Using Data Entry forms

The following describe various aspects of using data entry forms.

Data entry methods

• Auto - Some fields are automatically completed for you e.g. record numbering fields
• Text - Some fields are designed for manual text entry. Click in the field to place the cursor. After a brief pause, the field is highlighted to indicate that it is active. You may then start typing. Of course, you may also use standard Copy and Paste functions to and from other fields and applications - Ctrl + C = Copy, and Ctrl + V = Paste. In the web environment, there are a number of characters that are reserved for special HTML purposes. These include: the greater-than symbol (>), the less-than symbol (<), the Ampersand or And symbol (&), and Quotation marks ("). These characters should be avoided in text fields.
• Browse - Use browse button to enter a file path/name. See Document filenames below.
• Spinner - Use spin buttons to increase / decrease a number within an allowed range - typically used in number fields
• Calendar - Use calendar picker to select a date
• Drop-down or Combo box - Make a selection from a drop-down list. The contents of these are mostly user-defined in lookup tables
• Pop-up form - Make a selection from a pop-up form. This option is provided where the number of choices available is likely to be too many for effective use in a combo box

Using the 'Tab' button on your keyboard, you may move from one field to the next in sequence. For your convenience, the currently active field is generally highlighted with a pale yellow background.

Buttons

The following list describes the most common buttons and their function:

• Save - Save changes. You may click this button at any time during data entry to save the changes you have made so far. You may continue to enter data
• Close - Close record. Note: The Close button does not save changes. Click the Save button first to save any changes you have made
• New - Open new instance of form. When used in a list, this will create a new, blank record. When used in a data entry form, this will save the current record and open a new one
• Edit - Edit selected record or item
• Delete - Delete selected record or item
• Action - Create new, linked Action Form
• Lock - Lock the record from any further changes (The Action Form has a separate lock/unlock mechanism for each tabbed section - other records have a single lock)
• Unlock - Unlock the record to allow changes
• Search - Run search based on selected filter criteria
• Reset - Restore filter criteria to their default settings, and run search
• Fill - Fill with details from template for the category
• People - Open People List to select a person
• Document - Open Master Document List to select a document

Most buttons have 'Tool Tips' - a brief text description of its function. These appear when the mouse cursor is placed over the button.

Some forms also have additional buttons. They are described in sections of this help file that are specific to those forms.

Attachments

Various data entry forms - such as Action Form, Audit Record, Risk Assessment etc. - have a tabbed section for adding attachments. This greatly enhances the scope of the form by allowing you to associate virtually any external document to it. Typical examples are: word processed documents, scanned faxes and hard copy correspondence, and photographs.

The attachments tab is a list. Each attachment is a separate record in the list. To add an attachment, click in the first empty record to activate that record, click Browse button to navigate to and select the file you wish to attach, and add a free-text description of the attachment e.g. "Letter of complaint from Mr. Brown", or "Photograph of damaged item".

When uploading multiple large files, it is suggested that you save between uploads.

To protect the integrity of your data, Qudos 3 will not allow the use of a filename that has already been used on another attachment. It will automatically rename the subsequent file.

To view an existing attachment, select that item and click on the View button.

Document filenames

When you upload a document to your Master Document List or as an Attachment to Various data entry forms, it may subsequently be opened and viewed via a standard web browser. In the web environment, there are a number of characters that are reserved for special HTML purposes, and should NOT be used in document filenames. There are also a number of other special characters that if used in document filenames can be interpreted by browsers in a way that may cause problems. As a precaution, Qudos 3 will block the use of the following characters in filenames:

• Greater-than symbol (>)
• Less-than symbol (<)
• Ampersand or And symbol (&)
• Quotation marks (")
• Speech mark (')
• Colon (:)
• Star or Wildcard (*)
• Forward slash (/)
• Backslash (\)
• Divider (|)

We therefore recommend that you only use unreserved characters in document filenames. These are:

• Alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers)
• Underscore (_)
• Hyphen or minus sign (-)
• Full-stop or period (.)
• Tilde (~)

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Contents | General - Using Qudos 3