File Editing Basics

When you open a browse window to edit a sales order or a file from the FILES, menu you use the same basic keystrokes to perform various functions throughout Simple Accounting.

[Change] or <Enter> Edit/View the selected record. A data entry window appears for the selected record.

[Insert] or <Ins> Add a new record to the file displayed in the browse.

[Delete] or <Del> Delete the selected record from the browse.

Print] Print reports, mailing labels or envelopes of selected records.

[Find]   Locate a record using a Query Window.

A-Z search-as-you-type for a record by typing the first few

0-9 characters of its name or other field (if a tabbed browse.)

Alt/G Go To a physical record number. Normally records are listed in alphabetic order, not in the order in which you actually entered them. To instantly move to a specific record number in the file, press this key, enter the record number, and press <Enter>.

Scroll Bars Use the vertical scroll bars on the right-hand side of the window to move a page at a time through the list of records.

Additionally, certain main data files have other hot keys for executing special commands. These are explained below in the sections describing each specific file.

ADDING, EDITING AND DELETING RECORDS

• Ctrl/PgUp Go to the first changeable field

• Ctrl/PgDn Go to the last changeable field

• Down Move forward to the next field

• Up Move backwards to the previous field

• Ctrl/Right Moves the cursor forward to beginning of the next field

• Up/Left Moves the cursor backward to the beginning of the previous field 

• Home Go to the beginning of a field

• End Go to the end of a field

• Ctrl/M Field Memory (Auto-type value from the last record into the field)

• Ctrl/Y Delete the contents of a field

• Ctrl/T Delete the current word or number in a field

• PgDn Skip remaining fields and conclude editing immediately

• [Ok] Save the record or transaction. This button is at the bottom of every file editing window. Pressing the <Enter> key has the same effect as clicking on this button, since this is always the default button in a data entry window.

• Esc Exit without save

If you press <Esc> after having have made changes to a record, you are prompted to save your changes before exiting.

SOME WORDS ABOUT DATA INTEGRITY

• Each record in every data file is uniquely identified by its ID. The ID is that record’s link to related information throughout Simple Accounting. Therefore, you are not allowed to use the same ID for two different records in the same file. After you enter a record, you cannot change its ID. To do so could play havoc with your company’s data.

• Many controls have some type of field validation. Sometimes this simply means that you must enter something to uniquely identify this record (like the customer name for example). Often you must enter an ID from a list of valid items in another data file. If this is true, you can always use a field lookup button to call up a browse box>and select recordsdrop-down-list.

• Similarly, sometimes the system will not allow you to delete a record. This is because there are transactions in the main transaction File which depend on this record for data. It would not make sense, for example, to delete a Customer record for which unposted transactions had been entered. Simple Accounting blocks you from this kind of mistake which could throw your books out of balance. Please refer to the introduction for tips on setting up these files.