User manual

Creating databases 45
1 storing a global value
1 Furigana fields (Japanese language fields only)
Some field options help ensure the accuracy and consistency of your
data. For example, if you type
Frnc instead of France into the Country
field, you won’t find that record when you later search for all
customers from France. To be sure that all country names are entered
correctly, you can define a value list containing the names, then
select the
Member of value list validation option for the Country field.
When you enter data into the field, the data must match a value in the
list.
To set options for summary fields, see “Defining summary fields” on
page 43.
Defining automatic data entry
To automatically enter a default value into a field for each record:
1. With the database open, choose File menu > Define > Database.
2. In the Define Database dialog box, click the Fields tab.
3. If your file contains more than one table, select the appropriate
table from the Table list.
4. Double-click a field in the fields list.
5. In the Options for Field dialog box, click the Auto-Enter tab and
select options. (The available options depend on the field type.)
Value list attached to Country field
Choose from a list of
values during data entry
Country
To Do this
Enter a date, time,
timestamp, user name, or
account name when the
record is created or
modified
Select Creation or Modification, then choose an
option from the list.
Assign a sequential
number to the field in each
record
Select Serial number. Select On creation to assign
the number when a record is created. Select On
commit to assign the number when the record is
committed. For next value, type a starting value
(for example, 1001), then type the number to
increment by.
Enter the value from the
previously accessed record
Select Value from last visited record.
Enter data you specify Select Data, then type up to 255 characters.
Enter the result of a
calculation in the field
Select Calculated value, define the formula in the
Specify Calculation dialog box, then click OK.
For more information about the Specify
Calculation dialog box, see “Defining calculation
fields” on page 41.
Select Do not replace existing value of field (if any) to
prevent overwriting data already present.
Enter a value that’s copied
from a field in the same or
a different table or file
Select Looked-up value, define the lookup, then
click OK. See “Creating lookups” on page 71.
Prevent users from
changing an automatically
entered value
Select Prohibit modification of value during data entry.
Turn off automatically
entered data
Clear all selected checkboxes.