2.4.2  Moving Through the Forms

As you enter data, keep in mind the following essential points:

•         You must enter the parent record (Manuscript level) before you can enter any descendant records (Part, then Text, then Image). The relationship among each of the successive four levels is parent-to-child; mythologically, we could characterize the full four generational succession as great-grandparent-to-grandparent-to-parent-to-child.  Each generation might produce an only child, but it also might have many offspring.  Concretely, the database wouldn't ever let it happen, that a parent might skip a generation and produce a grandchild:  the Add [Part; Text; Image] buttons aren't activated unless the parent record exists.  

•         In the New MS, Edit MS, Add Part, Edit Part, Add Text, Edit Text, Add Image, and Image forms (eight forms; we show you pictures of them), the florescent pink-labeled fields are required fields which must contain data before you can close out the form. If you do not have catalogued information for these fields, you might key in some attractive garbage in the form of a question mark to temporarily satisfy the requirement with the intention of filling in the correct information later. 

Remember, though, what paves the road to hell:  be sure to put a check in the Revisit box before you leave this imperfect record, and be sure to regularly review the records that have an activated Revisit button. Look in the Browse View and you'll see a "greater than" sign (or closing angle bracket) in the left outer margin for each manuscript, at each level where there is a checked Revisit button.  In addition, you can verify where Revisit boxes are checked via the handy tool within Reports and Data.  This, too, is a Best Practices habit:  to regularly review the occurrence of checked Revisit boxes. Suppress is an option, too, in a ratcheting up of your acknowledged insecurity about a Manuscript (overall) or an Image (specifically).  Reports and Data will provide lists of your unresolved use of the Revist and Suppress boxes.

•         You can progress quickly through fields by using the tab key. You can also click in the field into which you wish to enter data, or, if the field is a Yes/No box, you can tap on the space bar to toggle the Yes or the No response.  To move backwards, press the Shift + Tab keys.

•         You do not have to worry about saving the data you have entered. Once you leave a field, the information you entered there is saved; and once you leave a form, all parts of the data entered there are automatically saved.  You do need to backup your data, though!  See the section on Maintenance for easy backing up.

•         You can cut, copy and paste data freely from field to field and from one form to another, even from another Microsoft application.