In this chapter we will discuss the Wizard Alternate Access or Lookups which is a very quick and powerful system of finding the key or Id to an Item in a file. We will also discuss Jump Time which allows you to Jump from a Wizard Screen or Menu directly into any process, and when you complete that process Wizard will return you to the Screen or Menu that you came from.
Sometimes a screen needs to have a code such as Customer Number entered, and these codes are often obscure or quite difficult to remember. The solution is to let the user Look Up the customer number by listing the customer numbers and their names. Wizard Alternate Access allow you to set Wizard to do this.
Some screens need to have codes such as State, Region or Department and these codes can also be obscure or quite difficult to remember. The solution is to let the user Look Up or list all of these codes and select one from the list provided.
The main idea here is to allow the data entry operator to Look-Up an item by using a field other than the item-id In data processing, this is also known as Indexing or Cross Referencing and the Wizard process is known as Alternate Access.
When a Wizard Screen requires an Item Id, say a Customer code number from the CUSTOMER file, the operator needs to know the correct code to be able to access the details from the CUSTOMER file. If the CUSTOMER file has 2000+ Customers and the operator is not given the Customer's account number then there is a need to be able to Access the CUSTOMER file using an Alternative method.
For example obtain the account number via the Customer's name.
In this example we would allow the operator to Look-Up the Customer code/s for all Customers with Name=BLACK, and display these Codes along with other helpful detail.
In the same Wizard Screen the operator may be required to enter a Terms Code.
For example COD, 7 Days, 30 Days...
This must be a Valid Terms code. In this case you would allow the operator to Look-Up a complete list of the Valid Terms.
As there are many different ways to access the data in a given file, Wizard provides 8 different methods of Alternate Access:
These detail What, When, Why, Options and User Interface.
Any or all of the above can be used on a given file and are automatically maintained by Wizard whenever the file is used within a Wizard Screen. If a file has Alternate Access then this is automatically available on all Wizard Screens that use this file, you do not need to re-generate all the Screens.
The operator simply enters = to activate the Alternate Access on any field in a Wizard Screen. Wizard knows which field has what Alternate Access and Wizard will either prompt for additional information or present the operator with a Look-Up Window.
If after entry of =, (and subsequent details if required), there is only one Look-Up item found then Wizard will NOT display a Window and it ASSUMES that this is the ONE the operator was looking for and will return it to the field as if the operator selected it.
Use the Wizard Alternative Access Maintenance Screen on the Wizard File Menu to create and update Alternate Access for a given file.
The following points should be considered when determining the type of Alternate Access for a given file:
All Alternate Access types are defined in this Screen. Also use this Screen to re-build individual types or all types for a given file. It is strongly recommended that you define the Alternate Access when the file is first setup, this is a recommendation only and not a restriction.
You may not define an Alternate Access for a file unless it is known to Wizard via the WFileMaint Screen in the File Maint Menu, and you have defined the Dictionaries to be used, in defining which attribute is to be cross referenced.
This process consists of three Wizard Screens The first and main Screen, W.WAltAcc, requires you to enter the File Id and this must be on the WIZ.FILES file, you may enter = to obtain a Look-Up of valid files. The top half of the Screen is where you determine the Type/s of Alternate Access and the bottom half is used to define the Look-Up window for the given file.
The second Screen W.WAltAccSub, is where you define the details of each individual Type.
The third Screen, W.WAltAccWVD, allows you to view and nominate which Wizard Screen will have access to which type. The default is All types on All Screens.
For example on a Members file cross reference SURNAME, GIVEN NAMES and ADDRESS; break each field if there is a SPACE (ie. Words); exclude STREET, ROAD, PLACE, etc.
There is no need to enter the whole name.
For example PETER would return all of the PETERs, PETERKINS, PETERSON PETER..... that are on file.
If each word has been indexed then for a very large Membership file the operator could enter the full name and this would give a separate and combined search on both Surname and Given names.
For example
| =SMITH | you would get many hundreds |
| =PETER | again many hundreds |
| =ROBERT | once again many hundreds |
| =PETER ROBERT SMITH | very few. |
What if the name is BOB or ROBERT?
=PETER ROBERT+BOB SMITH
would find all of the :-
PETER ROBERT SMITHs if any and all of the
PETER BOB SMITHs if any.
If the input field in the Wizard Screen is long enough then the operator may enter the string to be searched from that field.
That is, instead of entering =
For example if you were wishing to setup a lookup on Wizard terms. You may be trying to lookup the word PHONETIC you may look it up by entering FONETIC, PHONETIC or PONETIC.
If the input field in the Wizard Screen is long enough then the operator may enter the string to be searched from that field.
That is instead of entering =
There is no need to enter the whole name.
For example PETER would return all of the PETERs, PETERKINS, PETERSON PETER..... that are on file. But only if PETER is the FIRST word of the field.
If the input field in the Wizard Screen is long enough then the operator may enter the string to be searched from that field.
That is instead of entering =
That is enter =PETER would return only the PETERs but Enter =PETER] would return every item that has a word that starts with PETER eg. PETERKINS, ..etc.
The operator can also enter multiple words as in the examples given in the BTree type.
For example =ROBERT+BOB GUTHRIE or =ROBERT+BOB GUTH]
If the input field in the Wizard Screen is long enough then the operator may enter the string to be searched from that field.
That is instead of entering =
For example. The Product Groups file may contain data like Description, Product Manager, Buyer Name,...etc it could also be a TXref file for the Products file. Then whenever a Product Group is added or changed on any given Product Wizard will maintain the link. Wizard allows a Xref file to be cross reference as well. See in the appendix Using Wizard Alternate Access file.
Entry of multiple words such as =word1 word2 would not return any items to list, however =word1+word2 would return all of word1 plus all of word2.
If the input field in the Wizard Screen is long enough then the operator may enter the string to be searched from that field.
That is instead of entering =
If the input field in the Wizard Screen is long enough then the operator may enter the string to be searched from that field.
That is instead of entering =
That is which file contains the Table and what is the Table's Item Id This detail is Maintained using the Wizard Screen W.LOOKUP.M in the Wizard Setup Menu.
For example a list of all unpaid Invoices for a given Customer when you are in the Cheque entry screen.
Static type Tables can be Maintained using the Wizard Screen LookupTable in the Wizard Setup Menu. See Appendix for more details on how to use Tables.
The data in the file should be split into multi-valued attributes. You specify the order and display information for the various attributes in the first Line Item Set in the Lookup Maintenance screen.
So, for example, you may have an item containing the following format of data:
001: Red]Green]Blue
002: ff0000]00ff00]0000ff
When the user enters "=" in the appropriate field in the Wizard screen, the following lookup will be displayed:
|
Min |
5 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
Any |
Any |
|
Max |
50 |
5000+ |
1500+ |
1500+ |
1500+ |
500+ |
Any |
Any |
|
All/String |
A |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
A |
|
Wild Cards |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
|
Word/Field |
N |
W/F |
W |
F |
W |
F |
W/F |
N |
|
Multifield |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
|
Multi-words |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y+ |
Y+ |
N |
|
Multiples |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Auto Upd |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
|
Auto Avail. |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
That is [{string} and/or {string}] or *.
NOTE :- B-Tree will automatically work like {string}].
NOTE : The + means only Additions apply.
For example =PINK+GREEN All of the PINKs plus all of the GREENs.
Type on a given file.
Type on a given field in a file.
Dir is on the Item-Id only.
Wizard Alternate Access maintenance Screen (W.AltAcc) allows you to define a standard Look-Up display Window for a given file.
Sometimes there is a need to access special features such as being able to Link from one Look-Up to another, Multi-Select Look-Up Windows, defining Table type Look-Up windows.
The Lookup Maintenance Screen will allow you to create Look-Up windows with the following features:
The Lookup Maintenance Screen looks like this :
Some times you need to give the user the ability to select the correct code from a list of codes. When these codes are not stored on another file you need some way of maintaining the Codes and their descriptions. This routine allows you to maintain the Table type data used in a Lookup.
This is a Pop-up window and looks like :
The Wizard Look Up Window allows you to view all available valid data, showing you sufficient details for you to make the correct Selection.
The following commands are valid:
## Line number | This is your selection and the data on ## line will be taken as if you had entered this data. |
S | Will Scroll forwards through one page all the valid data. |
S- | Will Scroll backwards one page. |
S# | Will Scroll forwards starting from line number #. |
L | Locate a string After you have entered L you will be prompted for the String. The lookup list will be reduced to only those lines in which the string occurs. |
U | Run the Wizard update Screen that maintains the data being displayed. Only if you have menu access to this Wizard Screen |
| Escape without selecting any data. If you are in Locate a string mode then |
The Wizard Multi Selection Look Up Window works much the same as the single selection window it allows you to view all available valid data, showing you sufficient details for you to make the correct Selections.
The following commands are valid.
## Line Numbers.
This is only one of your selections and the data on ## line will be marked with an * to the right of the line number. You may then enter another line. If you enter a line already selected then this line will be dropped from your selections. All data selected will be returned to your original Screen in the order that you selected it and NOT in line number order.
Variations: you may also enter more than one line at a time. If you enter 1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10,11,12, then all of these lines will be selected. To select the same lines you could enter 1-4,6,8-12 or 1-12,5,7 where 5 and 7 will be selected with the 1-12 then dropped with the 5,7.
D Delete all Selections and remain in the Window.
S Will Scroll forwards through all the valid data one page.
S- Will Scroll backwards one page.
S# Will Scroll forwards starting from line number #.
L Locate a string After you have entered L you will be prompted for the String. All occurrences of the string will be highlighted. You may then enter N for the next page that contains the string.
U Run the Wizard update Screen that maintains the data being displayed. Only if you have menu access to this Wizard Screen
NOTE. You will lose all your selections as if you entered D.
NOTE.If you do not wish to return to your original Screen with data after making a selection then enter D first and then
If you want to be able to jump out of one Wizard screen into another routine, you will need to do two things, these being:
* Select the appropriate feature from the EF screen when you generate the Wizard screen from which you wish to jump (and then generate that screen), and,
* Create a jump definition item which will tell your Wizard screens (which are allowed to jump to other screens) what the valid jump options are.
For more information on the first, refer to the Edit Features information elsewhere in this manual.
NOTE that you must have run the Build Menu Access List from the Account Setup menu (i.e. option 4 from menu 1 when you log into the account).
Selecting one of either Default Jump List or User Jump List from the menu will let you set up a jump list. You will be presented with the following screen:
The fields in the Line Item Set are:
Process
Type
Data
Description
Command
There are actually three possible jump lists you can create. If the first type exists it is used, otherwise the next type is searched for. If none is found, the jump function will not operate. The three types of jump list, in order of priority, are:
You may create a Jump List for a specific Wizard screen which will then function exclusively for that screen. This CANNOT be done from the menu. To do this you will need to run the setup program from TCL. This can be done by the following process (at TCL):
Run the program W.JumpSetup by typing that name at the TCL prompt and pressing
Type in the name of the screen you are creating the list for (with no "W." prefix) followed by the letters .SCR, and then press
This is the last option of the Setup Maintenance menu. This sets up a Jump List for a specific user which will be available to that user from any Wizard screen which allows jumping.
Finally you may set up a default jump list which will be used by a screen when neither of the other jump lists are present. This is set up from option 3 of the Setup Maintenance menu.
NOTE that default screens can access processes which have a security level of 0 only.
The jump list setup screen can also be accessed from within any Wizard screen which allows jumping by typing /JUMP from any field.
The jump list setup screen is basically a Line Item Set each line of which represents one possible command for jumping.
All your processes are validated (you can only access processes which would normally have been available to you from your menus) when you enter. There is, however, a simple and quick way of setting up an option on the jump list. All you have to do is press the = key followed by
Using the jump list is quite easy. In any field of a Wizard screen which has the jump list active, enter // followed by the command you have given to the process you want to run (see above).
If you do not know the command name, you can simply enter // and
If there is only one option in the list, // will take you directly to that option.
When you have finished running the process you have jumped to, exiting that process will automatically return you to the screen and field that you jumped from.