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This is a compilation of some helpful information about a few of the features in DataPerfect. Listed are page numbers from the DataPerfect manual and 3rd party books where you can find additional information about these topics. AUTO HELP Page numbers in reference manual: Pages 243, and 356 to turn auto help on Pages 118, and 243 creating custom help screens Lesson numbers and pages in workbook: Pages 143, and 144 Third party books: Perfecting Dataperfect 89, 110 Key strokes to invoke auto help: Ctrl - F3 to invoke auto - help Shift - F3 for custom help messages Examples of how feature works: The help screens are displayed in the upper portion of your screen. After creating a help screen, you'll probably want to turn auto- help on so that the help message will appear automatically. Help screens are specific to each field. You can block and copy help messages from field to field. SHELL MACROS Page numbers in reference manual: Shell, pages 379 - 384 Lesson numbers and pages in workbook: Lesson 12, pages 303 - 310 Third party books: Perfecting Dataperfect 121 - 123 Error messages and solutions when using clipboard and shell macros: Shell not running. Shell must be resident before using any of the clipboard and macro functions. Key strokes to invoke shell macro and how feature works: Alt - Shift F10, begins shell macro. Ctrl - Alt F10, ends shell macro. Alt - Ctrl F10 defines shell macro and can be used in Dataperfect. Alt - Shift F10 runs shell macro (macros are not 100% compatible with Dataperfect. May hang when macro is being executed.) Shell must be resident. Key strokes to invoke shell clipboard feature and how feature works: Alt - F1, get record. Alt - F10, put record. Shift - F1, get field. Shift - F10, put field. Ctrl - F10, put panel. Alt - F10 in a panel puts the record on the screen to clipboard. Alt - F1 in a panel retrieves the information from clipboard. Knowing how to run Dataperfect through shell and having a basic knowledge of how to create a macro is required. Macros aren't 100% compatible with Dataperfect and can lock up when running certain types of macros. (ie...reports, generating an index...) DP21 and office 3.0 are supposed to be the most compatible combination. Shell must be resident. USING CLIPBOARD/SHELL AND SHELL MACROS WITH DATAPERFECT 2.0 - 2.1 ┌────Shell Options─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ 1 - Go to Shell 4 - Clear/Append With Each Put │ │ 2 - Clear Clipboard 5 - Use Clipboard for Report/Import │ │ 3 - Text/WordPerfect Merge 6 - Retrieve from Clipboard │ │ 0 - Exit │ │ │ └────Selection: 0─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ WP Merge Append to Clipboard The Shell Options Menu vary depending on the menu in DataPerfect you are currently in. Option 6 - Retrieve from Clipboard is available when you are in the following menus: * Edit Report Form * Edit Help Screen * Define Panel Mode * Edit Text Field DataPerfect 2.0 4/4/88 and earlier used to display the contents in the clipboard when pressing ctrl - F1. DataPerfect 2.0 2/8/89 and later do not have this display. To see what is in the clipboard in a more current release press: ctrl F1, 1 (go to shell), 2 (clipboard). To retrieve data from the clipboard: Alt - F1 Get Record Retrieves data from clipboard into a record. Shft- F1 Get Field Retrieves data from clipboard into a field. * Data in the clipboard must be in a WordPerfect merge format. TO SEND DATA TO THE CLIPBOARD: Alt - F10 Put record Puts data from the record into the clipboard. Shft- F10 Put Field Puts data from a field into the clipboard. Ctl - F10 Put Panel Puts the entire panel to the clipboard. * Data from Put Panel option cannot be retrieved back into DataPefect. Using Shell Macros within DataPerfect: Shell macros can be used within DataPerfect if shell is resident while using DataPerfect. Ctrl-Shft-F10 Define Shell Macro Shft-Alt-F10 Run Shell Macro Self executing macros can be defined by using Shft-Alt-n when naming the macro. DataPerfect 2.0 and Library 2.0 aren't completely compatible. Certain functions will stop a macro such as: * Reports * Indexing * Put Record/Field/Panel * Get Record/Field/Panel DataPerfect 2.1 and Office 3.0 work together better without stopping the previous functions. INDEX EXCEPTION LIST Page numbers in the reference manual: Page 177 Third party books: Perfecting Dataperfect 48 Key strokes to invoke index exception list: Ctrl - F8, option #3, use up and down arrows to move through the indexes and use F4 to select the index to make the list for. Select fields to be included in the exception list. Use F7 to exit out of index screen. Do not use an exception list on index #1! EXAMPLE OF HOW FEATURE WORKS: An index exception list is a list of fields that is checked by DataPerfect each time a record is created or edited. If any of the specified fields are empty, or contain only zeros when the record is saved, DataPerfect will not store the record in the index which contains the exception list. This action not only prevents these records from being seen as duplicates, it also causes them to be skipped when doing lookups or reports that are sorted by this index. One reason for using an exception list would be in making a report for labels. You don't want to create a label for the people who have their address field left blank in your database. By selecting an index which contains the address field as an exception, you will cause all records with blank addresses to be skipped. Another example could be shown in doing an end of month billing. You are sending out monthly statements to all customers that have a balance greater than zero. You don't want to send them a bill if they don't owe anything, so you create an exception list which contains the amount due field. By selecting this index to sort your report, you will cause all records with a zero balance to be skipped. ┌────Define Index Exception Field List─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Move the cursor to the next field you want added to the field │ │ list, then press Select (F4). │ ├────Or press──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 1 - Delete List │ │ 2 - Delete Last Entry in List │ │ 0 - Exit │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─CAR.DAT─6─────────────────────────────┐ │Customer ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ │Phone ░░░░░░░░ │ │City ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │ │Contact ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │ │Date ░░░░░░░░ Time ░░░░░ │ ├───────────────────────────────────────┤ │Amount Due: 1░░░░░░░░ Miles: ░░░░░░ │ ├───────────────────────────────────────┤ │Notes : ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ │ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ │ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ └───────────────────────────────────────┘ 1. Press Ctrl-F8 (Define Index) on the panel which contains the index that you want to make the exception list for. 2. Choose option #3 (Create/Edit Exception List) 3. Press F4 to select the index that you want to work with. 4. Now use the F4 key to select the fields that you would like to include in the exception list. 5. Press the F7 to exit when finished defining the list. Note: It is not a good idea to use index number 1 for your exception list. This index is used by default for lookups and reports, unless otherwise specified. This can result in confusion by people who don't realize why certain records won't show up in their database. RUNNING DATAPERFECT ON A NETWORK Page numbers in the reference manual: Pages 27, 450 Third party books: Perfecting Dataperfect 100 - 101. Error messages and solutions associated with subject: DP ERROR 113, 122, 200 (no memo number - under networks section) What other features do you need to be familiar with?: Basic understanding of Network systems. Knowledge of how to flag, and attrib files is necessary. Common problems, possible causes, and troubleshooting tips: A couple of areas of concern when running DataPerfect on a network. Incompatibility There are small incompatibilities between each of the releases of DataPerfect. In essence, when you use different releases on the same database, you are confusing the database. You may tell it to do something, and it tries to, but the database doesn't understand. Most of the time it will do what you request, but it may still corrupt the database structure. User who have a release date of DataPerfect on a local drive which is different from the date on the network should not use the local version to access a network database. The incompatibility between the dates can cause serious problems for the user. PRINTER MAPPPING Page number in reference manual: Pages 361 Third party books: Perfecting Dataperfect 112 Key strokes to invoke printer mapping: Ctrl - F3, 6 Examples of how feature works: Printer mapping allows you to send characters to the printer that are normally not mapped (ie. letters with accents or other special characters). What other features do you need to be familiar with? You need to be familiar with how to set the printer. The printer needs to use the correct ASCII format. Common problems, possible causes, and troubleshooting tips: One common problem when printing is the mapped character does not print, or a blank space is left where the character should have printed. When this occurs the printer is set incorrectly. To determine if your printer is set correctly, or incorrectly use the print screen test. In place of where lines should print you get ASCII characters your printer is set incorrectly. SEARCHING IN SUBREPORTS Page numbers in the reference manual: Subreports - page 298, Report variables - 287. Key strokes to invoke feature: The subreport will need to be created first, in the main reports report body, Ctrl - F7, 1, 6 use the F4 key on the appropriate link. Once the subreport is created move to the report body of the subreport and create report variable number 1, Ctrl - F7, 1, 4, 1 (or appropriate variable number). Create search condition using an If then else 0 endif statement. This first subreport must be left empty except for the Report Variable. Move the cursor outside of the subreport and create a skip report variable if false statement, Ctrl - F7, 9, enter in the RV#. At this point you are free to select field from the main panel. EXAMPLE OF HOW FEATURE WORKS: The example described above is used when you need to set search criteria on a field in the second panel. The report comes from the main panel. What other features do you need to be familiar with?: Subreports and report variables Common problems, possible causes, and troubleshooting tips: When a one to many relationship exists in a database, it is necessary to use subreports to search in the subpanel. If the link is not defined correctly, searching in a subpanel cannot take place.