Navigating Within a Window
When you first open a window in Contract Collector, all fields in the window
are blank. The first field in the window (located at the upper left corner) is
highlighted, indicating that it is ready for your entry.
The first field in every window is called the KEY FIELD. In Contract Collector, the KEY FIELD is always an ID number (CONTRACT ID, COMPANY ID, etc.). Before you can do anything else in a window, you need to make an
entry in the KEY FIELD.
If you enter a new ID number in the KEY FIELD and press ENTER (putting the system into ADD MODE), the highlight moves to the next field for your entry. You can then continue
adding data in the window and click on the SAVE button in the COMMAND MENU to save your work.
If you enter an existing ID number in the KEY FIELD (either by entering it directly, selecting from a PICK LIST, or using the FIND WINDOW), the record that corresponds to that ID is displayed (DISPLAY MODE). If you change any of the data in a field and press ENTER, the system changes
to the EDIT MODE.
As soon as the system changes to the EDIT or ADD MODE, the KEY FIELD for the window is protected and cannot be changed. Unlike other protected
fields, which appear with white type against a gray background, protected KEY FIELDS appear as black type against a white background. Once the KEY FIELD is protected, the only way to un-protect it is to either SAVE or CANCEL your
work.
Once you have made an entry in the KEY FIELD, whether it is a new or existing ID, you can move the cursor directly into
any other field in the window (except protected fields).
To move the cursor to a different field, move the mouse until the pointer is
over the field you want to move to. When the mouse pointer is over a field, it
changes shape from the arrow ( ) to an I-beam ( ). When the I-beam is
exactly at the position within the field where you want to insert the cursor, click
the mouse button once. On a color monitor, the cursor appears as a blinking red
vertical line.
If you are using the mouse to move the cursor into an empty field, position
the mouse pointer at the extreme left side of the field before pressing the mouse
button.
You can also use the mouse to select any of the controls displayed in the
window (push-buttons, radio buttons, etc.). Just position the arrow mouse pointer
over the control and press the right mouse button.
To move the highlight from field to field within a window using only the
keyboard, press the TAB key, which moves the highlight forward through the fields in
order. To move the highlight backward through the fields, press SHIFT-TAB.
To use a control that appears in a window, such as a radio button or
push-button, press TAB or SHIFT-TAB until the FOCUS RECTANGLE appears around the text for the control. Then press ENTER or SPACE to
activate the control.