Fields

Fields are indicated in the manual in bold, italic typeface:

Company ID

There are four types of fields used in Contract Collector:

  1. Required Fields: Some fields in a window require an entry before you can continue. Throughout this manual you can assume that a field is required unless it is labeled otherwise in parentheses to the right of the field name.

  2. Key Fields: The key field is a required ID field that is, in most cases, the first field located in the upper-left corner of the window.

  3. Optional Fields: When a field is labeled "(Optional)," an entry is not required.

  1. Protected Fields: Fields labeled as "(Protected)" are maintained automatically by the system and cannot be edited.

Some fields in Contract Collector may accept only numbers as an entry (a numeric entry). Other fields may accept either numbers or letters (an alphanumeric entry). When appropriate, the manual mentions which format is required for a field.

During data entry, field information may automatically be changed to all caps, no matter what you type. This is done to ensure accurate sorting of data in pop-up listings. The system also sometimes checks to make sure that your entry follows certain formats, for example XXX-XX-XXXX or XXX-XXX-XXX for a for a social security number. This is done to make sure that data input is accurate and complete.