The Companies, Contacts and Products screens use many different options lists or Look-up files.
An options list is a series of options presented by the system to allow you to 'look up' the meaning of a code and to select the correct one. Options lists are produced when a wildcard ('@' or alternative) or part of a code is entered to an appropriate field. For example, entering a wildcard to the Area field will produce an options list showing all Areas in the system, while entering, for example, 'C' to that field will result in an list showing all Sources beginning with C.
The data used in producing the options lists is completely user-definable and most of this work takes place in the Data Manager volume. If your Personnel record has ‘Allow Data Manager Additions’ switched on, you will also be able to add to options lists remotely from the main screens. This is fully covered in the first chapter of the Core Functions manual.
In the Data Manager, each file is treated in exactly the same way in terms of operation. When you choose a menu item in the Data Manager, a list of all the codes so far created appears. You can double-click on a line to modify it, or use the [+] button in the Buttons Palette to create a new item. If no codes exist when you use the function, you will be taken to a blank input screen ready for the first one to be entered. You may also use the [Report] button from the list to produce a printed list. Again, the buttons involved are fully covered in the first chapter of the Core Functions manual.
the follwing sections list the functions in the Data Manager which are relevant to Companies, Contacts and Products. To enter the Data Manager, select 'Data Manager' from the Volumes menu or click the appropriate button in the Volumes Palette. Note that you should have logged on at 'Manager'level or above to gain access to the Data Manager.