Data Input Instructions
At the top left of most Screens there will be a red Lookup that is associated with the primary key of the Screen's primary database. There will also usually be a Description field associated with the Key. The following example illustrates the Cost Center Screen where the primary key is the Cost Center ID.
You have several options:
Enter text in the red area. The record corresponding to the entered text will be retrieved and displayed. An error message will be displayed if there is no corresponding record.
Click on 
at the right of the red area. A lookup will appear containing a list of the records in the database. Select a record by double-clicking on it or by clicking on the record and then clicking on the OK Button. The record will be retrieved and displayed. In some cases, there will be a Search By lookup at the bottom of the main lookup. This will provide multiple search options.
Click on 
on the Database Control. A new record will be created and you can enter text in the blank red area. As soon as you exit from the red area, the new record will be saved and you can then enter data for the Description and other fields that may be on the Screen.
Click on 
on the Database Control when you finished entering data. This will save your changes.
Alternately, you can click on 
on the Database Control to cancel your Insert or other changes. Canceling an Insert must be done while the cursor is still in the red area. Otherwise, you must delete the record.
Click on 
on the Database Control to delete a record.
Screens will often contain other data input areas with Lookups attached. They have a or 
attached to the right of their text area. They operate similarly to the Lookup on the key field.
Most alphanumeric data is restricted to a specified number of characters. For example, most descriptions are restricted to 40 characters. However, in some cases, such as Work Order Instructions, data may range from less than 40 characters to several thousands of characters. Memo fields are used to accommodate this need. please read the Entering Memo Data Instructions.
Implementation - Basic System
Basic System implementation consists of:
Setting "Software Switches" that determine how your system will operate.
Entering data into the Validation Tables that are used by many of the systems screens. Lookups throughout the system use Validation Tables for data entry. For example, if you wish to track maintenance history by Failure Codes, the system manager enters the Failure Codes into a validation table. Then, the system users can use the Failure Code Lookup on a Work Order or Work Request Screen to enter the Failure Code. Only those Failure Codes that are in the validation table will be allowed. The use of validation tables facilitates data entry and prevents errors.
Entering data into the primary files.
Separate sections of this manual describe implementation for the base system and for all of the Purchased Options.
This manual will not include step by step instructions for each of the screens. Instead, there is context sensitive help for each screen. Invoke the desired screen and click on the Help Button on the top Icon Bar. In some cases, the Help Button will have been relocated to the form itself. You can also use the Help Index or Contents option on the Help screen to browse through the available topics. You can also print any Help Page by clicking on File/Print Topic.