filter out records that are not in a particular log, choose the log name from the Exclude all records in mailing drop-down list.

4.	Then print as usual.

Also see:

Defining Selections

Logs

Printing Labels

Form Merge Printing

Creating Reports


Filter Records Dialog Box (DB)
 Filter Records Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up a filter for use with the current database. This will filter out those records that will not pass the selection to be used, and they will not be available for browsing and updating until the filter is changed.

There are several types of filtering. Choose one of the option buttons.

No Filtering	View all the records in the database.

Selection	Use one of the selections defined in this database. When this button is selected, a list of all the selections appears in the bottom box. Choose the one you want from this list.

Log	Include only those records that have been defined as being logged during a label print, a form merge or an import of a comma separated file. See Logs for details. This enables you to look at those records that were included in a mail shot, for example.

Duplicates of Record X	Include only those records that are found to be duplicates of the record X. This enables you to inspect duplications in the database. See Duplicate Detection.

Select OK to accept the change, or Cancel to abandon the change.

Also see:

Defining Selections

Using Dialog Boxes


Print Preview (DB)
 Print Preview

You can view the current record on the screen as it would appear when printed out. To do this, either select the File Print Preview command on the menu bar, press F11, or click the F11 button on the function key bar.

Note

1.	The appearance of the current record when print previewing will markedly differ from the normal view if the printer form is different to the screen form.

2.	The database cannot be edited whilst the print preview is being used.

Also see:

Using the Print Preview

Linking Forms to Databases

Printing a Single Form


Printing Labels (DB)
 Printing Labels

1.	Set up a label layout for the labels you are using, including what you want to print on them. See Defining Label Layouts on how to do this. If you already have defined such a layout, then skip to step 2.

2.	Select the File Print Labels command from the menu bar, or press F8.

3.	This brings up the Label To Print Dialog Box. Select the label layout that you want to use from the list.

4.	This brings up the Print Labels Dialog Box. Choose any options you want and start printing by selecting the Print button.

Also see:

Sample Printing

Logs

Filtering Records During Printing and Mailmerging

Record Order for Printing and Mailmerging

Printing Problems


Printing a Single Label (DB)
 Printing a Single Label

To print a label for one record, follow the instructions given in Printing Labels. In addition, when in the Print Labels Dialog Box, select the Current Record Only check box.

Also see:

Printing Problems


Printing a Single Letter or Form (DB)
 Printing a Single Form

To print a single form with the details from one record in the current database.

1.	Set up the form which you want to print. See Linking Forms to Databases for details on how to do this. If you are using a basic form generated by the Database as the printer form, you can adjust the form to your requirements. See Automatically Generated Form on how to do this.

2.	Select the File Print Current Record command, or press F10.

3.	This brings up the Print Current Record Dialog Box. Fill in the options and select OK to print.

Note

The print resolution of inserted pictures can be set by selecting the Options Picture Resolution command. This setting can be overridden when printing a form by selecting the Options>> button when in the Print Current Record Dialog Box and then selecting the resolution.

Also see:

Print Preview

Printing Problems


Mailmerging (DB)
 Form Merge Printing

Form merging is carried out by combining the records in the current database with the currently used printer form.

1.	Set up the form that you want to use for mailmerging. See Linking Forms to Databases for details on how to do this. If you are using a basic form generated by the Database, you can adjust the form to your requirements. See Automatically Generated Form on how to do this.

2.	Select the File Form Merge command, or press F6.

3.	This brings up the Form Merge Dialog Box. Fill in the mailmerge options and select Print to start printing.

Note

The print resolution of inserted pictures can be set by selecting the Options Picture Resolution command. This setting can be overridden when mailmerging by selecting the Options>> button when in the Form Merge Dialog Box and then selecting the resolution.

Also see:

Filtering Records During Printing and Mailmerging

Record Order for Printing and Mailmerging

Sample Printing

Logs

Printing Problems


Creating Reports (DB)
 Creating Reports

A report is a list of records and their contents, as shown in the example below:

Before a report can be printed, a report layout needs to be defined. See Defining Report Layouts on how to do this.

Printing a Report

1.	Select the Print Report command on the menu bar. This will bring up a dialog box showing a list of all the report layouts defined in the current database.

2.	Choose the layout you want to use from the list.

3.	A second dialog box, the Print Reports Dialog Box, will then come up. Fill in any required details and select the Print button to start printing.

Also see:

Filtering Records During Printing and Mailmerging

Record Order for Printing and Mailmerging

Printing Problems


Printing Problems (DB)
 Printing Problems

1.	Meaningless characters are printing

The wrong driverprint may have been selected for your printer. Make sure you have the correct printer driver set up in the Control Panel. Also, if you have more than one printer driver set up, select that one that you need. The current printer is associated with the printer form.

The printer is set to an emulation mode incompatible with the printer driver. Consult your printer manual on how to change this.

Your printer is not capable of printing graphics to work correctly.This is true of daisy wheel and more primitive dot matrix printers.

There may be a fault in the cable and/or the printer connections.

2.	Nothing prints out

Check that the printer is switched on, has paper loaded and is on line.

The wrong port may have been selected in the printer setup on the control panel. For example if your printer is connected to the printer port LPT1, and the driver is set up to send the output to LPT2.

There may be a fault in the printer cable and/or the printer connections.

You may be using a spooler program that cannot run with Windows.

3.	Blank sheets of paper between pages, or text overflowing onto the next page

The page margins control the number of lines on the printed page. If this is not set correctly for the paper being used, then some of a page of text may overflow onto the next page. This may also lead to extra blank sheets being fed out of the printer. If this happens, try to reduce the vertical page margins and check the paper size specified for this document.

For form merging and printing the current record, the page margins are set for the printer form. Alter the form using the Forms Designer.

For reports, you adjust page margins by altering its layout. See Defining Report Layouts on how to do this.

4	Areas specified as being in colour are printing out in monochrome

You are using a printer driver that does not support colour. Select an appropriate printer driver that does support colour in the Control Panel.

Your printer may not be capable of printing in colour.

If it is, then for a dot matrix printer a colour ribbon has not been installed, or for ink jet printers the appropriate colour ink cartridge has not been installed.

5.	Some of the items are being truncated

Not enough space has been allocated in the printer form; some of the items do not fit into their fields, and have been truncated. Adjust the form using the Form Designer.

Also see:

Printing a Single Form

Printing Labels

Form Merge Printing

Creating Reports


 Databases and File Saving

Unlike all the other applications in FastForms, a file name must be specified when opening a new database. As you amend the file, the amendments that you make will be automatically saved onto disk. Therefore there is no need to explicitly save the database.

Also see:

Creating and Opening Databases


 Database Keys

Function Keys

Editing Keys

Short Cut Keys for the Status Bar

Also see:

Dialog Box Keys

Application Keys

FastForms Keys


Function Keys (DB)
 Function Keys

Select the single key functions either by pressing the appropriate "F" key or, if the function key bar is currently displayed, by clicking it. The choice of available functions is listed below.

Key(s)	Function

F1	Call the on line context sensitive help.

F2	Update existing records in the database.

F3	Start adding new records to the database.

F4	Delete the currently displayed record.

F5	Brings up a dialog box enabling you to go to a record on the basis of a key value.

F6	Brings up a dialog allowing you to search for specific records.

F7	Print a report.

F8	Print a batch of labels.

F9	Form Merge the current printer form with the database.

F10	Print the on-screen record using the current printer form.

F11	Print preview the current record.

F12	Switch to the TopLevel Dialog Box.

The following functions can only be used by pressing the given key combinations.

Ctrl+F4	Close the current document window.

Ctrl+F6	Move to the next open document window within FastForms.

Alt+F4	Close FastForms. If there are any open files anywhere within FastForms, you will be warned and given an opportunity to save any unsaved files you want to keep.


Short Cut Keys for the Status Bar (DB)
 Short Cut Keys for the Status Bar

Key(s)	Function

Ctrl+O	Select a different index from the one currently used. This brings up the Index Order Dialog Box.

Ctrl+F	Select a different filter from the one currently being used. This brings up the Filter Records Dialog Box.

Ctrl+	Move to prior record using current ordering index.

Ctrl+	Move to next record using current ordering.

Also see:

Using the Status Bar


Editing Keys (DB)
 Editing Keys

Editing a Field in a Record

,	Move the cursor one place to the left and right.

Ctrl+	Move cursor back one word in the field.

Ctrl+	Move the cursor one word to the right.

Home	Move cursor to the beginning of a line.

End	Move the cursor to the end of the text of a line.

Moving Between Fields

Return ( [image])	Go to the next line in a multi-line field. If the line the cursor was on was the last, then it moves to the next field.

Tab	Go to the next field.

Shift+Tab	Go to the prior field. If the field was the first in the record, then that record is saved and control passes to the last field of the previous record.

PgUp	Move display up one screen.

PgDn	Move display down one screen.

Ctrl+PgUp	Move up one page in a multi-page form.

Ctrl+PgDn	Move down one page in a multi-page form.

Shift+PgUp	Skip several fields to the next marked for skip field*.

Shift+PgDn	Skip several fields back to the previous marked for skip field.

Alt+Backspace	Undo the most recent changes made to the current record.

* For skipping to work, the screen form must have been designed to include "Skip To" fields. See Ordering of Fields in a Form (Forms Designer). There is no skipping in the automatically generated form.

Moving Between Records

Ctrl+	Move to prior record using current ordering index.

Ctrl+	Move to next record using current ordering.


Using the Status Bar (DB)
 Using the Status Bar

The status bar lies just below the menu bar near the top of the FastForms Window.

Order

Click this button, or press Ctrl+O,  to bring up the dialog box for the index ordering of the records in the database. See Index Order Dialog Box for details. The name of the currently used index is displayed to the button's right.

Filter

Click this button, or press Ctrl+F, to bring up the dialog box for changing a filter which will act on the records in the database. See Filter Records Dialog Box for details. The name of the filter is displayed in a box to the button's right.  When a filter or search is active pressing the button will cancel the search or filter.

Edit Indicator

This indicates what type of editing is being carried out. It can be one of:

UPDATE	Editing records that already exist.

ADD	Adding new records to the database.

 and [image] Buttons

Select these buttons, or press Ctrl+ [image] and Ctrl+ [image] to move backward and forward by one record in the database.

Record X

X is the record number of the record currently being displayed.

Page N of M

N is the page in the current screen form that is being shown on screen, and M is the total number of pages in the form.

Also see:

Short Cut Keys for the Status Bar


At end of records (DB)
 At end of records

You have reached the last record in the database using the current index, therefore you cannot go any further.

Also see:

Browsing Through Records


At start of records (DB)
 At start of records

You have reached the first record in the database using the current index, therefore you cannot go further backwards.

Also see:

Browsing Through Records


The field's name does not match (DB)
 The field's name does not match any of the defined data items

You have tried to select a form field that is not associated with a data item in this database. No data can therefore be put into this field.

Also see:

Defining Data Items


No records meet the selection criteria (DB)
 No records meet the selection criteria

None of the records in the current database pass the filter you have chosen. This is not allowed, so this filter will not be used and the current filter remains in operation.

Also see:

Filtering Records


A database does not yet exist with that name (DB)
 A database does not yet exist with that name...

You have selected a database file name for a file that is not on disk. You are being asked if you want to create a new one under the file name that you have given.

If you have given the wrong file name or path, click No (or press N); then re-enter the file name.

Also see:

Creating and Opening Databases


Do you wish to base the new database... (DB)
 Do you wish to base the new database on the layout of an existing database?

When creating a new database, you have the opportunity to copy a database layout from another file, so that you do not have to define one from scratch.

Click Yes (or press Y) to copy the layout from another database.

If you do not have a database with a suitable layout for the database that you are creating, click No (or press N).

Also see:

Creating and Opening Databases


File is not a FastForms database (DB)
 File is not a FastForms database

The file that you have tried to open is not recognized as a FastForms Database. Try to open a file that is.

Also see:

Creating and Opening Databases


The current record does not pass the selection criteria (DB)
 The current record does not pass the selection criteria

You have selected a new filter and the on-screen record does not pass the filter. FastForms resolves this situation by loading the first record in the database under the current index.

Also see:

Filtering Records


Delete condition (DB)
 Delete condition: are you sure?

You have just attempted to delete the highlighted condition in the selection currently being edited. You are being asked for confirmation of this action.

Click Yes, or press Y to delete the condition.

Click No, or press N to stop the deletion.

Also see:

Defining Selections


Delete column (DB)
 Delete column: are you sure?

You have just attempted to delete everything in the column with the outline cursor. You are being asked for confirmation for this action.

Click Yes, or press Y to delete the column.

Click No, or press N to stop the deletion.

Also see:

Defining Report Layouts


A report layout must be defined (DB)
 A report layout must be defined

To print a report the layout of the items and their headings must be defined.

Also see:

Defining Report Layouts


Logs (DB)
 Logs

Logs are used to denote which records were involved in a previous operation. Operations which can be logged are print runs for label and form merge printing, the importing of records from a comma separated file, or the exporting of records to a comma separated file.

This log information can then be used to specifically include or exclude those records in a log from a future mail shot, or the log can be used as a filter.

For example:	A database contains the names and addresses of potential buyers for a new product. If the database contains a large number of mailing list names, you might want to only mail to a small sample proportion of the people on the mailing list to measure the reaction so that you can determine if it is worth mailing to the rest of the people on the list.

If, say, a sample size of 10% of the people on the mailing list were sent a mailing, and you then want to send the mailing to the remaining 90%. By giving the first mailing a name e.g SALE_SAMPLE, and on the second mailing choose SALE_SAMPLE for exclusion, you can prevent the original 10% of people being mailed a second time.

To log a print run

This is done when you print labels or a form merge print.

1.	Select the File Print Labels or File Form Merge command, depending on what type of printing you want to carry out.

2.	Type in the mail log name into the Mail Log Name text box before printing.

To Log Imported Records

When you select the Import Comma Separated Data commands for importing records, you can give a log name. All the imported records will be logged with this name.

To Include or Exclude Logged Records

When you want to print the list excluding or including those labels or forms that have already been printed:

1.	Select the Options>> button for extended options.

2.	Select the mail log name from the Exclude all records in mailing drop-down list box before printing. If you want to use only those records that were used for the mail shot, then select the mail log name in the Include only records in mailing drop-down list box.

3.	The mailing logs may also be used as filters, so you can browse through those records that were included in a previous mailing.

To inspect the records that are logged with a given name:

1.	Click the Filter button on the status bar, or press Ctrl+F. This will bring up the  Filter Records Dialog Box.

2.	Choose the Log option button.

3.	Choose one of the log names, and select OK.

Also see:

Filtering Records

File Print Labels

File Print Report

File Form Merge


Sample Printing (DB)
 Sample Printing

When creating mail shots, you can print labels or forms for a randomly chosen group of all the selected records.

This may be useful, for example, where you might have a list of names and addresses of potential customers and you want to mail some details regarding a new product, but only to a small group so that you can measure the response before printing a full mail shot.

To produce a form merge or label print of a randomly sampled group:

1.	Select the File Print Labels or File Form Merge command, depending on what type of printing you want to carry out.

2.	Select the Options>> button; this will reveal the extended options.

3.	Type in to the Sample Size text box the approximate proportion of the selected records in the database that are to be used.

4.	Select Print to print the sample.

If you want to print a random sample of both labels and merged forms:

1.	Print the labels as described above, but also specify a log name.

2.	When you come to print the forms, choose this log name from the list in Include only records in printing, and leave the Sample Size at 100%.

Note

If you are using sampling and you want to print labels and/or forms, then you must give a mailing log name. This is because the sampling is random so the only way to identify the same selection of records to receive labels and/or another  form merge print will be by the mailing log name.

Also see:

Logs

Printing Problems

Using Dialog Boxes

1


Reducing File Size (DB)
 Reducing File Size

To reduce the size of the current database, do the following:

1.	Select the Tools Maintenance command on the menu bar. This brings up a dialog box.

2.	Select the Squash Database button.

Note

Records that were previously deleted in the current database can no longer be retrieved after a database squash.

Also see:

Retrieving Deleted Records

Using Dialog Boxes


 Importing Records from Other Databases

The FastForms Database can read in records created in other database software. It can read records that come from TopMail, or records in comma separated files.

To Import TopMail Data

1.	Select the File Import TopMail Data on the menu bar. This brings up a dialog box.

2.	Enter the name of the TopMail file from which the records are to come.

3.	The Import TopMail Data Dialog Box then comes up. Match the TopMail data items with the data items in the current database.

4.	The records are then imported.

To Import Comma Separated Data

1.	Select the File Import Comma Separated Data on the menu bar. This brings up a dialog box.

2.	Enter the name of the comma separated file from which the records are to come.

3.	The Import Comma Separated Data Dialog Box then comes up. Match the position of each data item in the comma separated records with the data items in the current database.

4.	The records are then imported.

Also see:

Logs


Exporting Records to Other Databases (DB)
 Exporting Records to Other Databases

The FastForms Database can export records to a file for reading by other database software. The records are saved to this file in a comma separated format.

In this format all the fields are separated by comma characters and records are separated by a carriage return character e.g. the following is a small database with four records each with title, first name and surname fields. Note that the last record contains no first name.

"Mr","Brian","Smith"

"Mrs","Angela","Jones"

"Ms","Wendy","Robertson"

"Mr",,"Cox"

Most databases have a facility for importing records saved in this format.

To Export Records

1.	Select the File Export Comma Separated Data command on the menu bar.

2.	This brings up the Export Comma Separated Data Dialog Box. Fill in the options depending on what you want to be exported. Select OK.

3.	Then specify the file path and name of the export file. Select OK.

The records are then exported to the file.

Also see:

Logs


The current index must be re-defined... (DB)
 The current index has been re-defined...

The index that was currently used has been either removed or replaced and therefore cannot be used any longer. The default index will be used instead.

Also see:

Defining Indices

Changing Record Ordering


All records which pass the current filter will be deleted... (DB)
 All records which pass the current filter will be deleted...

You have selected the Edit Delete Filtered Records command for deleting all the records that pass the currently used filter. Click Yes, or press Y, to delete the records, or click No, or press N to stop the deletions.

Also see:

Deleting Records


No data items linked (DB)
 No data items linked, creating form

The form you have tried to set up as the current screen form does not have any fields that match the data items in the current database. This means that the form cannot be used as the screen form the database, and a basic form will be generated instead.

Also see:

Linking Forms to Databases


Warning... (DB)
 Warning...

The form you have tried to set up as the current printer form does not have any fields that match the data items in the current database. This means that the form, if printed, will have none of the fields filled.

Also see:

Linking Forms to Databases


Contents


Menu Bar Functions (DB)
 Menu Bar Functions

File	Opening, creating and closing databases, and printing records.

Edit	Adding, altering and deleting records.

View	Altering the way your database is displayed and printed.

Insert	Insert a phrase, today's date or a picture into the database.

Tools	Defining and editing data items, report layouts, label layouts indices, linking and unlinking forms with the current database and Database maintenance.

Options	Miscellaneous options and the settings used in FastForms.

Window	Control of the document windows in FastForms.

Help	On-line help on how to use FastForms.

See FastForms Menu Commands for a general help on menu bar commands in FastForms.


   File Menu Bar Commands

Create New Database	Create a new database

Open Existing Database	Open an existing database.

Import TopMail Data	Import the records from a TopMail database.

Import Comma Separated Data	Import the records in a comma separated database file.

Export Comma Separated Data	Export the records in a database in a comma separated format.

Print Preview	View the current record on screen as it would appear on the printed page.

Print Current Record	Print the current record.

Print Labels	Print a batch of labels.

Print List (Report) 	Print a report.

Form Merge	Perform a form merge.

Printer Setup	Change the windows default printer.

Close Window	Close the current document window.


View Menu Bar Commands (DB)
  View Menu Bar Commands

Select the various Forms or Lists linked or defined for the current database.

Auto Generated Form	Select the automatically generated Form

AutoGenerated List	Select the automatically generated List

Other Form	Select any Form currently linked to the database

Other List	Select any list

View Log Inclusion	Viewing the logs to which the current record belongs.


Edit Menu Bar Commands (DB)
 Edit Menu Bar Commands

Undo Changes	Undoes the most recent changes made to the current record.

Cut	Remove the contents of the current field and place it in the clipboard.

Copy	Copy the contents of the current field to the clipboard.

Paste	Copy the clipboard contents to the current field.

Add	Switch to adding records.

Update	Switch to updating existing records.

Delete Current Record	Delete the on-screen record.

Delete Filtered Records	Delete all those records that pass the currently used filter.

Go To	Go to another record in the current database.

Search	Search for a specific record / group of records.

Filter	Select a filter for the database records.


Insert Menu Bar Commands (DB)
 Insert Menu Bar Commands

Phrase	Insert phrase into database.

Today's Date	Insert today's date.

Picture	Insert picture from a disk file into the database record.


Tools Menu Bar Commands (DB)
 Tools Menu Bar Commands

Under the Database Sub Menu:

Data Items	Create and edit data items in the current database.

Indices	Set up or remove indices.

Maintenance	Performing maintenance operations on the current database.

Link Form	Link a Form to the current database.

Unlink Form	Unlink a Form from the current database.

Lists and Reports	Set up and edit list and report layouts.

Labels	Set up and edit label layouts.

Filter Selections	Set up, edit or remove selections.

Phrase Library	Edit phrases for rapid insertion into a form or database record.


Options Menu Bar Commands (DB)
 Options Menu Bar Commands

Vertical Scroll Bar	Display the vertical scroll bar.

Horizontal Scroll Bar	Display the horizontal scroll bar.

Picture Resolution	Select the resolution for displaying and printing pictures.

Settings	Choose this command to change the settings that are used throughout FastForms.


Options Picture  Resolution Command (DB)
 Options Picture Resolution

Select this command to select the resolution of pictures for screen displaying and printing. This command brings up a dialog box.

Screen

Select one of the buttons for the resolution of pictures when displayed on the screen. Displaying pictures on the screen is a compromise between speed of displaying the pictures and the quality of the display.

Print

Select one of the buttons for the resolution of pictures when printed out. High print resolution is the best for quality output, but will be slower to print.

Select OK to set the new resolutions or Cancel to ignore them.


Window Menu Bar Commands (DB)
 Window Menu Bar Commands

TopLevel	Open, switch to, or close a document window.

Maximize	Increase the current document window size so that it fills the FastForms window's workspace.

Cascade	Re-arrange the open document windows so that they are stacked with the title bars showing.

Tile	Re-arrange the open document windows so that they appear next to each other and do not overlap.

The remaining items on this menu list all the document windows that are currently opened. Select one of these if you want to swap to one of the other open document windows. The current window is indicated by a check mark ( [image]).


Window TopLevel Commands (DB)
 Window TopLevel

Selecting this command brings up the TopLevel Dialog Box for opening and switching between document windows. Equivalent to pressing F12.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Maximize Command (DB)
 Window Maximize

Select this command to make the current document window maximized.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Cascade Command (DB)
 Window Cascade

Select this command to arrange all the open document windows in the FastForms window so that they overlap with the title bars on the windows showing.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Window Tile Command (DB)
 Window Tile

Select this command to arrange and re-size all the open document windows such that they do not overlap one another.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Create New Database
 File Create New Database

Use this command to create a new database.  This executes the New Database Wizard which guides you through the process.

Also see:

Creating a New Database


File Open Existing Database Command (DB)
 File Open Existing Database

Use this command to open an existing database. This command brings up the File Open Dialog Box; fill in the file path and name of the file that you want to open.

Also see:

Opening Existing Databases

Opening Files


File Import TopMail Data Command (DB)
 File Import TopMail Data

Use this command to import the records from a TopCopy TopMail file. Fill in the name of the file in the dialog box that comes up. The TopMail file will then be loaded.

Once it has been loaded, the Import TopMail Data Dialog Box will appear. Match up the data items in the current FastForms  database with the fields in the TopMail file.

Also see:

Importing Records from Other Databases

Using Dialog Boxes

Opening Files


Import TopMail Data Dialog Box (DB)
 Import TopMail Data Dialog Box

This dialog box is used to match up the data items in the TopMail file with those in the current FastForms database when importing records from a TopMail file.

Log Name

You can log those records that are imported from the TopMail file. The name of the log is typed here. See Logs.

The table in this dialog box is for matching the TopMail data items with the items in your database.

To Import a TopMail Data Item

Choose one of the FastForms database items to the matched to a TopMail data item by selecting it from the lists next to the TopMail Item names.

If you do not want to import a TopMail data item, select <None> from the FastForms Item list for that item.

If you want to import several TopMail items into one FastForms item, then choose the same Item from the list for each TopMail item.

Moving Around the Table

With the Keyboard

Press Alt+C to move to the table. The following keys can then be used:

,	Move the outline cursor up and down one place.

Home	Move to the top of the table.

End	Move to the bottom of the table.

With the Mouse

Click on the entry that you want to change. To get to those table entries that are not currently shown, you can bring them into view by scrolling the display. See Using the Scroll Bar for details.

To start importing the data, select OK, or Cancel to abandon.

Also see:

Importing Records from Other Databases

Using Dialog Boxes


File Import Comma Separated Data Command (DB)
 File Import Comma Separated Data

Use this command to import the records in a comma separated file. Fill in the name of the file in the dialog box that comes up.

Once it has been opened, the Import Comma Separated Data Dialog Box will appear. Match up the items in the comma separated file with any of the data items in the current FastForms database.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes

Importing Records from Other Databases


Import Comma Separated Data Dialog Box (DB)
 Import Comma Separated Data Dialog Box

This dialog box is used to match up the data items in a database file with a comma separated format with those in the current FastForms database when importing data from such a file.

Log Name

You can log those records that are imported from the comma separated file. The name of the log is typed here. See Logs.

The table in this dialog box is for matching the data items in the comma separated file with the items in your database.

To Import a Comma Separated Data Item

Choose one of the FastForms database items to the matched to one of items in the comma separated file by selecting it from the lists.

The numbers in the list indicate in the position of each item in a record in the comma separated file. For example, if a record in the comma separated file consisted of:

"Smith","Mr","G.R.","Managing Director"

Then the surname (Smith) would be item 1, title (Mr) item 2 etc.

If you do not want to import an item, select <None> from the FastForms Item list for that item.

If you want to import several comma separated items into one FastForms item, then choose the same Item from the list for each comma separated item.

Moving Around the Table

With the Keyboard

Press Alt+C to move control to the table. The following keys can then be used:

,	Move the outline cursor up and down one place.

PgUp	Move up several places.

PgDn	Move down several places.

Home	Move to the top of the table.

End	Move to the bottom of the table.

With the Mouse

Click on the entry that you want to change. To get to those table entries that are not currently shown, you can scroll the display with the scroll bar. See Using the Scroll Bar for details.

To start importing records, select OK, or Cancel to abandon.

Also see:

Importing Records from Other Databases

Using Dialog Boxes


File Export Comma Separated Data Command (DB)
 File Export Comma Separated Data

Select this command to export records in the database to a file in a comma separated format.

Selecting this command brings up the Export Comma Separated Data Dialog Box.

Also see:

Exporting Records to Other Databases


Export Comma Separated Data Dialog Box (DB)
 Export Comma Separated Data Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up data exporting options, and to start or abandon exporting.

Selection

This is used where you want to restrict the exporting of records to a selected group in the database. Choose one of the previously defined selections from the drop-down list box. See Defining Selections on how to set up selections.

Order

Determines the order in which the records will be placed in the comma separated file. Select the index that you want from the list given in the drop-down list box.

Field Separator

This indicates the character that is used to separate each field in the file. A comma is normally the separator used, but you can also choose Tab characters.

Enclose Non-Numeric Fields in Quotes

Set this text box if you want all the fields other than numeric data to be enclosed in quotes.

Count Records

Select this button to tell you how many records will be exported.

Field Order

Select this button to alter the order of placement of fields in each record of the export file. This brings up the Field Order Dialog Box.

Select OK to start exporting, or Cancel to abandon.

Extended Options

Select the Options>> button to reveal these.

Log Name

You can log those records that are exported to the comma separated file. The name of the log is typed here. See Logs.

Include Only Records in Log

This lists the names of all the logs that are defined in this database. The records that will be exported will be the ones that are included in the log.

Exclude All Records in Log

Similar to Include Only Records in Log, except that the records in the log will be excluded from being exported.

Also see:

Exporting Records to Other Databases

Using Dialog Boxes


Field Order Dialog Box (DB)
 Field Order Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to specify the order in which the fields will be placed in each record in the export file.

Choose one of the FastForms database items to the matched to one of items in the comma separated file by selecting it from the drop-down lists in the table.

The numbers in the list indicate in the position of each item in a record in the comma separated file. For example, if your FastForms database contained Surname, First-name and Title fields, you may want to export them in a Surname, Title and First-name order.

In this case, Surname would be selected from list 1, Title from list 2 and First-name from list 3. This would be exported as:

"Smith","Mr","Graham"

If the database software that is going to receive the exported database expects a field value that your database does not have, then you can export blank fields e.g. from the above example. If the receiving database software expects field for initials as the third field in each record and your database does not include this, then field 1 would be Surname, field 2 Title, field 3 <None> and field 4 First-name. This would be exported as:

"Smith","Mr",,"Graham"

Moving Around the Table

With the Keyboard

Press Alt+C to move control to the table. The following keys can then be used:

,	Move the outline cursor up and down one place.

PgUp	Move up several places.

PgDn	Move down several places.

Home	Move to the top of the table.

End	Move to the bottom of the table.

With the Mouse

Click on the entry that you want to change. To get to those table entries that are not currently shown, you can scroll the display with the scroll bar. See Using the Scroll Bar for details.

To confirm the new field order, select OK, or select Cancel to ignore it.

Also see:

Exporting Records to Other Databases

Using Dialog Boxes


File Print Preview Command (DB)
 File Print Preview

Select this command to display the current record on screen as it would appear on the printed page. Editing cannot be carried out whilst the print preview is being used.

Also see:

Print Preview

Using the Print Preview


File Print Current Record (DB)
 File Print Current Record

Select this command to print the record displayed on the screen using the currently assigned printer form. See the Print Current Record Dialog for details on how to set up a printer form.

This command brings up the Print Current Record Dialog.


Print Current Record Dialog Box (DB)
 Print Current Record Dialog Box

For printing the current record on the current printer form.

Start Page and End Page

The first and last pages of the printer form to be printed.

Copies

Determines the number of copies of this record to be sent to the printer.

Print Field Contents Only

If this check box is set then only the filled in contents of the form fields will be printed in their established positions on the page. This is used where pre-printed forms are being printed on.

Options>>

Select this button to reveal the following:

Picture Resolution

Select one of these buttons to override the current resolution for the printing of inserted pictures and charts.

Select OK to start printing or Cancel to abandon.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


File Print Labels Command (DB)
 File Print Labels

Select this command to print a batch of labels. Selecting this command brings up the Label To Print Dialog Box which lists all the previously defined label layouts, one of which you will need to choose for label printing.

If there are no label layouts defined, label printing cannot be carried out.

Also see:

Printing Labels

Printing Problems

Using Dialog Boxes


Labels To Print Dialog Box (DB)
 Labels To Print Dialog Box

The list box lists the names of all the label layouts that are defined in the current database. Highlight the label layout you wish to use.

OK

Selecting this button will bring up the Print Labels Dialog Box. Fill out the details and select Print to start printing.

Cancel

Select this to abandon printing labels.

Also see:

Printing Labels

Using Dialog Boxes


Print Labels Dialog Box (DB)
 Print Labels Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up label printing options, and to start or abandon label printing.

Print Order

Determines the order in which the labels will be printed. Select the index that you want from the list given in the drop-down list box.

Selection Name

This is used where you want to restrict the printing of labels to a selected group in the database.  Choose one of the previously defined selections from the drop-down list box. See Defining Selections on how to set up selections.

Mailing Log Name

Type in a name for this mailing; giving this name is optional. The mailing log name is used to used to indicate which records have been used in previous mail shots. See Logs for details on its use and operation.

Count Records

This scans the database to determine how many labels will be printed.

Current Record Only

Set this check box if you want to print a label for the current record only.

Select Print to start printing, or Cancel to abandon.

Extended Options

Select the Options>> button to reveal these.

Sample Size

Picks out a proportion of the records for label printing. The default is 100%. Type in another number for the level of sampling that you want. See Sample Printing.

Copies

Type in how many copies of each label you want. The default is one label printed for each selected record.

Include only records in mailing

This lists the names of all the logs that are defined in this database. The labels that will be printed will be the ones that were printed on the print run which was given the log name that you choose. For use with follow-up mailings, for example.

Exclude all records from mailing

Similar to Include only records in mailing, except that the records in the logged print run in question will be excluded from the print.

Also see:

Printing Labels

Printing Problems

Using Dialog Boxes


A label layout must first be defined (DB)
 A label layout must first be defined

Label layouts are necessary for label printing. Therefore a least one label layout must be defined before label printing can be carried out.

Also see:

Printing Labels

Defining Label Layouts


File Print Report Command (DB)
 File Print Report

Use this command to print reports on the records in the current database. Selecting this command brings up the Report To Print Dialog Box which lists all the previously defined report layouts, one of which you will need to choose for report printing.

If there are no report layouts defined, report printing cannot be carried out.

Also see:

Defining Report Layouts

Printing Problems

Using Dialog Boxes


Report To Print Dialog Box (DB)
 Report To Print Dialog Box

The lists the names of all the report layouts that are defined in the current database. Highlight the report layout you wish to use.

OK

Selecting this button will bring up the Print Reports Dialog Box. Fill out the details and select Print to start printing.

Cancel

Select this to abandon printing a report

Also see:

Creating Reports

Using Dialog Boxes


Print Reports Dialog Box (DB)
 Print Reports Dialog Box

Print Order

Determines the order in which the report entries will be printed. Select the index that you want from the list given in the drop-down list box. This is only available if no sort order has been specified in the report layout that is currently being used.

Selection Name

This is used where you want to restrict the printing of report entries to a selected group in the database.  Choose one of the previously defined selections. See Defining Selections on how to set up selections. This is only available if no selection has been defined in the report layout currently being used.

Count Records

This scans the database to determine how many records will be included in the report.

Select Print to start printing, or Cancel to abandon.

Extended Options

Select the Options>> button to reveal these.

Include only records in mailing

This lists the names of all the logs that are defined in this database. The records that will be included in the report will be the ones that were printed on the print run which was given the log name that you choose. For use with printing a list of people on a follow-up for potential sales, for example.

Exclude all records from mailing

Similar to Include only records in mailing, except that the records in the logged print run in question will be excluded from the print.

Also see:

Creating Reports

Printing Problems

Using Dialog Boxes


File Mailmerge Command (DB)
 File Form Merge

Use this command for form merge printing records in the database. This command brings up the Form Merge Dialog Box. The source document which will be combined with the records is the current printer form.

Also see:

Form Merge Printing

Printing Problems


Mailmerge Dialog Box (DB)
 Form Merge Dialog Box

For specifying the options when form merge printing.

Print Order

Determines the order in which the forms will be printed. Select the index that you want from the list given in the drop-down list box.

Selection Name

This is used where you want to restrict the printing to a selected group of records in the database.  Choose one of the previously defined selections. See Defining Selections on how to set up selections.

Mailing Log Name

Type in a name for this mailing; giving this name is optional. The mailing log name is used to indicate which records have been used in previous mail shots. See Logs for details on its use and operation.

Count Records

This scans the database to determine how many labels will be printed.

Select Print to start printing, or Cancel to abandon.

Extended Options

Select the Options>> button to reveal these.

Sample Size

Picks out a proportion of the records for  form merge printing. The default is 100%. Type in another number for the level of sampling that you want. See Sample Printing.

Include only records in mailing

This lists the names of all the logs that are defined in this database. The records that will be printed will be the ones that were printed on the print run which was given the log name that you choose. For use with follow-up mailings, for example.

Exclude all records from mailing

Similar to Include only records in mailing, except that the records in the logged print run in question will be excluded from the print.

Start Page and End Page

The first and last pages of the printer form to be printed.

Copies

Determines the number of copies of each record to be sent to the printer.

Print Field Contents Only

If this check box is set then only the filled in contents of the form fields will be printed in their established positions on the page. This is used for pre-printed forms.

Picture Resolution

Select one of these buttons to override the current resolution for the printing of inserted pictures and charts.

Also see:

Form Merge Printing

Printing Problems

Using Dialog Boxes


File Printer Setup (DB)
 File Printer Setup

This command brings up a dialog which enables selection of a new windows default printer .


Count Records Dialog Box (DB)
 Count Records Dialog Box

This dialog box shows the number of records FastForms has found, and how many it has found that passes the selection as chosen from the Selection Name drop-down list box.

Whilst it is counting, you can select the Cancel button to stop it. To quit from this dialog box when it has finished counting, select the OK button.

Also see:

Defining Selections

Using Dialog Boxes


File Close Window Command (DB)
 File Close Window

This command closes the current document window. It is equivalent to pressing Ctrl+F4.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Edit Undo Changes Command (DB)
 Edit Undo Changes

Select this command to reverse the last changes that were made to the current record.

Also see:

Editing Records


Edit Cut Command (DB)
 Edit Cut

When this command is selected, the contents of the current field i.e. the one with the cursor are removed from the form and placed in the clipboard. Equivalent to pressing Shift+Del.

Also see:

Editing a Field


Edit Copy Command (DB)
 Edit Copy

When this command is selected, the contents of the current field i.e. the one with the cursor are copied to the clipboard. Equivalent to pressing Ctrl+Ins.

Also see:

Editing a Field


Edit Paste Command (DB)
 Edit Paste

Select this command to copy the contents of a field that has been previously cut or copied to the clipboard into the current field i.e. the one with the cursor. Equivalent to pressing Shift+Ins.

Also see:

Editing a Field


Edit Add Command (DB)
 Edit Add

Use this command to start adding new records to the database. It is equivalent to pressing F3.

Also see:

Adding and Updating Records


Edit Update Command (DB)
 Edit Update

Use this command to start updating existing records in the database. It is equivalent to pressing F2.

Also see:

Adding and Updating Records


Edit Delete Current Record Command (DB)
 Edit Delete Current Record

Use this command to delete the on-screen record. It is equivalent to pressing F4. If this command is selected, then you will be warned and asked to confirm the deletion.

Also see:

Deleting Records


Edit Delete Filtered Records Command (DB)
 Edit Delete Filtered Records

Use this command to delete all those records that pass the currently used filter. If this command is selected, then you will be warned and asked to confirm the deletion.

Also see:

Deleting Records


Edit Phrase Command (DB)
 Tools Phrase Library

Use this command to set up standard phrases for inserting, either into forms in the Forms Entry module, or into Database records.


 Edit Search Command

Use this command to define a special search filter.

This command brings up a Compare Dialog Box, through which you can enter a comparison.  This comparison will be selected as a search filter, and only records passing this comparison test will be displayed as you page through the database.

Use the cancel button on the status bar to stop searching.


 Edit Filters Command

Use this command to select a filter for the database.

See:

Filtering Records


Edit Go To Command (DB)
 Edit Go To

Use this command to go a record with a certain key value. This command brings up the Go To Dialog Box.

Also see:

Browsing Through Records


Layout Data Items Command (DB)
 Tools Database Data Items

Use this to define, change and delete data items in the current database. For each data item that you want to define, you must specify:

Name

A name identifying what this item represents e.g First-name.

Type

This is the form that any data entered in this item will take. You have a choice of several types:

Text	any combination of letters, numbers and other characters, any length.

Number	must contain a number. Decimal fractions are allowed.

Shortdate	must contain a short date e.g. 12/3/81.

Longdate	must contain a longdate e.g. 12th March 1981.

Length (Text and numbers only)

For text, you can have any length up to a maximum of 500 characters. For numbers you type in the length as n.m , where n is the maximum number of digits that will be allowed to go before the decimal place, and m is the maximum number of digits allowed to go after the decimal place.

Value

This defines an initial value for the item when a new record is created.

Duplicate Detection

If you select the check box for duplicates, then FastForms will monitor this data item as part of duplicate detection. See Duplicate Detection for details. Up to three data items can be used for duplicate detection at one time.

Auto Inc.

If this is checked; the initial value given to the item when a record is created will increment by one each time.  Useful for such applications as invoice numbering.

Insert

Insert a blank data item slot in the line with the outline cursor.

Delete

Deletes the data item on the line with the outline cursor.

Select OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to abandon them.

Also see:

Defining Data Items

Editing Tables


Layout Reports Command (DB)
 Tools Lists and Reports

This command brings up a dialog box, with a list of all the list layouts defined in this database. Choose one of these or, if you wish to define a new report layout, type in a new name and select the Edit button. The Report Layout Dialog Box will then come up. Select Close when you have finished editing report layouts.

To delete a report layout, highlight the layout name in the list, and select the Delete button.

Also see:

Creating List Layouts

Using Dialog Boxes


Report Layout Dialog Box (DB)
 List Layout Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to define or edit a report layout.

Page Header

The text that will be printed at the top of every page in the report. Left, Centre and Right are the pieces of text that will appear in those positions at the top of the pages.

In page headers there are also extra functions that may be used. These functions are converted when the report is printed:

@pageno	This is replaced by the page number in the report.

@filename	This is replaced by the filename of the database on printing.

@shortdate	This is replaced by a date e.g. 13-5-92.

@longdate	This is replaced by a date e.g. 13 May 1992.

Item Header 1 and 2

The text that will appear as the heading for each column in the report. Heading 1 goes on the first line, and heading 2 on the second line.

Items

Choose the data items from the current database to be listed in the report.

Widths

The width of each column can be set in one of two ways as follows:

o.	Choose the Set Width button which allows the width to be typed in directly.

o.	Use the mouse to drag the border between columns in the column header area.

Widths are specified in the current Settings units.

Max Lines Per Row (Screen list only - Does not affect reports)

This is the maximum number of lines that the record will expand to in a row as listed in List View mode.

Insert

Select this button to insert a blank column where the outline cursor is. The current column, and all those to the right are shifted one place to the right. Anything in the last column is lost.

Delete

Select this button to delete the column where the outline cursor is.

Appearance

This allows selection of font, character format and colour for each of report headers, item headers, and items.

Sort Order...

Select this button to select the order in which the records will be listed in the report. This brings up the Report Sort Order Dialog Box.

Totals...

You can set up the report to print totals for up to four data items by selecting this button. This brings up the Report Totals Dialog Box.

Selection...

Select this button to bring up the Report Selection Dialog Box. This is used if you want to limit the report to a selected group of records.

Print routing...

Set up which printer is to print the report, and which paper trays the printer will use (if it has any) by selecting this button. This will bring up the Print routing Dialog Box.

Margins...

Selecting this button brings up the Margins Dialog Box. This is used to set up the page size, margins and orientation for the printed report.

Appearance...

Control the appearance of the report by selecting this button. This will bring up the Report Appearance Dialog Box.

Also see:

Creating Reports

Editing Tables

Layout Data Items Command

Using Dialog Boxes


Report Appearance Dialog Box (DB)
 List Appearance Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to select how a report will appear when it is printed.

Choose the option button for the part of the report you wish to alter the appearance of:

Page Headers	Set up the appearance of the text that goes at the top of each page.

Item Headers	Set up the appearance for the titles of the columns in the report.

Report Items	Set the appearance of the main body of the report.

Font

The left hand box lists all the typefaces on the specified target printer.

Those typefaces that are marked with the above symbol are directly available on the printer itself. These tend to print quicker than the others.

These are high quality standard Windows typefaces.

The box on the right contains all the point sizes that are available for the selected typeface on that printer.

Those fonts that can be specified in any point size are said to be scalable. In addition to choosing the point size from the list, you can for certain typefaces type in the point size into this box. You can specify point sizes in half points e.g. 14.5 point.

Colour

This lists all the text colours.

Styles

This lists all the available character styles. Select these buttons by clicking on them, or by using the following keys:

Bold (Alt+B).

Italic (Alt+I).

Underline (Alt+U).

Word underline (Alt+W).

Double underline (Alt+D).

Select OK to confirm the changes, or Cancel to abandon them.

Also see:

Creating Reports

Using Dialog Boxes


Sort Order Dialog Box (DB)
 Sort Order Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to determine the order in which records appear in a report.

Select the data items that are to be used for ordering. List 1 has the highest priority in sorting, list 4 is the lowest.

Break on Change

If a check box is set, then all those records with the same item value will be grouped together, with blank lines separating these groups e.g if a database had a Town data item, then the records could be grouped by the town.

Select OK to confirm the changes, or Cancel to abandon them.

Also see:

Creating Reports

Using Dialog Boxes


Report Totals Dialog Box (DB)
 Report Totals Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to print a total of all the values for a given data item i.e. column, as part of a report. You may have up to four of the columns with totals included.

Item 1 to Item 4

Choose the data items to be totalled.

Total At

Set any of the three check boxes according to where you want each of the totals to appear.

Control Breaks	Print totals after a group of records which are grouped by having the same value under a particular data item e.g. the same Town as part of addresses. The total is for all the values in the group. Control breaks are set up when defining the sort order for the report.

Report End	Print the total at the end of the report with the total for all the values.

Page End	Print totals at the end of every page.

Page End Total

Choose what type of total will be printed at the end of every page (only relevant when the Page End check box is set). You can choose one of:

For Page	The total will be of all the values on the current page.

Running	The total will be a running total of all the values up to where the total is printed.

Select OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to abandon them.

Also see:

Creating Reports

Using Dialog Boxes


Page Margins Dialog Box (DB)
 Margins Dialog Box

This enables you to change the page margins used with a report layout.

Type in those values for the margins that you require. These will be in inches or centimetres according to the units that you have specified.

Page size

This lists a number of page sizes that you can choose from.

Width and Height

Type in the values here if you wish to select your own page size.

Portrait and Landscape

Indicate which way around the report is to be printed on the page:

Left Margin

The gap between the left edge of the page and the left edge of the report text.

Right Margin

The gap between the right edge of the page and the right edge of the report text.

The width of the text will therefore be:

Text  Width = Page Width - Left Margin - Right Margin

Top Margin

The gap between the top of the page and the top of the report text.

Bottom Margin

The gap between the bottom of the page and the bottom of the report text.

Select OK to make the changes to the report layout, Cancel to abandon such changes.

Also see:

Creating Reports

Using Dialog Boxes


Report Selection Dialog Box (DB)
 Report Selection Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to have only those records that pass a given selection included in a report. Choose the selection that you want to use. <All Records> is the default; choose this if you want all the records included in a report.

Select OK to accept the new selection, or Cancel to leave it as before.

Also see:

Creating Reports

Using Dialog Boxes


Layout Labels Command (DB)
 Tools Labels

Select this command to set up and edit label layouts.

This command brings up a dialog box, with a list of all the labels defined in this database. You may either select one of the names in the list for editing, or type in a new name if you are creating a new layout

Edit

Select this  button to create or edit a layout; this brings up the Label Layout Dialog Box.

Close

Select this to end editing label layouts.

Delete

Select this button to delete the currently highlighted label layout in the list.

Also see:

Defining Label Layouts

Using Dialog Boxes


Label Layout Dialog Box (DB)
 Label Layout Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to edit a label layout for printing.

Label Contents:

his contains the lines of the label. You can specify up to twenty lines.

Insert

To insert a line on the label and push down all existing lines below it, move the highlight in the Contents box to where the new line is to be placed and select the Insert button; this brings up the Label Line Dialog Box. Specify what items are to be placed on this line. To insert a blank line, do the same as for above, except specify no items to be displayed on the line.

Edit

Select this button to edit the highlighted label line. This brings up the Label Line Dialog Box.

Delete

Select this button to delete the highlighted label line.

Gallery

Used to select one of a standard set of label sizes and paper types. This brings up the Label Gallery Dialog Box.

Customize

Used for circumstances where none of the label types on the gallery correspond to the label type that you want to use. This brings up the Customize Label Dialog Box.

Appearance

Used to change the font, character style, and colour of the text on the label. This brings up the Label Appearance Dialog Box.

The text in the box at the bottom of the dialog box describes the label type. It is of the form:

Paper type	Either Cut sheet or continuous stationery.

x rows of y columns	Number of columns of labels, and if cut sheet labels are specified, the number of rows on each sheet.

Row Dimensions	The width by the depth for each label. Specified in inches or centimetres depending of your choice of Settings.

To save the new label, select OK; abandon the changes by selecting Cancel.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


Label Gallery Dialog Box (DB)
 Label Gallery Dialog Box

This dialog box presents you with a number of standard label types. The diagrams on the large buttons represent the label types and the numbers underneath them indicate the dimensions of a label (width x depth).

Choosing a standard label type:

With the Keyboard

Use Tab, [image] or [image] to move to the next label type; Shift+Tab, [image] or [image] to move back one label type. Press Return ( [image]) to select the one you want.

With the Mouse

Double-click on the button that represents the label type you want.

If you do not want any of them, select Cancel.

Also see:

Defining Label Layouts

Using Dialog Boxes.


Label Line Dialog Box (DB)
 Label Line Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up the layout of a line in the label layout.

Items 1 to 5

Select those items that you want displayed on the line of the label layout that you are editing. The items will go in the order from Item 1 on the left to Item 5 on the right.

Multi-line items

This concerns the way in which those data items which contain more than one line of will be displayed.

Maximum lines to occupy

The maximum number of lines that this line of the label layout will be allocated. The default is 1.

Wrap lines/Truncate lines

If the Wrap lines button is selected, then if the contents of the line gets too long for the label width, then the remainder will wrap around on to the next line, provided that there are enough lines allocated for this label line. If Truncate lines is chosen, then the remainder of such a line is truncated.

Select OK to make the changes, or Cancel to abandon them.

Also see:

Defining Label Layouts

Using Dialog Boxes


Customise Label Dialog Box (DB)
 Customize Label Dialog Box

This consists of a series of elements:

Stationery Type

You can print labels on continuous stationery (sometimes called fan-fold), or cut sheet (groups of labels on separate sheets).

Label Size

Give the label width and depth either in inches or centimetres depending on which units you chose in the settings.

Labels Per Page

Give the number of columns that lie side-by-side on the sheets of labels you are using and the number of rows of labels that lie on one sheet.

Label Positions On Page

These relate to the distance between the near edge of the top left hand label and the edge of the sheet, and the distance between the left and top edges of adjacent labels. These are specified in the current FastForms setting units.

To confirm the changes, select OK; to abandon them, select Cancel.

Also see:

Defining Label Layouts

Using Dialog Boxes


 Label Appearance Dialog Box

Select the appearance of the text on labels printed using the current label layout using the following.

Font

The left hand box lists all the typefaces on the specified target printer.

Those typefaces that are marked with the above symbol are directly available on the printer itself. These tend to print quicker than the others.

These are high quality standard Windows typefaces.

The list box on the right contains all the point sizes that are available for the selected typeface on that printer.

Those fonts that can be specified in any point size are said to be scalable. In addition to choosing the point size from the list, you can for certain typefaces type in the point size into this box. You can specify point sizes in half points e.g. 14.5 point.

Colour

This lists all the text colours.

Styles

This lists all the available character styles. Select these buttons by clicking on them, or by using the following keys:

Bold (Alt+B).

Italic (Alt+I).

Underline (Alt+U).

Word underline (Alt+W).

Double underline (Alt+D).

Select OK to confirm the changes, or Cancel to abandon them.

Also see:

Defining Label Layouts

Using Dialog Boxes


Layout Indices Command (DB)
  Tools Database Record Ordering

This command enables you to add, change and delete the current database's indices.

You can define up to four indices. Choose the data items that you wish to use for the indices.

To delete an index, select the Delete button on next to the index. If you delete the index that is set up as the currently used index, FastForms will revert to using the Record Number index.

Select OK to confirm the changes, Cancel to ignore them.

Also see:

Defining Indices

Changing Record Ordering

Using Dialog Boxes


Layout Selections Command (DB)
 Tools Filter Selections

This command brings up a dialog box, from which you can either choose any existing selection from the list, or to type in a new selection name.

Delete

To delete a selection, highlight the selection in the list and select this button.

Select the Edit button to bring up the Selection Definition dialog box. To finish altering the selections, select Close.

Also see:

Selection Definition Dialog Box

Defining Selections

Using Dialog Boxes


Deleting Selections (DB)
 Deleting Selections

To delete a selection:

1.	Choose the Tools Filter Selections command.

2.	Highlight the selection name in the list.

3.	Select the Delete button.

4.	You will then be asked to confirm the deletion.

Note

No selections can be deleted whilst the database layout is protected.

Also see:

Defining Selections


Selection Definition Dialog Box (DB)
 Selection Definition Dialog Box

There are a number of elements to this dialog box:

The Caption

The selection name being edited is displayed on the caption at the top of the dialog box.

Conditions List Box

All the conditions in the current selection are displayed here.

Combination Rule

If the And button is selected, then only those records that pass all the conditions in this selection are passed by the selection; if Or is chosen then all the records that pass any of the conditions in the selection are passed by the selection.

Add Comparison

Select this button if you wish to add a comparison to the selection. This brings up the Compare Dialog Box.

Add Selection

Select this button if you wish to make a nested selection reference. This brings up the Selection Dialog Box.

Add Range

Select this button if you wish to add a range check condition to the selection. This brings up the Range Check Dialog Box.

Delete

Select this button to delete the highlighted condition in the Conditions List Box.

Edit

Select this button to edit the highlighted condition in the Conditions List Box. This brings up the appropriate dialog box for the condition type.

Select OK to make any changes that were made. To abandon the changes, select the Cancel button.

Also see:

Defining Selections

Deleting Selections

Using Dialog Boxes


Selection Dialog Box (DB)
 Selection Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to include a nested selection reference in a selection.

The lists the names of all the other selections defined in this database; select the one you want to use.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes

Defining Selections

Selection Definition Dialog Box

 Loops of selection references are not allowed

This means that in using nested selections, selections double-back on to themselves, either directly or indirectly. These loops cannot be resolved. For example:

A selection called Age

Date of Birth Before 1/1/1940

Selection: Doctors

Another selection, Doctors

Title = Dr

If the Doctors selection has Selection: Age added, then a loop has been formed. The nested selection must be changed so that a loop does not form. Range Check Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up a range check condition.

Data Item

This contains a list of all the data items in the current database. Choose the one that you want tested.

Between

The lower value for the range check.

And

The upper value for the range check.

If the values have been put in the opposite order, they will be automatically swapped around.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes

Defining Selections

Selection Definition Dialog Box


Compare Dialog Box (DB)
 Compare Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up a comparison condition.

Data Item

This lists the names of all the data items that are defined in the database. Choose the one you wish to test in the comparison.

Test

This lists the types of comparison that can be carried out. Some tests are not available for certain types of data item e.g. before and after are only available for dates. The test available are:

= 	Test for data item being equal to value.

not = 	Test for data item not equal to value.

less than	Data Item less than value.

greater than	Data Item greater than value.

less than or =	Less than or equal to value.

greater than or =	Greater then or equal to value.

before	Data Item before value (Dates only).

after	Data Item after value (Dates Only).

contains	Data item contains a given character sequence.

blank	Test for field being blank.

not blank	Test for field containing something.

If the test is for Blank or Not Blank then no comparison value is necessary. For the other tests, the comparison value can be either a fixed value or another data item.

Value

Type in the value you wish to compare the data item with.

Or Data Item

This is another list containing the names of all the data items. Select a second data item you wish to compare with the first. Both data items must be of the same type.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes

Defining Selections

Selection Definition Dialog Box


Comparing data items of different types (DB)
 Comparing data items of different types

The data items that are selected for a comparison must be of the same data type for the comparison to be valid. Choose data items that are of the same type, or choose a comparison with a fixed value.


Form Page Margins Dialog Box (DB)
 Form Generation Margins Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up the page margins for the form that is generated when no form is specified for displaying or printing.

Type in those values for the margins that you require. These will be in inches or centimetres according to the units that you have specified.

Page size

This lists a number of page sizes that you can choose from.

Width and Height

Type in the values here if you wish to select your own page size.

Portrait and Landscape

Indicate which way around the report is to be printed on the page:

Left Margin

The gap between the left edge of the page and the left edge of the form text.

Right Margin

The gap between the right edge of the page and the right edge of the form text.

The width of the text will therefore be:

Text  Width = Page Width - Left Margin - Right Margin

Top Margin

The gap between the top of the page and the top of the form text.

Bottom Margin

The gap between the bottom of the page and the bottom of the form text.

Fit to Screen

Select the button below the left and right margins boxes to automatically set these margins so that the form horizontally fits the screen. Select the button below the top and bottom margins boxes to set the vertical margins such that the form vertically fits the screen.

Select OK to make the changes to the form margins, Cancel to abandon changes.

Also see:

Automatically Generated Form

Using Dialog Boxes


Layout Save Generated Form Command (DB)
 Layout Save Generated Form

Select this command to save the generated form to disk if it is currently being used.

Also see:

Automatically Generated Form


Insert Phrase Command (DB)
 Insert Phrase

Select this command to insert a standard phrase into the database.


Insert Todays Date Command (DB)
 Insert Todays Date

Select this command to insert Todays Date into the database.


Insert Picture Command (DB)
 Insert Picture

Select this command to insert a picture from a disk file into a picture item within the database.


Tools Maintenance Command (DB)
 Tools Database Maintenance

Selecting this command brings up a dialog box. With it you can view some statistics relating to the current database, along with a number of maintenance options:

Squash Database

Select this command button to reduce the size of the database file. This is useful where free disk space is limited. It does this by clearing out material in the database that is no longer wanted. Note that this includes all the deleted records, so previously deleted records cannot be retrieved after a database squash.

Undelete Records

You can retrieve records that have been deleted by selecting this button. You will then be given the option of selecting each deleted record for retrieval.

Rebuild Indices

If the index file has been corrupted or lost, the index can be recreated by selecting this button.

View/Delete Logs

Select this button for a list of all the logs entries in the current database, and to delete any of them. If there are any logs entries, then the View/Delete Logs Dialog Box will come up.

Select Close when you want to exit from the maintenance dialog box.

Also see:

Reducing File Size

Retrieving Deleted Records

Using Dialog Boxes


View/Delete Logs Dialog Box (DB)
 View/Delete Logs Dialog Box

Logs:

This lists all the logs entries that are in the current database.

Delete

Selecting this button will delete the all the highlighted logs in the list. You will be asked to confirm the deletion before it is carried out.

Cancel

Quit the dialog box without deleting any logs.

Also see:

Logs

Tools Maintenance Command


All the selected logs will be deleted (DB)
 All the selected logs will be deleted: are you sure?

You have selected the Delete button in the View/Delete Logs Dialog Box for deleting logs entries from the current database. Confirmation for this action is being sought.

Select Yes, or press Y, to delete the logs; select No, or press N, to stop the deletion.

Also see:

Logs


The record filter is being removed (DB)
 The record filter is being removed

You have deleted one or more of the logs entries in the current database. One of these log entries was being used as the current filter. As it is deleted, it can no longer be used, and therefore filtering has been switched off.

Also see:

Filtering Records


Tools View Log Inclusion Command (DB)
 View Log Inclusions

Selecting this command brings up a dialog box that lists all the logs entries that the current record is included in.

Select the Close button to exit from the dialog box.

Also see:

Logs

Using Dialog Boxes


View Other FormCommand (DB)
 View Other Form

Use this command to view any form linked to the current database.  This will place the database mode in  FormView so that each record may be viewed and edited within is own form.

Also see:

Linking Forms to Databases


View Other List Command (DB)
 View Other List

Use this command to view any list defined for the current database.  This will place the database in ListView so that each record is seen as a row in a list of records from the database.

Also see:

Defining Lists and Reports


View Auto Form Command (DB)
 View Auto Generated Form

Use this command to view the automatically generated form for the current database.  This will place the database mode in  FormView so that each record may be viewed and edited within is own form.

Also see:

Linking Forms to Databases


View Auto List Command (DB)
 View Auto Generated List

Use this command to view the automatically generated list for the current database.  This will place the database in ListView so that each record is seen as a row in a list of records from the database.

Also see:

Defining Lists and Reports


 Tools Link Form Command

Use this command to link a form to the database.

This is done via the Form Linking Wizard.

See:

Linking Forms to the Database

Also see:

Unlinking Forms


 Tools Unlink Form

Use this command to unlink a previously linked form.

See:

Unlinking Forms

Also see:

Linking Forms to the Database


Options Vertical Scroll Bar (DB)
 Options Vertical Scroll Bar

Switches the display of the vertical scroll bar on and off.

Notes

1.	Even when the vertical scroll bar is set for display, it will only appear when not all of the screen form will fit vertically into the document window displaying it.

2.	The page buttons [image] and [image] will only appear if there is more than one page in the form.

Also see:

Using Scroll Bars


Options Horizontal Scroll Bar (DB)
 Options Horizontal Scroll Bar

Switches the display of the horizontal scroll bar on and off.

Note

Even when the horizontal scroll bar is set for display, it will only appear when not all of the screen form will fit horizontally into the document window displaying it.

Also see:

Using Scroll Bars


Options Settings Command (DB)
 Options Settings

Choose this command to change the settings that are used throughout FastForms. For details, see Settings.


Data Import Dialog Box (DB)
 Data Import Dialog Box

This gives information on what is currently happening during a database import, including the name of the file where the records are coming from, the log name for this data import, the number of records currently imported, and what is currently happening.

To stop importing records before the process is complete, select Cancel. If it has stopped, select OK to finish.

Also see:

Importing Records from Other Databases


Delete data item (DB)
 Delete data item: are you sure?

You have selected the Delete button under the Layout Data Items command for deleting data items from the database. Doing this would cause any information saved in records under this item to be lost. You are being asked to confirm the deletion.

Click Yes, or press Y, to delete the data item, or click N, or press N, to stop the deletion.


Undelete this record? (DB)
 Undelete this record?

When retrieving deletions you are given an opportunity to select each deleted record for retrieval. The record behind the dialog box is the records being referred to. There are three options:

Click Yes, or press Y or Return ( [image]), to retrieve the record.

Click No, or press N to leave the record deleted.

Click Cancel, or press Esc, to end retrieving records before the end.

Also see:

Retrieving Deleted Records


Squash database file (DB)
 Squash database file: are you sure?

You are being asked to confirm if you want the current database file to be squashed to make it smaller. The consequence of this action would be that any records that have been deleted would no longer be retrievable. You have two options:

Click Yes, or press Y, to squash the database.

Click No, or press N or Return ( [image]) to abandon squashing.

Also see:

Reducing File Size


Squashing database (DB)
 Squashing Database Dialog Box

Database squashing is in progress. To abandon squashing before completion, select the Cancel button. When the squashing is completed, this button changes to OK; select this to close the dialog box.

Also see:

Reducing File Size


Not a TopMail file (DB)
 Not a TopMail file

The file from which you have tried to import TopMail records is not recognised as a TopMail file.

Also see:

Importing Records from Other Databases


Import Truncation Error
 Error during database import...

During the importing of one of the records, it was found that the length of an item was too long for the field that it was being copied to. The copied item had to be truncated for it to fit.

Ignore any other errors of this type

If there are likely to be other records where this type of error will also happen, you can suppress this warning message coming up again by setting the check box.

Select OK to continue with the import, or Cancel to abandon importing.

Also see:

Importing Records from Other Databases


Import Incompatible Data Error
 Error during database import...

During the importing of one of the records, it was found that the data type of an imported item was incompatible with the item it was being imported to. The imported item is ignored.

Ignore any other errors of this type

If there are likely to be other records where this type of error will also happen, you can suppress this warning message coming up again by setting the check box.

Select OK to continue with the import, or Cancel to abandon importing.

Also see:

Importing Records from Other Databases


Filter is being removed... (DB)
 Filter is being removed since no records can pass it

The filter that was being applied to the database can no longer be used since none of the records can pass it. The application of the filter is stopped (the filter itself remains in the database).

Also see:

Filtering Records


Help Menu Bar Commands (DB)
 Help Menu Bar Commands

Index	Bring up the first help topic.

Keyboard	Bring up help on the keyboard functions.

Commands	Bring up help on the menu bar commands.

Using Help	Bring up help on how to use help.

About	Bring up the About dialog box.


Help Index Command (DB)
 Help Index

Select this command to bring up the first topic in the help system.


Help Keyboard Command (DB)
 Help Keyboard

Select this command to get help on the functions available from the keyboard.


Help Commands Command (DB)
 Help Commands

Select this command to get help on the functions available from the menu bar.


Help On Help Command (DB)
 Help Using Help

Select this command to bring up the Windows help on how to use the help facility.


Help About Command (DB)
 Help About

Selecting this command reveals the About Dialog Box.


FastForms Help
 FAST FORMS 3 HELP

 General Notes on Using FastForms

 Database

Used for storing and manipulating data e.g mailing lists, and for printing letters and forms for mail shots.

 Forms Entry

For filling and printing forms, invoice slips etc.

 Form Designer

Designing and printing forms, invoice slips etc.

 Inserted Pictures

How to insert pictures.


 General Notes on Using FastForms

The TopLevel Dialog Box

The FastForms Window

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows

FastForms Menu Commands

FastForms Keys

One Line Help

Foreign, Scientific and Currency Characters

Alternative Method for Selecting F-key Functions

Opening Files

Saving Files

Deleting Files from Disk

Selecting Printers

Selecting Paper Trays/Bins

Settings

Selecting Menu Commands

System Menus

Using Scroll Bars

Using Dialog Boxes

Application Keys

Exiting from FastForms


 FastForms Menu Commands

Refer to the following topics on the menu bar commands available in FastForms:

Database Commands

Form Entry Commands

Form Designer Commands


 FastForms Keys

Refer to the following topics on the key combinations that are used in FastForms:

Database Keys

Form Entry Keys

Form Designer Keys

Also see:

Dialog Box Keys

Application Keys


 Exiting from FastForms

To exit from FastForms, press Alt+F4.

Another Method

1.	Press F12. This will bring up the TopLevel Dialog Box.

2.	Select the Exit button.

Note

If there are any open forms in FastForms that are not saved on exiting, you will be warned and given the opportunity to abandon exiting or saving the unsaved forms before exiting.

Also see:

System Menus

Application Keys


 Selecting Menu Commands

Most of the command menus appear on the menu bar at the top of the FastForms window, just below the title. On it are several titles, each one has its own drop-down menu. The titles that appear on the menu bar vary according to the type of document window that is currently active.

In addition to the menus on the menu bar, there are also System Menus ( [image]).

To Select a Menu Command

With the Keyboard

1.	Open the menu on which the command is listed by either: (a) pressing Alt+underlined letter for the title on the menu bar, or (b) pressing Alt and then using the [image] and [image] keys to highlight the menu title you want.

2.	Select the command by either: (a) pressing the underlined letter for the command on the drop-down menu, or (b) Using the [image] and [image] keys to move the highlight over the command name and pressing Return ( [image]).

For example, Selecting the Options Settings command: Press Alt+O followed by S.

With the Mouse

1.	Open the drop-down menu on which the command is listed by clicking on the title.

2.	Click on the command in the drop-down menu.

Closing a Drop-down Menu

Press Esc. To remove highlighting from the menu bar, press Esc again.

Notes

1.	If a command name is dimmed, then it is not available at the time. This command may be available only under certain circumstances.

2.	If there is a tick ( [image]) after a name, then the command function is active. This is used where functions can be switched on and off.

3.	'...' after a command name indicates that selecting this command will bring up a dialog box.

4.	A key combination after a command name indicates the keyboard short cut that can be used to invoke this command.

Also see:

System Menus


 System Menus

These is also known as control menus. If a document window in is maximized, this appears on the menu bar; if it is not, then it appears next to the title in the document window. It is indicated by a [image].

This menu is used for setting the size and switching between the document windows within FastForms.

There is also an application system menu on the left hand side of the caption at the top of the FastForms window. This is used for setting the size and for closing the FastForms window.

Selecting a System Menu

With the Mouse

Simply click on the menu [image].

With the Keyboard

To select the system menu for a document window, press Alt+hyphen.

To select the system menu for FastForms, press Alt+Spacebar.

Also see:

Selecting Menu Commands

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


 Alternative Method for Selecting F-key Functions

To remind you what the function keys do, and to make the function key operations accessible by use of the mouse, FastForms has a function key bar. They are labelled to indicate their function and the function key they are equivalent to.

To select a function, click the function button for the function you want.

The function key bar can be displayed either at the bottom or at the top of the FastForms window. Alternatively, it can be removed to allow greater room in the window. To do this:

1.	Select the Options Settings command on the menu bar; this brings up the Settings Dialog Box.

2.	Select one of the radio buttons in the Function Buttons box.

Also see:

Settings


 One Line Help

A brief, one line help on a menu item can be displayed near the bottom of the FastForms window. This will give you a summary on what a menu command will do.

To Display the One Line Help

If the help line is not currently displayed:

1.	Select the Options Settings command on the menu bar. Alternatively, select the TopLevel Dialog Box and select the Settings... button.

2.	The Settings Dialog Box will come up. Set the Display 1 line help check box.

3.	Select OK.

To remove the one line help, follow the above procedure, except clear the check box.

To Display One Line Help on a Command

1.	Select the menu which the command is listed.

2.	Use the [image] and [image] keys to highlight the command name.

Note

When a menu item is not selected, the help line displays a set of foreign, currency or scientific characters for you to use in a document.

Also see:

Selecting Menu Commands

Foreign, Scientific and Currency Characters


 Foreign, Scientific and Currency Characters

Characters not accessible directly from the keyboard can be entered into documents by use of one of the sets of extended keys. These are displayed on the one line help line at the bottom of the FastForms window when a menu item is not selected.

To Display the One Line Help Line

If this line is not currently displayed:

1.	Select the Options Settings command on the menu bar. Alternatively, select the TopLevel Dialog Box and select the Settings... button.

2.	The Settings Dialog Box will come up. Set the Display 1 line help check box.

3.	Select OK.

To remove the one line help line, follow the above procedure, except clear the check box.

Selecting a Character

1.	If the character is not displayed on the line, you can cycle through the other sets of characters by clicking the [image] or [image] buttons on the line, or by pressing Ctrl+F1 or Ctrl+F2.

2.	To enter a character into the document, press Ctrl+the number next to the character as displayed on the line. Note that the help line need not be displayed to access these extended characters.

Also see:

One Line Help


Description of FastForms Window
 The FastForms Window

The above diagram shows the FastForms window with one open document window which is not maximized. Each of the elements that make up the FastForms window are described below:

The System (Control) Menu

This is indicated by a bar at the top left corner of a window. The FastForms window and any document window within it have a system menu each. The commands in the system menu enable you to move windows, alter the size of windows and close windows.

The Title Bar

If the document window is maximized, then this indicates what type of application, and the name of the document is being displayed. This is on the title bar of the document window if it is not maximized. If the document is not saved, then a * indicates this fact.

The Application and Document Workspaces

These are the areas in which work on the application and document take place. Several document windows can be opened in the application workspace.

The Menu Bar

This appears at the top of the FastForms window. It lists all the available command menus for the current application.

The Status Bar

This lies just below the menu bar. It gives current information on the contents of the active document window. Some elements of the status bar can also be used to change the contents of the document window, such as text fonts, character style etc.

Scroll Bars

For moving around a window if everything is not displayed in it.

The Function Key Bar

These are buttons that enable you use function key operations with the use of the mouse. By default they are displayed at the bottom of the application window, but by it can be displayed at the top of the window or hidden altogether.

The Maximize Button

Clicking this button brings the window size to its maximum allowed. When maximized, the maximize button is replaced with a restore [image] button. This can then be used to reduce the window to its previous size.

The Minimize Button

Clicking this button reduces the window to an icon.

The Window Border

This is the outside edge of the windows. It is not displayed if the window is maximized. You can use it to pull out or push in the window borders.

The Window Corner

Used to pull out or push in two sides of a window at the same time.

Note

In the above diagram, both the FastForms (or application) window and the document window are not shown as being maximized, so that more of the typical elements of the windows can be shown.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


Opening; Switching and Closing Document Windows
 Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows

To Open a Window in FastForms

1.	Press F12 to bring up the TopLevel Dialog Box.

2.	Select the icon for the type of document window you wish to open.

3.	Select the New Window button, or press Return ( [image]).

To Switch to Another Open Document Window

4 Methods:

Press F12 to bring up the TopLevel Dialog Box, choose the name of the document window from one of the lists, and select the Select Window button.

Select the name of the document from the Window menu.

Cycle through all the open document windows by pressing Ctrl+F6.

If a document window is currently displayed on screen, then click on it with your mouse.

To Close a Document Window

2 Methods:

Press Ctrl+F4 to close the active document window.

Bring up the TopLevel Dialog Box, highlight the name in one of the lists, and select the Close Window button.

Also see:

The TopLevel Dialog Box

Selecting Menu Commands


 The FastForms System Menu

These commands relate to moving and altering the size of the FastForms window.

Command	Function

Restore	Puts the window into an intermediate size and with a border.

Move	Use this command to move the window to another place in the Program Manager window.

Size	Used to alter the size of the window by altering the border position.

Minimize	Reduces FastForms to an icon. This is not the same as closing it and any documents within it are not lost.

Maximize	Increases the window size to its maximum.

Close	Quit from FastForms. If you have any unsaved documents, you will be given the opportunity to save them if desired.

Switch To	Switch to another open application. This brings up the Task List dialog box.

Also see:

Selecting Menu Commands


 Document Window System Menu

These commands relate to moving and altering the size of a document window.

Command	Function

Restore	Puts the window into an intermediate size and with a border.

Move	Use this command to move the window to another place in the Program Manager window.

Size	Used to alter the size of the window by altering the border position.

Minimize	Reduces FastForms to an icon. This is not the same as closing it and any documents within it are not lost.

Maximize	Increases the window size to its maximum.

Close	Close the current document window. If the document in this window is unsaved, then you will be given an opportunity to save it.

Next	Switch to the next open document window.

Also see:

Selecting Menu Commands

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


System Restore Command
 System Restore

Restores the window to a size between maximized and minimized, and with a border with which you can alter the size of the window.

You can also set the size of a window to restored by clicking on the [image] button.


System Move Command
 System Move

Select this command to move an active window. The pointer changes to a four-headed arrow and a new window border appears in a different colour to indicate where the window is.

You can also move a window by dragging on its title bar.

Note

This command is not available if the window is maximized.


System Size Command
 System Size

Select this command to alter the size of an active window. The pointer changes to a four-headed arrow and a new window border appears in a different colour to indicate how big the window is.

You can also alter the size of a window by dragging on the border of the window.

Note

This command is not available if the window maximized.


System Minimize Command
 System Minimize

Selecting this command reduces the active window to its minimum size, displaying the window as an icon.

Note

This command is not available if the window is not maximized.


System Maximize Command
 System Maximize

Selecting this command increases the active window to its maximum size. If the window is a document window, then it will be increased so that if fills the workspace of the FastForms window. If the window you are maximizing is the FastForms window, then it is increased to fill the whole screen.


System Close Command
 System Close

Closes the active window. If you are closing a document window, if this window contains an unsaved document, you will be warned and given the opportunity to save it before closing the window. If you are closing the FastForms window, then you will be warned about each unsaved document and be given the opportunity to save each one.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


System Next Command
 System Next

Makes the next document window  in FastForms active.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


System Switch To Command
 System Switch To

This brings up the Task List dialog box, which lists all the currently open applications in Windows.


Save Changes?
 Save Changes Message

The action that you have just attempted will cause the unsaved document named in this warning message to be lost. You are being asked if you want to save it. You have three options:

Yes	Click this (or press Y) to save the document before the operation you specified is carried out. If the document is untitled, the Files Save Dialog Box will come up, requesting a file name.

No	Click this button (or press N) if you do not want to save the document in question.

Cancel	Click this (or press Esc) to abandon the operation  and go back to the document window.

Also see:

Saving Files


 Using Scroll Bars

Provided that the displaying of scroll bars has not been suppressed, scroll bars appear wherever a document is not entirely displayed in its document window at once. They enable you move around the display.

Horizontal scroll bars are for moving the display left and right, and vertical scroll bar for moving up and down. A horizontal scroll bar is illustrated below:

Click the scroll arrow buttons to move left and right by a small amount, or up and down for vertical scroll bars.

Click the scroll track to the left (or above for vertical scroll bars) of the scroll button's position to move the display left (up) by one screen, and click it to the right (below) to move the display right (down) by one display area.

Drag the scroll track button along to an approximate area that  you want to be displayed.

For Document Windows Only...

Where appropriate, the vertical scroll bar will also have two page buttons [image] and [image]. Click on these to move up and down by pages within a document.


TopLevel Dialog Box
 The TopLevel Dialog Box

This dialog box offers you a way of opening, switching between, and closing document windows.

The FastForms Icons

The icons in this dialog box represent each of the applications in FastForms. Under each of these icons there is a list box that lists all the document windows currently open.

New Window and Select Window

New Window is displayed when one of the icons is highlighted for creating a new document window. If one of the document names in the lists is highlighted, the button becomes Select Window, for switching to the highlighted window.

Close Window

Closes the document window with the highlighted name.

Settings...

Brings up the Settings Dialog Box for changing the settings used throughout FastForms.

Exit

Closes FastForms.

Cancel

Closes the dialog box and returns to the last document window worked in.

Also see:

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows

Using Dialog Boxes


 Cannot open more than seven windows per application

There is a limit of seven windows that can be open at any one time for each application in FastForms. You have tried to open a eighth, which cannot be done.

Also see:

TopLevel Dialog Box


 Settings

Settings are parameters that are used throughout FastForms. These are:

The units of measurement. This can be either in inches or centimetres.

The display of brief one line help in the FastForms window.

Where and whether the function key bar is displayed.

The use of the normal or an alternative set of colours in the display in the FastForms window.

The default file paths for the various documents created by FastForms.

Whether each scroll bar is displayed when a document window is opened.

Also see:

Settings Dialog Box


 Settings Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to change various settings for FastForms.

Function Buttons

Determines whether and where the function key bar is displayed.

The three check boxes are for how these buttons will be displayed. Select Text Only or Picture Only for the buttons to display only text or only pictures. If Key Numbers is set, then the key numbers i.e. F1, F2 etc are displayed on the buttons.

Measurement Units

Where measurements are used, the units can be specified in either inches or centimetres.

Show Scroll Bars Initially

Determines whether the horizontal and vertical scroll bars are displayed when you open a document window for each of the applications. If a check box is set, then the scroll bar it represents is displayed.

Alternative Colour Set

Certain features in FastForms can be displayed in an alternative colour. If this check box is clear, then the current colours are used. If it is set, then an alternative colour set is used.

Display 1 Line Help

If the check box is set, then a brief one-line, context sensitive help is displayed at the bottom of the FastForms Window. Otherwise, it is not.

Default File Paths

These text boxes contain the default paths that are used when you attempt to open or save file of each of the listed types. Note that this can be overridden when opening or saving a particular file.

Select OK to use the new settings, or Cancel to ignore any changes that you have made.

Also see:

One Line Help

Foreign, Scientific and Currency Characters

Alternative Method for Selecting F-key Functions

Using Dialog Boxes


 Using Dialog Boxes

Dialog Box Basics

Moving Around a Dialog Box

Changing the Contents of Dialog Box Controls

Extended Options

Dialog Box Keys


 Dialog Box Basics

This is a Windows way of interacting with a user . A dialog box contains a number of features which contain information, some of which can be changed by you. These are illustrated in the example of a dialog box shown below:

(a)	Title bar. This is the name of the dialog box.

(b)	System menu box. Use this to move the dialog box via the keyboard.

(c)	Text box. An area you can type text into.

(d)	Drop-down list box. The list is usually concealed, and the current choice from the list is displayed in the top box. In addition, in some drop-down list boxes, you can type into the top area.

(e)	List Box. This is a box that contains a list of items; you can select one (in some cases more) of these. The list is never hidden.

(f)	Scroll bar. This appears with list boxes if the items in the list cannot be displayed all at once. Use it to move up and down the list.

(g)	Command buttons.

(h)	Radio buttons. These usually come in groups. Only one can be selected in a group; if one is selected the others will all be off.

(i)	Check box.This is a square box with a caption. If it has been selected a cross appears in it; otherwise it is blank.


 Moving Around a Dialog Box

With the Keyboard

The following key combinations have the following effect in a dialog box:

Key(s)	Function

Tab	Move to the next control.

Shift+Tab	Move to the last control.

Return ( [image])	Confirm the changes that you made within the dialog box and exit the dialog box. Equivalent to clicking the OK button.

Esc	Abandon the dialog box without enacting the changes that you made within it.

You can also go to a particular control by pressing Alt+the underlined letter in the control's title.

With the Mouse

With the mouse: move the pointer over the control you wish to move to and click the left button; the highlight will move to reflect this.

Also see:

Changing Contents of Dialog Box Controls


 Changing the Contents of Dialog Box Controls

(a)

For text boxes: Highlight the text box, then edit the text inside.

(b)

For list boxes:

With the Keyboard	Use Tab or Alt+underlined letter to select the list box. Press [image] and [image] or the first letter of a list item name to move through the list.

With the Mouse	Click on the list item, or highlight it and press Return ( [image]) to make a selection.

(c)

For drop-down list boxes:

With the Keyboard	Use tab or Alt+underlined letter to select a list. Press Alt+ [image] to reveal the list. Then select the list item in a similar way to (b).

With the Mouse	Click on the arrow next to the list to reveal it. Then select the item in the list.

(d)

Check boxes: Either click on these using the mouse, or move on to the check box and press the Space Bar to switch the check mark on and off. A check box that is temporarily unavailable for change is dimmed.

(e)

Radio buttons: Change which one of a group is selected by clicking on it using the mouse, or select the group and press the [image] and [image] keys to change the selection. An radio button that is temporarily unavailable for change is dimmed.


 Dialog Box Keys

Key(s)	Function

 and 	Move up and down within a list box or group of radio buttons.

Tab	Move to next dialog box item.

Shift+Tab	Move to previous dialog box item..

Return ( [image])	Exit dialog box and confirm any changes made.

Esc	Exit dialog box and ignore any changes made.

Alt+	Drop a drop-down list to reveal the contents, or raise it again.

Alt+underlined letter	Move to the item which is labelled with the underlined letter.

Alt+F4	Equivalent to Esc.

Ctrl+Esc	Brings up the Task List for all the Windows applications currently open.


 Extended Options

Extended Options are available if there is an Options>> button in the dialog box. Clicking this button will reveal these options; treat these as any of the other options in the dialog box.


 Application Keys

These keys have the same effect in all parts of  FastForms.

Key(s)	Function

Alt	Select the menu bar.

F10	Ditto.

Alt+Tab	Swap out to next application in Windows.

Alt+Shift+Tab	Swap out to previous application in Windows.

Alt+ '-'	Bring up the system menu for the current document window.

Alt+Spacebar	Bring up FastForms system menu.

Ctrl+Esc	Switch to another application.

Ctrl+F4	Close the current document window.

Ctrl+F6	Go to next open document window within FastForms.

Alt+F4	Quit out of FastForms.

F12	Bring up the TopLevel Dialog Box without closing the current document window.


 Saving Files

When you create, or make changes to, a document, the changes made are stored in your computer's memory. If you want to keep these, you will need to save the document onto disk. Databases are an exception; the changes made to these are automatically saved to disk as you make them.

To save a document in the current document window:

1.	To Save an Unnamed Document

1.	Select the Files Save As command from the menu bar.

2.	This will bring up the Files Save Dialog Box, requesting the file name and path that the file will be saved under. There are restrictions on the file names that you may use; see File Names for details.

Note

Choosing the Files Save command will in this instance have the same effect as the Files Save As command.

2.	Saving an Existing Document

To save a document under its existing names, choose the Files Save command.

3.	Saving a Document Under a New Name

To save a document under a new name, select the Files Save As command on the menu bar. Then fill in the file name and path when the Save As dialog box is presented.

4.	Saving Other Types of Files

To save other things, such as document layouts, choose the appropriate command, for example Save Layout; this will also bring up a Files Save dialog box.

Also see:

Files Save Dialog Box

Selecting Menu Commands

File Names


 File Names

There are restrictions on the file names that you can use. The following rules apply:

1.	A file name consists of the name up to eight characters.

2.	You can also have a file extension of up to three characters. The name and extension are separated by a full stop character.

3.	You cannot use wild card characters i.e. * and ?. These have special uses.


Save As Dialog Box
 Files Save Dialog Box

Use this command to save a file under a given name.

Path

This text indicates which file path is currently being used.

Directories

This list box lists all the directories from the root directory to the current directory. It also lists all sub-directories. To go to one of these directories, highlight one and select OK, or double click on it.

Drives

This lists all the drives that are currently available.

Files

This lists the files in the current directory with names that are specified by the contents of the File name text box.

File name

Type in the name of the file you want to open into this box. Wildcard characters * and ? can be used to list a group of files with similar names in the Files list box.

List files of type

This lists all the file types that the document can be saved as; if one of these is selected, then the text in the File name list box will change so that all files with an extension for files of a given type will be listed e.g *.TXT for text or ASCII files.

Delete

Delete the file with the name highlighted in the Files list.

Library (Saving Forms Only)

Selecting this button will set the path to the directory containing the library of standard forms that came with FastForms.

Select OK to save a file, or Cancel to abandon saving.

Also see:

Deleting Files From Disk

File Names

Using Dialog Boxes


 Deleting Files From Disk

To delete any file from disk:

Use the Files Save As or Files Open commands to bring up the Files Save Dialog Box or the Files Open Dialog Box respectively. Then:

1.	Select the directory and file name of the file to be deleted.

2.	Select the Delete command button.

3.	You will be asked for confirmation before the file is deleted from disk.


Delete this file
 Delete this file: are you sure?

You have just attempted to delete the selected file in the dialog box, and you are being asked to confirm the deletion. Click the Yes button (or press Y) to delete the file, or click No (or press N) to stop the deletion.

Also see:

Deleting Files From Disk


 Opening Files

Opening a document on disk and loading it into the current document window.

1.	Select the appropriate command from the menu bar. For main document this will be the Files Open command. For (spreadsheet, word processor and form) layout files, this will be Layout Apply Saved Layout.

2.	Selecting either of these commands will bring up the Files Open Dialog Box. Fill in the details for the file name and path of the file that you want to open.

3.	Select OK to open the file.

Also see:

Selecting Menu Commands

File Names


 Files Open Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to open a file on disk with a given name.

Path

This text indicates which file path is currently being used.

Directories

This list box lists all the directories from the root directory to the current directory. It also lists all sub-directories. To go to one of these directories, highlight one and select OK, or double click on the directory name.

Drives

This lists all the drives that are currently available.

Files

This lists the files in the current directory with names that are specified by the contents of the File name text box.

File name

Type in the name of the file you want to open into this box. Wildcard characters * and ? can be used to list a group of files with similar names in the Files list box.

List files of type

This lists all the file types that can be opened for a application; if one of these is selected, then the text in the File name list box will change so that all files with an extension for files of a given type will be listed e.g *.FRM for FormTool for DOS files.

Set default path

If this check box is set, then the current file path will be used as the default path for the current document window.

Delete

Delete the file with the name highlighted in the Files list.

Library (Forms Only)

Selecting this button will set the path to the directory containing the library of standard forms that came with FastForms.

Select OK to open a file, or Cancel to abandon opening.

Also see:

Deleting Files From Disk

File Names

Using Dialog Boxes


 Fonts Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to select a different font from the one currently being used.

Typeface

This lists all the typefaces that are available on the specified target printer.

Those typefaces that are marked with the above symbol are directly available on the printer itself. These tend to print quicker than some of the others.

These are high quality standard Windows typefaces.

Point Size

The list box on the right contains all the point sizes that are available for the selected typeface on that printer.

Scalable

For those fonts that can be specified in any point size are said to be scalable. In addition to choosing the point size from the list, you can for certain typefaces type in the point size into this box. You can specify point sizes in half points e.g. 14.5 point.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


 Colours Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set a different colour. Choose the colour from the given list.

To set the colour, select OK. To leave colour as it is, select Cancel.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


 About Printing Dialog Box

This dialog box comes up whenever printing is being carried out. The text in this box indicates the file name of the document, and the page number that is currently being printed.

This dialog box will remain on the screen until all the document has been sent to your printer.

To Abandon Printing Before the End

To do this, select the Cancel button. This will abandon printing at the page indicated in the dialog box. If FastForms is part way through sending a page, then another dialog box asking whether you want to complete this page will come up.

Also see:

Complete current page?


 Complete current page?

This dialog box comes up when you have abandoned printing before completion and FastForms was part way through sending a page.

To complete the printing of the page, click the Yes command button (or press Y). To abandon this page, click No (or press N).


 Using the Print Preview

When you first set FastForms to print preview a document, you will be presented with a view of the current page of the document on the screen as it would appear on a printed page. The column of push buttons on the right hand side give you a number of features:

>>	Move the display one page onward in the document. If the end has been reached, this button is inoperative.

<<	Move the display one page backward in the document. If the beginning has been reached, this button is inoperative.

Go To	Go to a page in the document for print preview. Selecting this button brings up a Go To Dialog Box.

Single Page	Switch the page display from two pages shown at a time to one page at a time. Inoperative if already being displayed this way.

Double Page	Switch the page display to displaying two pages at one time. Inoperative if this is already the way it is displayed.

Thumbnail	Displays a number of pages on the screen scaled down.

Fingernail	Displays the most number of pages scaled to the smallest size.

Print	Print the currently displayed document.

Cancel	Exit from print previewing, go back to editing.

Also see:

Print Preview Keys


 Go To Dialog Box (Print Preview)

Use this dialog box to print preview the current document from a certain page.

Top

Go to the first page in the current document.

Bottom

Go to the last page in the current document.

Page No.

Type into this text box the page number you want to go to.

Select OK to go to the page in Page No., or Cancel to stay on the current page.

Also see:

Using the Print Preview


 Print Preview Keys

For moving around a document when print previewing.

Key(s)	Function

Page Down (PgDn)	Move display one page down.

Page Up (PgUp)	Move display one page up.

Ctrl+Home	Go to the first page.

Ctrl+End	Go to the last page.

Alt+S	Switch to display of one page at a time.

Alt+D	Switch to display of two pages at a time.

Alt+T	Switch to thumbnail view.

Alt+F	Switch to fingernail view.

Alt+G	Go to a specific page.

Alt+P	Print the document.

Esc	End print preview and go back to editing.

Also see:

Using the Page Preview


Editing Tables
 Editing Tables in Dialog Boxes

Tables occur where there is an array of data or layout information. Tables are always within dialog boxes.

{table.bmp}

Moving Around a Table

The outline cursor shows which cell is the current cell. The following explains how to move this cursor.

With the Keyboard

Use the following keys:

Key(s)	Function

, [image], [image],	Move left, right, up, down by one cell.

Ctrl+ [image], [image], [image],	Ditto

PgUp	Move up by one displayed group of rows.

PgDn	Move down by one displayed group of rows.

Ctrl+PgUp	Move left by one displayed group of columns.

Ctrl+PgDn	Move right by one displayed group of columns.

Home	Move to the left most cell in the current row.

End	Move to the right most column in the current row.

Ctrl+Home	Move to the top left cell in the table.

Ctrl+End	Move to the bottom right cell in the table.

With the Mouse

Click on the cell you wish to move to. In addition, you can use the scroll bar to bring items not currently displayed into view. See Using Scroll Bars.

To Enter Data into a Table

There are two ways to edit the contents of a cell:

1.	Press F2 or click on the text box, then type in the text into the edit box. When you have finished editing the cell contents, press the Return ( [image]) key. The cell movement keys move the cursor within the text box.

2.	Type text directly into the cell. In this case the cell movement keys operate in their normal way, so that when they are used, the outline cursor moves to another cell.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


 Could not find initialisation file

The initialisation file contains the FastForms settings information. This file could not be opened. The default settings will therefore be used.

Also see:

Settings


Print Control Dialog Box
 Print Routing Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to set up which target printer is to be used to print your document, which paper trays are to be used (if there are any), and also to set up new drivers and adjust existing ones.

Target Printers

The top list box contains a list of all the printer drivers that are currently set up. Choose the one you want to use from this list.

Use Windows Default Printer

If this is checked; the currently defined default printer will be highlighted.

However, if the default printer is changed subsequently, the document will change with it to use the new default.  Use this particularly if you would like to control the output device by using the Printer Setup command.  If a printer is selected from the list; this checkbox will become unchecked, and the document will always try to use the selected printer.

First Page, Middle Pages and Last Page

Each of these list boxes contains a list of all the trays supported in the selected printer driver. Choose the tray you want to use for the first page, last page, and the pages in between these in your document.

Setup >>

Select this button to set up a new printer driver, or to adjust the settings for an existing driver. The dialog box that comes up contains details on appearance, orientation etc.

Select OK to make the changes, or Cancel to ignore them.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


 Incompatible Page Settings Dialog Box

The page size that you have specified for your document are bigger than the page size set up for the printer driver itself. This means that the document pages will not fit on to an actual page. To solve this, the page margins must be reduced, or the print settings page size must be increase.

Print Settings >>

Select this button to bring up the print settings dialog box. What is in this dialog box will depend on the current printer driver, but there will be controls for setting the page size.

Page Margins >>

Select this button to bring up the dialog box for page margins.

Select Continue to continue with printing or previewing.

Select Cancel to ignore any changes; the printing or previewing you were carrying out will be abandoned.

Also see:

Using Dialog Boxes


 Cannot find preview font file

A file necessary for the operation of the print preview cannot be found or opened.

Re-install FastForms to solve this problem.


 Selecting Printers

When you select fonts, you are presented with a list of all the available fonts for the currently selected printer driver. If your printer has trays or bins, then the ones used will also depend on which printer driver is used, and the way it is set up.

Selecting a Different Printer

1.	Select the Print Routing command for the document you want to print. For most of the applications, this involves selecting its Layout Print Routing command. For databases, there is a Print Routing option for the printing of labels and database reports.

2.	The Print Routing Dialog Box will come up. If the printer you want to select is named in the list, then select it. If the printer's name is not in the list, then you will need to install the printer via Window's Control Panel. Refer to the Windows User's Guide on how to do this.

3.	Select OK.

Changing the Way a Printer Is Set Up

To change the way in which a printer driver is set up, such as the port that is used, the page settings etc, can be changed via the Windows Control Panel, or by doing the following within FastForms:

1.	Follow steps 1 and 2 as described above.

2.	Select the printer driver that you want to change, and select the Setup>> button.

3.	This will bring up a dialog box for the changing of the printer driving. What is contained in this box will depend on the printer driver. Change the aspects of the driving you want to change.

Also see:

Selecting Paper Trays/Bins


 Selecting Paper Trays/Bins

If your printer has more than one paper tray or bin, FastForms can handle the feeding of paper from these bins, providing that an appropriate driver has been selected to drive the printer.

To Set Up a FastForms Document for Paper Feeding

1.	Select the Print Routing command for the document you want to print. For most of the applications, this involves selecting its Layout Print Routing command. For databases, there is a Print Routing option for the printing of labels and database reports.

2.	This brings up the Print Routing Dialog Box. The three list boxes at the bottom of the dialog box list all the trays available for the driver highlighted in the top list box. Select the driver you want to use.

3.	Select the trays you want to use from the lists for the first, middle and last pages of your document.

4.	Select OK.

Also see:

Selecting Printers


 About Dialog Box

This dialog box displays information about this program. To quit from it, click OK, or press Return ( [image]) or Esc.


Inserted Pictures and Charts
 Inserted Pictures

Pictures can be inserted into forms. Once in, they can then be adjusted as desired for displaying and printing. Refer to the following topic on how to insert pictures:

Inserting a Picture into a Document

Also see:

Formatting Inserted Objects

Display and Print Resolution


 Formatting Inserted Objects

Once a picture has been inserted into a form it can then be adjusted, moved, copied or deleted. To do this, select the picture by clicking on it. Refer to the following topics on how to then adjust the picture:

Formatting Inserted Objects (FD)


 Display and Print Resolution

Displaying pictures on the screen is a compromise between the display quality and speed of display. This is also true of printing pictures.

To adjust the resolution of pictures when displayed and printed, select the Options Picture Resolution command on the menu bar. Then choose the degree of resolution you want.


Inserting a Picture into a Document
 Inserting a Picture into a Form

Pictures can be inserted into forms. These can be inserted via the clipboard, or by loading it from a file. Pictures stored in a number of common picture formats can be inserted.

Pasting in a Picture Via the Clipboard

1.	From the source application e.g Windows Paintbrush, copy the picture to the clipboard.

2.	Swap into FastForms.

3.	Move to the part of the form where you want the picture to be inserted.

4.	Select the Edit Paste command on the menu bar, or press Shift+Ins.

Inserting a Picture from a File

1.	Select the Insert Picture command on the menu bar.

2.	A file Files Open Dialog Box will then come up. Specify the file path and name, and the picture file type. Then select OK or press Return.

Also see:

Display and Print Resolution

Opening, Switching and Closing Document Windows


 Picture Resolution Dialog Box

Select this command to select the resolution of pictures for screen displaying and printing. This command brings up a dialog box.

Screen

Select one of the buttons for the resolution of pictures when displayed on the screen. Displaying pictures on the screen is a compromise between speed of displaying the pictures and the quality of the display.

Print

Select one of the buttons for the resolution of pictures when printed out. High print resolution is the best for quality output, but will be slower to print.

Select OK to set the new resolutions or Cancel to ignore them.

Also see:

Display and Print Resolution


 Printer Setup Dialog

This dialog is used to select a different printer to be the windows default printer or to access the settings for one of the installed printers.

If the current form layout specifies that it should use the windows default printer; then selecting a different printer in this dialog will cause the print output for this form (and any other that is set up in this way) to be routed to the new selection.

Note, however, that forms, including the current one, which are attached to a specific printer will be unaffected by this change.

Select OK to select the highlighted printer.

Select Setup to access the printer's Settings Dialog.

Select Cancel to close the dialog without changing the default printer.

See Also

Selecting Printers


Defining Workgroup Items
 Editing Workgroup Items

Workgroup items are defined via this dialog.

Each item consists of a name, by which it is uniquely identified, its type, value, and for numeric items only; whether is auto incrementing.

Name.

The first character of the name is always an '&' character.  This identifies it as a workgroup item when it is linked into a form.  If an '&' is not type in; one is automatically added.

Type.

This is any valid data type with the exception of pictures, which cannot be defined as workgroup items.

Value.

This is the value of the item.

For text items, line breaks may be inserted into the text by using '\E'.  For example, if an address is required it could be typed as :

7 Buckingham Gardens\EHamsworth\EStirling

which defines three separate lines for the address.

Auto Inc. Checkbox

Number items may be additionally be defined as 'auto inc'.  This means that their value will be automatically incremented each time the item is used within a form.  This means that it is incremented:

o.	When the form is first opened for Forms Entry.

o.	When a form that is open for Forms Entry is cleared.


 Choosing A Phrase To Edit

This dialog allows for editing an existing phrase, defining a completely new phrase, and basing a new phrase on an old one.  It also allows for deletion of existing phrases.

o.	To start a completely new phrase; select New.

o.	To edit an existing phrase; highlight the required phrase and then select Edit.

o.	To base a new phrase on an old one; select Copy.

o.	To delete an existing phrase; first highlight it and then select Delete.

Depending on the selected operation; a new dialog may be opened.  Control will, however always return to this dialog to allow further operations on phrases.

To finish; select Close or press Escape.


Defining Phrases
 Defining a Phrase

There are three elements in defining a phrase.

The Name.

This is used so that a phrase may be easily picked out from a list of phrases.

The Text.

This is the part that is inserted into a field when the Insert/Phrase command is invoked, or when the shortcut key combination is typed.

Line Breaks

The text may include line breaks.  These must be typed using Ctrl-Enter rather than Enter by itself.

The Shortcut Key Specification.

If a shortcut key is specified; the user will be able to use the key to quickly insert the phrase into a form or database simply be pressing the key combination.  Otherwise he or she must use the Insert Phrase command which brings up a list of phrases to choose from.

The shortcut key is a combination of a letter and one or more of Ctrl, Shift and Alt.  At least one of Ctrl and Alt must be specified.  The shortcut key is forced to be unique within the phrase definitions.  However; if the combination could also be used, for example, to  summon a dialog or select bold text; it is the phrase which takes precedence.  It is up to the user to ensure that phrases are not defined which clash with other desired keyboard actions.


Insert Phrase Dialog
 Insert Phrase Dialog.

This allows a phrase may be selected for insertion into the form or database.  It is useful for when the user cannot remember the Shortcut Keys or when no such keys are defined.

Just highlight the phrase in the ListBox and press OK to copy it into the application window.


Contents


Document Window

A window inside FastForms which contains documents that are open i.e. databases, forms etc.


Mode

The type of form editing being carried out at that moment.


Field

A blank area defined in a form that is used for data entry in the Forms Entry and Database modules.


Listbox

An object that can be filled with data selected from values presented in list form within the Forms Entry and Database modules.


Checkbox

An object consisting of optional text next to a box which may have a cross inside it to indicate that it has been 'checked'.  Is used within the Forms Entry and Database modules for situations where a particular item can have only two possible values - e.g. "Received Payment" which has two possibilities : Yes or No .


Formula

A rule for calculating the contents of a field from other fields.  Formulae may be simple arithmetic rules and also use function calls.  For example:

Net_amount + Vat_amount

SUM(Net_amount,Vat_amount)


Function

Functions are built-in calculations which can be carried out on numbers, fields or database items.  For example:

SUM(A,B,C) will add the contents of fields called A,B, and C together

AVG(A,B,C) will take the average of the three fields A, B and C


Font

The shape and size of the text characters. Examples of fonts include:

Times Roman in 10 point

Helvetica in 14 point

Courier in 12 point

The height of the text characters is specified in points. 72 points = 1 inch.


Typeface

The shape of the text letters and numbers e.g. Times Roman, Helvetica, Courier, etc.


Point Size

The height of text characters. 72 points = 1inch.


Form Layout

The page margins, the printer to be used, and which printers trays to be used, and the name of the database the form is linked with.


Character Style

The modifications in the appearance of text characters e.g. bold, italic, underlined. Also, the text colour.


Header

A piece of a document that goes at the top of every page.


Footer

A piece of a document that goes at the bottom of every page.


Number Format

A form of expression for a number e.g. currency (£3.18); comma (4,150) etc.


Alignment

The way text is displayed in a given area.

Left  aligned text has a straight left margin and works from left to right as you type some in. Right aligned text has a straight right margin and works from right to left as you type. Centred text is placed at the centre of each line, and is adjusted to remain there as you type. Justified text is aligned such that both margins are straight.


Justification

The way text is displayed in a given area.

Left  aligned text has a straight left margin and works from left to right as you type some in. Right aligned text has a straight right margin and works from right to left as you type. Centred text is placed at the centre of each line, and is adjusted to remain there as you type. Justified text is aligned such that both margins are straight.


Clipboard

A temporary storage space in memory that is used by Windows applications.


Status Bar

The strip just below the menu bar in the window. Contains relevant information on the application.


Operator

Something that takes two or more numbers to produce a result e.g. +,-, etc.


Extended Options

These are extra options in a dialog box that are normally concealed because they deal with items that are seldom changed.


Date and Time Serial Number

This is a number that represents a date between 1st January 1900 and December 31st, 2078. The main part of the number represents the date, and the fractional portion of this number is used to represent the time of day. The number lies in the range from 2 (1st Jan 1900, 12:00:00 AM), to 65380.99999 (31st Dec 2078, 11:59:59 PM). Date serial numbers are used in calculations involving dates and times.


Form Merge

The combination of records in a database with a form to print a run of individual personalised forms.


Field

A piece of information that makes up each record in a database. For example, in a list of details concerning customers, the fields may be the name, address, post code, etc.


Record

A set of information in a database. For example, in a list of customers, a record would contain all the given information on a customer.


Data Item

This is a definition for an item in the database. For example, if a data item Surname was defined, for each of the records added, one of the items included would be a surname.


Selection

A group of conditions that can be applied to a database to select out a group of  the records in that database.


Filter

A filter acts to stop those records in the current database that do not pass it from being viewed or updated.


Range Check

This is a condition that checks if the contents of a field lies between two values or not.


Comparison

This is a condition that checks the contents of a given field and tests it against a value or the contents of another field e.g.

Surname = Smith

Date of Birth < 1/1/1940

Paid in Date After Due by Date


Nested Selection

A condition in a selection which refers to another selection.


Index

Something that specifies the ordering of the records in a database. The index may be defined on a data item in the database. For example, a database of names and addresses, the surname could be used, so that the records are in an order such that a record with a surname field containing, for example, "Anderson" comes first, and a record with surname = "Young" comes last. The default index used is the order in which the records were typed into the database.


Record Number Index

This is the default index in a database and can never be removed. When this index is used, records appear in the order in which they were added to the database.


Key

A specific value in an index.


Data item or field type

This is the form of the data. You have a choice of the following types:

Text	any combination of letters, numbers and other characters

Number	contains a number

Currency	Treats numbers as monetary values

Comma	Commas separating digits in numbers into groups of three

MM/DD/YY	American style dates e.g. 2/25/92

MM/DD/YYYY	American style dates with long year e.g. 2/25/1992

DD/MM/YY	European style dates e.g. 25/2/92

DD/MM/YYYY	European style dates with long year 25/2/1992

DD/MMM/YY	Long month display e.g. 25/Feb/1992

DD/MMM/YYYY	Long month and year e.g. 25/Feb/1992

DD/MMM	Long month without year e.g. 25/Feb

MMM/YY	Long date without day e.g. Feb/92

MMM/YYYY	Long month and year (no date) e.g. Feb/1992

Full Date	For example 1st January 1973


Form

A document that contains blank area which can be filled in. Such documents are created in the FastForms Forms Designer, and used in the Form Entry and Database modules.


Drag

Move the pointer over the object and press the left mouse button, and hold it down whilst moving the pointer. Once the pointer is in the desired place, release the button.


Form Merge

The process of combining records in a database with a  form to create a series of forms which each have information from a record placed into them e.g personalized order forms for mail shots is one use of mailmerging.


Line Style

The colour and thickness of a line.


Box Style

The border colour and thickness plus the shading colour and pattern in a box.


Field Style

All the attributes associated with a given field. These are: its name and type, whether it is protected from data entry, whether its entry is mandatory, the thickness and colour of its outline, its internal shading colour and pattern, and the justification of text within it.


Listbox Style

All the attributes associated with a given listbox. These are: the name and type of the listbox, whether it is protected from data entry, whether its entry is mandatory, the thickness and colour of the listbox outline, and its internal shading colour and pattern.  Also, and very importantly, it includes the list of values that is presented for the listbox when it is dropped down.


Checkbox Style

All the attributes associated with a given checkbox. These are: its name and type, whether it is protected from data entry, whether its entry is mandatory, the thickness and colour of the outline of the box, internal shading colour and pattern of the box, and the alignment of text relative to the box.


Field Contents

The information which you fill in on the field.  You can control how the field contents are filled in, for example by setting the name and type of the field, and whether the contents of the field are protected from change or not.


Form Contents

The information which you fill in on a form.  This information is placed in the fields you set up with the form designer.


File Path

This describes the directory in which a file resides.


File Extension

A part of the file name that goes at its end after a '.' character. It is optional and can be up to three characters long e.g. FILE.TFM, for this file name TFM is the extension.


Wildcard

These are special characters that can be used when you want to perform a file operation on a group of files with similar names, for example *.TDB would be for all files with a .TDB extension in their name.


Clicking

Move the pointer over the object and press the left button on your mouse.


Double-clicking

Moving the pointer over the object to be selected and pressing the left button of your mouse twice in quick succession.


Group

A collection of several objects that have been grouped by the use of the Group Define function. Such a collection can be treated as one object in terms of moving, deleting etc.


Filling Order

This is the order which the data cursor goes from one field to the next when data are being entered into a database with a form, or a form is being filled out in Form Entry.


Function Button Bar

This consists of a row of push buttons displayed in the FastForms window. The buttons represent the function keys on your keyboard and have the same effect as pressing the function keys. They enable you to call up the functions using only your mouse. They can be displayed at the top or bottom of the window, or be hidden altogether.


Cursor

This is the point where text will be added if you type something in. It is indicated by a flashing vertical bar.


Database

A computerized list of information. For example, a list of names and addresses of customers.


Maximized

A maximized window is one which is drawn at its largest allowed size. A window does not have a border when maximized.


Minimized

A minimized window is one which is reduced to its smallest size and is displayed as an icon.


Active

The contents of the active window are the contents currently being worked on. An active window is always in the foreground, and is distinguished by having different colour borders and title bars.


Gridlines

These are the horizontal and vertical dotted lines that separate cells in a spreadsheet.


Outline Cursor

A thick line that surrounds one of the cells. It indicates which cell is currently being edited.


Report Layout

This determines the way a report will appear on the printed page. It consists of the page size and orientation, the page margins, the headings and the data items to be listed along with the width of the columns that will list the items.


Label Layout

This is the way in which labels are laid out when printed. It includes the type of stationery (sheets or continuous fan-fold), the page margins and what is printed on them.


Report

A list of the contents of the records in the database. In FastForms there is control over what information is included and its presentation when printed.


Screen Form

The screen form is a form as produced using the Forms Designer that is displayed on the screen when browsing through, adding or updating records, and which you fill in.


Printer Form

The printer form is the form used when printing out or page previewing records. It is produced using the Forms Designer.


Log Entry

A note of all the records that were involved in certain Database operations i.e. the printing of labels, the printing of forms or letters in mailmerging, or the importing of records from other database files. It enables recognising a group of records that have been used in a previous mail shot, for example.


Forms Design Toolbar

A floating tool bar containing buttons allowing the user to choose which tool is active for creating or selecting new objects.


Workgroup Item

This is an item of data commonly accessible to all users of the package on a network.  Workgroup items have name beginning with an '&' such as &Invoice_no.  They can be defined as auto-incrementing; in which case they are incremented by one each time they are used.  By linking a field with a Workgroup item, it is initialised to the value of the item during forms entry.


Windows Default Printer

When applications print in windows they usually do so through the printer that has been set up as the default printer for Windows.  This can be set using the File Printer-Setup command from most applications, or by through the Printers section of the control panel.

FastForms has the additional capability of being able to assign a particular document (form, report, label layout etc...) permanently to a particular printer.


Standard Phrase

This is a shortcut way of entering often needed text into forms or databases in FastForms.  The phrase can either be chosen from a list using the Insert Phrase command, or it can be inserted using the shortcut key combination assigned to the phrase.


Math Tool

This is a tool used for viewing and setting up calculations in Forms Design.  When retracted it simply shows the calculation associated with the currently selected field or checkbox.  When extended; it resembles a calculator, and can be used for the efficient entry of calculations.


ListView

This is a mode in which a database can be viewed as a contiguous list of records.

It contrasts with FormView where records are viewed one at a time


FormView

This is a mode in which database records are viewed one at a time on a form which displays the record data as fields, listboxes and checkboxes.

It contrasts with ListView where records are viewed as a contiguous list of records.