DataPower Features
Easy to Use
- DataPower is a user friendly DTP style multimedia database. It has
been extensively tested in both the classroom and in regular office use.
DataPower has been carefully designed to be easy to use whilst still incorporating
all the powerful features you would expect from a top database. This ensures
that as an experienced or inexperienced user, you can be quickly up and
running with full control over your data.
- To create a database, you simply open a new window, click once to place
your fields on the page, then type in the field name. When you are finished,
you simply save it and it is ready for you to enter your data. At anytime,
you can go back, add or delete any fields, or change the appearance, however
you like.
Powerful Form Designer
- DataPower has a built-in 'form designer' with DTP style borders and
frames that lets you lay out the pages of your databases, just as if you
were using a wordprocessor or DTP package. This means it is an ideal way
to design questionnaires, certificates, invitations, student record forms,
record of achievement forms, attainment target forms or even your local
club membership form, the only limit is your imagination. You can use a
range of styles, size and colours and even incorporate your school or department
logo.
Easy Data Entry
- Entering data into your database couldn't be easier. This can be done
by either typing in the data or dragging files containing text or graphics
straight on to the fields of the database. When you are setting up a database,
you can specify which type of data is going to go into each field, from
a choice of text (with true multi-line text fields that word wrap like
a word processor) integers, decimals, Boolean (tick boxes), time and dates,
time intervals, pictures/graphics, file and formula (calculated) fields.
You can set a default value (or formula) for any field, you can have a
pop up value list for multiple choice answers, and you can even make fields
compulsory to ensure that they are completed. All your fields can also
have validation formulae specified individually, to ensure correct validity
of the data being entered.
Flexible Importing and Export
- Data can be entered directly or imported from a whole range of standard
data files such as CSV (Comma Separated Values) files, TAB Separated files,
Junior Database files, Desktop Database Files and more than 10 others,
including a number of BBC formats. DataPower also exports in all the standard
formats, for easy data transfer.
Multimedia
- It's not just text you can put in your DataPower databases, they can
be used to store pictures, animations, films, sounds, and all sorts of
files. It's a truly multimedia database! All your graphics are automatically
compressed when you drag them in and decompressed 'on the fly' when you
drag them out, saving you valuable disc space. Imagine a database of all
your Clip Art pictures with text fields so that you can include a title
and description for each picture; you can then search your entire collection
at the press of a button. What a great way to catalogue a CD collection,
or keep a record card of all your pupils including a picture of them.
Drag and Drop
- DataPower features an intelligent 'Drag and Drop' system, allowing
any selection of data to be dragged from one DataPower window directly
into another or beyond into another application such as a wordprocessor.
Pictures can also be dragged directly into graphic applications and so
on. Text can be dragged and saved straight into a text editor or wordprocessor.
Fast Powerful Searching
- DataPower uses a 'state of the art' file structure to ensure that searching
your data is very fast . All you need to do to search your file is to type
in what you are looking for on the blank card in the search window and
the database will quickly and easily form a subset of the ones that match.
You can type a full expression into any or all fields and even use wildcard
for more complex searches. Once a subset has been found you can search
the set until you have the group that you want. This can be printed out,
saved or graphed.
Active sorting
- When DataPower sorts any set of record it also sets the sort order
so that any new records entered or edited are automatically sorted into
the right position. This guarantees that your records are correctly sorted
whenever you look at them.
Mailmerging and WYSIWYG Labels
- Mailmerging is possible with a whole range of word processors. With
DataPower's multiple views you can view and edit your labels on screen
in columns in just the same format as they will appear when they are printed.
So What You See Is What You Get!
Professional Report Facilities
- Once you have entered your data it can be viewed in many different
ways; in columns; in multiple record format; in card format; as a report
with headers and footers and so on. It can also be sorted by as many fields
as you require. The headers and footers can contain pictures, text, the
time and date of printing, the page number, the total number of pages and
it will even calculate field summaries for you. These can show the average,
maximum and minimum, sum or count of any field in your database.
Multiple Views
- You can create as many different layouts as you like for a set of data
so that you can view the data in a variety of different ways. DataPower
lets you create pages with the required amount of rows and columns so that
producing labels, spreadsheet views, invitations, ID Cards is straightforward.
Impressive Graphing
- DataPower has built-in graphing that lets you produce a whole range
of graphs, from pie charts to bar charts. These can be normal, stacked
or clustered, frequency graphs, histograms, scatter diagrams with or without
best fit regression lines, line graphs and more. Graphs can be displayed
in 2D, 2D outline or 3D with shading. A grid and a key can be added and
any text on the graph can be moved or have its style changed. Graphs can
be printed directly from DataPower or saved as a Draw File, providing an
ideal way to analyse and present your data.
Relational capabilities
- DataPower has been designed to be as easy to use as possible, and it's
deliberately set up so that if you don't need the relational features they
won't get in the way. However, if you're going to invest time and effort
in setting up a database, it's important to know that the system you choose
has the power to deal with whatever new features you might need to add
in the future. That's why, underneath the friendly user interface, DataPower
has a powerful database engine that's capable of meeting your needs well
into the future.
- To find out more about DataPower 2's relational features, click here.
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