Dialogue boxes

Dialogue boxes are accessed frequently when using Vitalware. Although the purpose of each box is different, most operate in an identical manner:

To run an item listed in a dialogue box:

Select the item and click OK
-OR-
Double-click the item.

Functionality that is common to most dialogue boxes

Button	Name	Description
	New	Click to add a new item to the dialogue box. A properties box will display enabling you to configure the new item. In this case, a Defaults Properties box would display, enabling you to create and configure a set of default values. When a new item is created, its name will display in the dialogue box listed alphabetically under the Title heading.
	Copy	Make a copy of an item. With this option it is possible to copy an existing item (`- Copy` is appended to the name) and then modify the copy's properties. This can be a quick and efficient way to create a new item. Tip: When copying a report list item (in the Reports dialogue box), the report file is also copied and automatically assigned a new name. Note: This option is not available in all dialogue boxes where it is not useful or not desirable (it is not available in Ditto, Exports, Group, Global Replace for instance).
	Delete	Select an item in the box (e.g. Base Defaults in the screenshot above) and click to delete it from the dialogue box.
	Properties	Select an item in the box (e.g. Base Defaults in the screenshot above) and click to view and modify the item's properties. In this case, a Defaults Properties box for Base Defaults would display, enabling you to view its settings and change then as necessary.
	List	Click to view the items in the box as a list.
	Details	Click to view the items in the box with more details. In this view, the owner (typically the creator) of the item is listed under the Owner heading. Typically only the owner of an item is able to modify it (unless permissions have been provided to other users in the item's properties box).
	New	Click to add a new item to the dialogue box. A properties will display enabling you to configure the new item. In this case, a Defaults Properties box would display, enabling you to create and configure a set of default values. When a new item is created, its name will display in the dialogue box listed alphabetically under the Title heading.
	OK	Select an item in the box (e.g. Base Defaults in the screenshot above) to activate it. The dialogue box will close.
	Close	Close the dialogue box without activating an item.
	Help	Display the Vitalware Help for help with this dialogue box.

Right-click an item in a dialogue box to display a menu with a list of all available commands:

Details about the functionality of specific dialogue boxes

Ditto

With the Ditto tool it is possible to copy data from:

One field in a record into the same field in another record.
A tab in a record into the same tab in another record.
All fields in a record into another record.

Button	Name	Description
	New	Click to search for and add a record to the Ditto box.

Note: See The Ditto utility for details.

Exports

The Exports box includes a list of pre-defined exports. The list includes the export name, scheduled start and end dates and the name of the owner of the export (who created it).

The Scheduled Exports facility allows you to have data exports occur at defined date intervals. It may also be useful to perform a data export immediately rather than at the scheduled time. In this case, we generate the export data by running the export manually using the Export All or Export buttons. These manual runs are known as Unscheduled Exports.

Control	Name	Description
	New	Click to set up an export schedule.
	Report All	Click to run the export manually against all listed records.
	Report	Click to run the export manually against the currentThe record currently displayed in Details View or highlighted in List View (there is a faint dotted line around it). It is only possible to have one current record at a time. record or selectedA selected record is one that has been chosen either on its own or to as part of a group of records. It is usual to select the records you want to be affected by an operation before performing the operation. Selected records are used in many instances, e.g. when a number of records are to be: discarded, saved in a group, or attached to another record. A selected record displays on screen with a blue background when in List View. records.
	Redisplay when export has run	Check this box to redisplay the Exports box when the scheduled export has run.

Note: See Scheduled Exports for details.

Fields

The Fields box displays a list of available List Views and can be used to create a new List View. It is accessed by:

Selecting View>List Settings>Choose List from the Menu bar.

Button	Name	Description
	New	Click to create a List View.

Note: See List View for details.

Record Templates

The Record Template utility can be used to create a batch of records based on an existing record.

Button	Name	Description
	New	Click to create a Record Template.

Note: See Record Templates for details.

Replace

The Global Replace tool permits authorised users to replace a value in one or more fields in a set of records with a different value.

Button	Name	Description
	Show Prompts	Click to display the Vitalware field name as it displays in a module window (as shown in the screenshot).
	Show Column Names	Click to display the back-end field name.
	New	Click to define a new substitution.
	Replace	Click to run the substitution against the currentThe record currently displayed in Details View or highlighted in List View (there is a faint dotted line around it). It is only possible to have one current record at a time. record or selectedA selected record is one that has been chosen either on its own or to as part of a group of records. It is usual to select the records you want to be affected by an operation before performing the operation. Selected records are used in many instances, e.g. when a number of records are to be: discarded, saved in a group, or attached to another record. A selected record displays on screen with a blue background when in List View. records.
	Replace All	Click to run the substitution against all records currently listed.

Note: The Replace box works differently to other dialogue boxes: all substitutions defined in the current session and displaying in the Replace box will be run when either Replace or Replace All is selected. It is not possible to select just one substitution from the list to run.
See Global Replace for details.

Reports

A Reports box includes a list of pre-defined reports. The list includes the report name, its Type and the name of the owner of the report (who created it).

Note: Only the owner of a report is able to modify it. However, using the Copy option to copy a report listed in the Reports dialogue box, changes ownership of the copied item to the current user.

Control	Name	Description
	New	Click to begin the process of creating a report.
	Report All	Click to generate the selected report using all listed records.
	Report	Click to generate the selected report using the currentThe record currently displayed in Details View or highlighted in List View (there is a faint dotted line around it). It is only possible to have one current record at a time. record or selectedA selected record is one that has been chosen either on its own or to as part of a group of records. It is usual to select the records you want to be affected by an operation before performing the operation. Selected records are used in many instances, e.g. when a number of records are to be: discarded, saved in a group, or attached to another record. A selected record displays on screen with a blue background when in List View. records.
	Redisplay when report has run	Check this box to redisplay the Reports box when the report has run.

Tip: When using the Copy option to copy a report, the associated report file is also copied and automatically assigned a new name (the original report file name with a -copy suffix).

Note: See How to create and run reports for details.

Restore Group

After a search has been run you may want to save the group of records returned so that you can access them again; or you may want to save the search criteria used to generate this group of records (especially if the search is quite involved). There are thus two types of group:

A Static group (which is a set of records generated by a search).
A Static group can be identified by the icon beside the group name and the number of records in the Records column in the Group box
A Dynamic group (which is the search criteria used to generate a set of records).
A Dynamic group can be identified by the icon beside the group name and Unknown in the Records column in the Group box.

Restore Group

Button	Name	Description
	Retrieve	Click to retrieve records matching the search criteria for the group selected in the Restore Group box.
	Load	Click to load and edit the saved search criteria for the dynamic group selected in the Restore Group box. Note: The Load button is disabled (greyed out) until a dynamic group is selected.

Button

Name

Description

Retrieve

Click to retrieve records matching the search criteria for the group selected in the Restore Group box.

Load

Click to load and edit the saved search criteria for the dynamic group selected in the Restore Group box.

Note: The Load button is disabled (greyed out) until a dynamic group is selected.

Note: See Grouping records for details of working with groups.

Save Group

A Static group (which is a set of records generated by a search).
A Static group can be identified by the icon beside the group name and the number of records in the Records column in the Group box.
A Dynamic group (which is the search criteria used to generate a set of records).
A Dynamic group can be identified by the icon beside the group name and Unknown in the Records column in the Group box.

Save Group

Button	Name	Description
	New	Click to create a new group.
	Add	Click to add records to an existing Static group. Note: This button is only active when a static group is selected as it is not possible to add records to a dynamic group.
	Replace	Click to replace the records in a Static group with a new set of records.

Button

Name

Description

New

Click to create a new group.

Add button

Add

Click to add records to an existing Static group.

Note: This button is only active when a static group is selected as it is not possible to add records to a dynamic group.

Replace

Click to replace the records in a Static group with a new set of records.

Note: See Grouping records for details of working with groups.

Shortcuts

A Shortcuts View displays a list of fields and their values in a pane on the left side of a module window. The values displayed in the pane are for the current record.

Button	Name	Description
	New	Click to create a Shortcuts View.

Note: See Shortcuts View for details.

Sort

A group of records can be sorted on any and all fields in a module (with the exception of nested table fields). It is possible to select a pre-defined sort or specify exactly how a group of search results will be sorted. It is possible to save sort criteria for re-use.

It is possible to:

Sort records on multiple fields, e.g. by Last name, and then First name.
Sort in both ascending or descending order (e.g. A to Z, Z to A).
Save your own sort criteria to be used with other results sets.
Assign permissions to other users to use your saved sort criteria.
Specify that a Sort will run automatically following a search.
An automatic Sort is highlighted (bold) in the Sort box.

The Sort box contains a list of pre-defined sorts.

Sort box

Button	Name	Description
	New	Click to specify a new sort.

Note: See Sorting records for details.

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