Functions Menu

The availability of many of these functions depends on the Functions Access set up for the current File State of the Enquiry on screen.

This function is one of several labour-saving devices associated with the Items… included list.

When there are many Items (of different Product Codes) to attach to an Enquiry, this function is used to create the Items together, rather than individually. The function initially brings up the Quick Search dialogue box for the Products file:.

Whether using this or the more comprehensive dialogue box, and there are many Sales Items to create, care should be taken to make a wide enough selection to cover all the products required. If the products are too diverse, the Sets and Search functions on the palette can be used to build up a set containing each product to be added to the Sales Items.

Once the list on screen comprises the Products to be added to the Enquiry as Items, it can be accepted by clicking [√] and Enterprise 6 then confirms that it is to create the appropriate number of Sales Items. Note that if any the lines in the list are highlighted, Enterprise 6 will take its cue from those lines, not the total number of lines in the list. When the Sales Items have been created, their details such as quantity and cost can be modified as required.

This function provides one of the easiest methods of adding Items to Enquiries, combining as it does the steps of creating the Items and assigning Products to them.

This window's mode of operation combines normal Enterprise 6 and spreadsheet practices. As with a spreadsheet, there is an ‘editing line’ where text can be entered or edited. The fields in this line appear in white. Below this appear listed Items which you would like to be added to the Enquiry. For each Item, you can specify as appropriate a Product Code, Product Name and Quantity.

While this window is on screen, the Items in the listing area remain as ‘potential’ Enquiry Items, and it is this that gives this function its speed advantage over the usual method of creating Enquiry Items.

There are two basic methods by which data can be input.

The first method is to work Item by Item, entering as required and in turn a Product Code, Product Name and Quantity in the editing line. Use the <Tab> key to move across from field to field, and then press <Return> to transfer the Item to the listing section below. When you press <Return>, the editing line is cleared, and the cursor is returned to the Product Code field for the next entry. <Command-N>/ or the [+] button in the Palette can be used instead of <Return>.

Alternatively, you can work column by column. Using this method, first enter a whole series of Product Codes, pressing <Return> after each one. Then, using the arrow keys or the mouse to highlight the first Item again, place the cursor into the next field to be completed. You would then enter a Quantity for each Item, again pressing <Return> after each one. There is, in fact, no requirement to complete the Product Code first. If you switch on the ‘Repeat’ check box, pressing <Return> will cause a new entry to be created in the entry line with the same details as the previous item. You can enter a Product Code, Short Code or Product Name to the Product Code field, and bring up a selection window from which the appropriate Product can be chosen in the usual way. can be used as the opposite of <Tab>, moving the cursor left, and as the opposite of <Return>, moving the cursor up.

The up and down arrow keys also operate, and you may of course click with the mouse on a line and/or editing field. The [-] button in the Palette can be used to remove Items. You can accept or cancel the window in the normal way by using the <Enter> or <Command-.>/ keys, the Palette buttons or the close box. If you cancel the window while there is more than one item listed you'll be asked if you're sure. As soon as the window is accepted, the requisite number of Enquiry Items is created. This process involves looking up Suppliers and finding the cheapest.

Even taking this into account, this function will be faster than the overall time required to add the Items in the normal way because of its concentrated nature. Additionally, the user only has this one waiting period, rather than many short pauses.

If the cursor is in one of the Item lines, this function will duplicate that line in order to minimise typing. Enterprise 6 will ask how many times the line is to be duplicated. Any Serial Numbers, Purchase Order Numbers and Invoice Numbers present in the line will be duplicated as well, but these can be altered once the duplication process has finished.

If the Items have been sorted into an order determined by a field other than the Sort field by using the [Sort] button in the Buttons Palette, this function will restore the items to the order last saved.

Use this function to copy the details of a previously entered Order record to the current record on screen (ie replacing it).

The Order on screen must be of New Order Status or lower. You are first shown a warning message, then shown the normal Orders Quick Search window to select an Order to copy. If you find more than one, highlight the correct one in the subsequent list and click the [√] button. After confirming that you are sure, the updating is done. The Order Code and Status (Enquiry, Quotation etc) are unchanged, and unless the Preference for Copying Previous Dates is turned on, so do the Dates and Period of the Order. The Event Code is also unchanged because this could otherwise lead to duplicate Event Orders. All Order Items are also copied, although Purchase Ordering, Serial Number, Delivery and Invoicing details are not copied into the new Order. The Order Items that existed for the Order being overwritten (if any, this function will usually be used for new records) will not themselves be overwritten - they will remain in addition to the newly copied ones. The text ‘Copy of Order Code x’ will be added to the Comments 2 field on Page 2.

This function requires the Stock Control volume to be present. If the cursor is placed within one of the Items, and there is stock available for allocation, this function will list all Stock Items of that Product Code available. If the cursor is not within the Items included form, the function will list all Stock Items of all Product Codes available. As a default, the list contains items of Stock Type P (this default being set up in the Preferences section of the Data Manager), although other Stock Types can be listed using the pop-up menu to the bottom left of the screen.

Use this function to switch between the fast QuickAccess version of the Enquiries entry screen and the slower, more detailed version.

The more detailed screen has been used to illustrate this chapter and can be contrasted with the QuickAccess version. The main differences between the two versions of the screen are: the QuickAccess screen contains only one page with the Comments field brought across from the second page; the Order Type and Source related names are not displayed; the text fields do not have scroll bars (the ‘Expand Text’ function or the cursor keys should be used if necessary); and finally double-clicking an Enquiry Item will bring up a QuickAccess Item screen, itself limited to one page and without the Supplier Name and Telephone Number, and the Stock Allocations list.

If speed of access to the Enquiry entry screen is an important issue, it is recommended that the Preference ‘Default previous Source for Enq/Qtn/Ord’ is switched off. It is a slower process because it has to check on and fill in that Source’s default Product.

This function is used to increase a selected text field to full screen size for ease of typing.

The cursor must be in a text field for the function to operate. The text fields on the Enquiry screen are the Description and Enclosures fields on page 1 and Comments fields and the Enclosures and Billing Address fields, which can be found on page 2. This window has a Functions menu with ‘Find’ and ‘Replace’ facilities.

‘Find…’ (<Command-F>/) allows you to specify what to Find. It will remember what was last searched for, or will pick up any word or phrase currently highlighted in the text. The searching is done from the current cursor position onwards. The first found example is highlighted for manual editing.

‘Find Next’ (<Command-G>/) finds the next occurrence of the text string last specified in the ‘Find…’ or ‘Replace…’ dialogue box.

‘Replace…’ (<Command-R>/) shows a window with a field for the text string to be found and another for its replacement. The [Replace] button replaces the first instance found after the current cursor position (including the current highlight if that represents the text to be found), and places the cursor after the last character of the replacement made. The window features a [Replace All] (<Command-A>/) button, which changes all instances from the current cursor position onwards. ‘Replace Next’ (<Command-T>/) replaces the next occurrence of the text string to be found.

To revert to the normal screen, click [√] if you wish to save the changes you have made to the text, or [X] if you do not.