Sometimes it is necessary to store additional data for which no fields have been provided. So, in many areas of Enterprise 6, you can add your own fields to store additional information if those provided with the system are insufficient. These are termed ‘Further fields’. Further fields are added to each File (with some exceptions, see below) and are then available for every record in that file. For example, once a Further Field has been created to store the Audit Date of a Company, you will be able to record the Audit Date of all Companies stored without further set-up work. This set-up work is done using the ‘Further fields’ menu item in the Settings section of the Core menu.
When it is necessary to view or modify the information contained within any Further fields, use the [Further fields] button in the palette. This can be used from an imput layout, when the information pertaining to the record on screen will be displayed, or from a listing screen, when the information displayed will be that pertaining to the record in the list that has been highlighted. Clicking the button will bring up a screen displaying all the Further fields that have been set up for the File in question. If none have been set up, a message will appear to that effect. Otherwise, the Further Fields screen will appear.
The main portion of the screen is taken up with a three-column scrollable area. Above this appears a reminder of the parent record whose Further fields are being viewed. The three columns are: Field Name, Field Value and Type. Field Value is the only column which is enterable. To edit a field, click on the appropriate row. If there is already an entry, that will be highlighted and will be overwritten as soon as you start typing. Then, use <Return> or <Tab> to move down through the list. If you need to insert characters into an existing entry, double-click at the appropriate point in that entry. The only exception to this is that double-clicking on a Further Field of Type Text will open an Expanded Text window in which you can edit the text more easily.
If the Further Field is of Type Alpha or Text and has a list attached you can type a wildcard or the first few characters of the relevant value and an options list will appear to the right. If you make an entry that is not an existing option and you have Data Manager additions access, you will be able to immediately add that option to the list. If the list attached is of pictures, placing a wildcard or partial Picture Code into the Further Field Value column causes a list of Pictures to appear, from where you may select or create (using the [+] button) a Picture record in the usual fashion. If you type a Code that doesn't exist you will be given the opportunity to create it. When a Picture is created in this way it will by default have a unique Picture Code consisting of the File Number (eg 002 for Companies) then a ‘/’ then a sequential number, and a Picture Name that shows the File Name, the record's unique identifier, and the Further Field Name, for example: ‘Companies APPL1 FurthFld: Company Map’. As long as the Picture Code remains unique you can override these automatic settings, for example coding the map ‘Map1’. Double-clicking on a line with a Picture list attached without an entry is equivalent to typing a wildcard and brings up the Picture list. Double-clicking on a line with a Picture Code takes you to the entry screen of that Picture record, where you can amend or paste in a image as required. If you have Read Only access to any Further fields (as defined in your Personnel record), these will appear with their Field Names in a plain font rather than bold, and with a ‘-’ after their Type in the right-hand column. Pressing <Return> or <Tab> to move between the fields will skip over any of Read Only status. In additon, if another user or process is already editing the Further fields for the same record, the Field Value column heading will appear in a plain font and none of the fields will be enterable. Editing the parent record will not lock the Further fields. To return to the parent record, press [√] or <Enter> to save changes, or [X] to revert to saved.
It is possible to carry out queries using information held in Further fields. To do so, use the appropriate ‘View…’ function and open the More Choices dialogue.
For example, if it is necessary to search on information held in Further fields attached to the Companies file, use the ‘View Companies’ function. When the More Choices window appears, click the [Further fields] button (the bottom right-hand button in the Buttons Palette). A window will appear in which you enter search criteria as appropriate and press [Find]. You will be returned to the standard More Choices window: press [Find] again to perform the search.
