If you are having trouble entering information, use the following checklist to help point to possible trouble areas.
In general, you can only type into an area designated by a rectangle. This rectangle is not always visible, but it functions just the same. Furthermore, only “selected” rectangles will accept information.
Some details:
• Information you wish to store can only be entered into a “form”. A form is designed with a Template, and then this Template is selected by opening a View icon, clicking on the Template name, and picking “Show Selection” from the View menu. A “quick” form can also be created with just a View icon. After opening the View icon, select ‘Find First’ from the View menu. Helix will create a form with label and data rectangles for all the fields in your relation.
• A form that displays a list cannot be typed into. “Listing” types of forms are always for display only.
• When using a form, if the Template’s data rectangle has only an Abacus icon in it, that rectangle is used only to display the result of a calculation, and therefore the rectangle cannot be selected or typed into. To be able to type into a calculated field, the rectangle must contain both an Abacus and a Field icon (for more information, see the Defaults section). Note that rectangles designated as Non-Selectable also cannot be selected or typed into.
• A blinking “insertion cursor” must be present. If it is not, click inside a field entry area. The cursor should appear. The cursor will disappear if:
a. the window is not active (selected).
b. you click outside of the field entry areas.
If you hear a “beep” when you try to type, you probably do not have a field selected to type into. Check the “Why?” message under the Apple menu.
• A “beep” sounds when you try to Enter record:
The blinking cursor must be visible on a form before its contents can be entered. If you type into a form and then click outside the window, the cursor will vanish from the form. If you then try to enter the record, a “beep” will sound. You must click inside a field entry area on the form to restore the cursor. The record may then be Entered. [Defaulted fields: If some of the fields on your form are defaulted (Keep Fields or Calculation Retain) and are displaying a value, then a cursor does not have to be visible in order to enter the records.]
• On the Template, nothing can be typed into Data, Border, or Repeat rectangles. Label rectangles are the only ones that accept your typing.
