This is the primary function of the package. The uniqueness of this package is its speed and flexibility in allowing the user to opt for either Browse Mode or Form Mode. User can even switch between Form Mode and Browse mode as and when required without sacrificing efficiency or reliability.

One important feature that user should remember here is, it is presumed that, the last (latest) set of records are of primary importance. Hence, whenever a user chooses any of the option it always starts from the last record entered instead of the first record. Powerful text editor like facilities is provided for the user to traverse across the records. Following are the sub-options that are provided under the main Data Entry option:

- Create/Update existing data
- Inquire existing data

When any one of the option under this is chosen the program displays a pop-up menu indicating whether the user is interested in using Browse Mode or Form Mode. The screen for the same is shown below:

Data Entry Selection Mode Menu

Depending upon the type opted by the user, the program gets into specified mode and respective type of menu is displayed.

1. Browse Mode

   There is no fixed type of screen that is displayed since the field information keeps varying from file to file. A sample screen is shown below:
   

   Browse Mode Data Entry

   The record is automatically saved to file whenever the cursor is positioned to next row. For e.g. when user enters the record, if the cursor is in the last column(field) of the row(record) and if (s)he presses enter key, the record gets automatically saved to file. Delete can be used for marking or unmarking a record for delete or undelete operation respectively. The marked records are actually deleted from file only when the data entry screen is closed.

2. Form Mode

   

   Form Mode Data Entry

   There is no fixed type of screen that is displayed under the form mode. A screen of the above type may be observed when user is using this mode. Unlike Browse mode where entire record is fitted into a single display frame the same may not be true here since, the display frame may span across several tabs. Flexibility is provided for moving across the tabs with in a record or moving across a record.

   Following section describes each of the sub-functions under data entry:

   • Data Creation/Updation/Inquiry/Delete
   1. Create Data

      Under this option fresh entries can be created or old entries can be updated. Choosing this option actually implies that the user is opting for the combined option of Record Creation, Record Updation, Record Inquiry and Record deletion. When fresh records are being created validation is concurrently performed. The package is designed in such a way that no numeric values can be entered under Alphabetic fields and no Alphabetic characters can be introduced while entering Numeric fields. Date validation is performed while Creating/Updating the date field.

      Field Validation:
      The field validation takes place when data is being created. The type of characters allowed is as follows:
      
      Type A - A to Z, a to z, ", ', ! And ?
      Type G - A to Z, a to z, 0 - 9 and any special characters
      Type N - 0 - 9, '-', and '+'
      Type D - 0 - 9

      Date Validation:
      Validation is performed for all possible combination of date inputs. However, it should be noted that, the lowest possible year could be entered is the base year. Hence, if the base year is set as 1980 (80 in case of two bytes), the least possible year that can be entered is only 80. This has been done in order to take care of Export option at a later stage. During Export, if the year falls below the base year, it is taken in to next Century (i.e. Year 2000 + Yy).

      There are instances where user is in need of entering values of two digits with some values being a component of base year 2000 and some being component of base year 1900. For example 01 to 59 should be treated as 2000 + Yy and 60 to 99 should be treated as 1900 + Yy. This has occurred due to historical reason of setting the year field to 2 bytes. There is solution under this package even for this problem. User can safely set year field as two bytes while entering the data and later under the Export option this anomaly can be corrected by fixing the output date field with four character year and choosing the base year as 1960.

   2. Inquire Data

      This allows the user to have a look at the entered records. Only arrow keys are allowed here to move around the screen or records.

      2.1 Padding

      The padding for alphabetic and alphanumeric fields is always spaces and in the case of numeric it is always zeroes (0). Padding character are automatically inserted at the beginning or at the end as specified. The padding for numeric is always at the higher order character (Starting from left to right). If decimal is mentioned the padding for decimal portion is from right to left.

      2.2 Data Entry Description

      The following sections provide description for each type of data that can be entered and also behavior of the package with respect to special editing options like Justified, Duplicate and Mandatory entry.

      2.2.1 Alphanumeric field

      Alphanumeric field which is specified through the character 'G' under Field Information can consist of any alpha numeric field including special character. Some of the example for Alphanumeric codes are Item-Code under inventory control, Department Code and pay-roll etc.,.

      2.2.2 Alphabetic Field

      Alphabetic field that is specified through the character 'A', under field information can consist of any alphabetic character either in Capital or Small (A-Z & a-z). Special characters are accepted under this field. If any other character is entered under this field the character will not be accepted indicating that it is an illegal character. Best example for a alphabetic field is individuals name itself.

      2.2.3 Numeric Field

      The numeric field that is specified through the character 'N' under field information can consist of any digit from 0-9 and only the other characters that are accepted will be decimal (.), Plus (+) and Minus (-). The entry of numeric fields can be broadly classified into following categories for keying-in.

      • Field without decimal and sign
      • Field consisting of decimal and without sign
      • Field consisting of both decimal and sign
      • Field consisting of sign and without decimal

The following paragraphs explains each of the above mentioned data entry procedures:

Field without decimal and sign: In this case any numeric value is accepted. When the user enters this field the cursor will be positioned at the end of the field and as and when entered the last digit entered will move to higher order position.

In the above example the size of numeric field is 10 digit long and data that is entered is 45767891 the higher order is padded with zeroes.

Field consisting of decimal and without sign: In this case all numeric characters are accepted including the decimal. Two type of entries takes place when data is being entered. When the cursor is positioned before decimal it will behave exactly similar to that of numeric field without decimals and after decimal it traverses from left to right. The cursor will automatically move into decimal part if the complete characteristic part is filled otherwise user has to key-in decimal (.) character to get into decimal part.

Note: If the field size is defined as 10 with decimal digits as 2 the length of the field under OdEan will still remain 10 only. The 11 characters that are visible is for proper data entry purposes only. Under the file while storing it will still be 10 characters.

Field Consisting of both decimal and sign: This field, again, is of two types. First one being sign embedded and the second one being sign separate. In either case it behaves in the same manner as that of previous two and also accepting the sign. The default sign is always positive. The example displayed below stands for signed leading.

Field consisting of sign and without decimal: The entry of data under this field is exactly similar to the first one except that it also accepts the sign as explained above under the singed field information.

Date Field: The details for date field information are already explained under Field Information. Here only numeric characters are accepted and whenever there is a date separator character it is automatically skipped while moving within the date field.

Duplicate Entry: Description of field duplication is already explained in the chapter Field Information. When duplicate entry is specified for the column, it allows the user to enter the duplicate data in multiple rows. The value of the previous record is brought to the next record to reduce the typing effort. The behavior of this feature is as follows:

Data entered in the first/previous record:

When second record is being entered and user enters this field, contents of the field is displayed again which is replica of the previous record.

Record 1

Record 2

At this juncture if user enters a CARRIAGE-RETURN the same information is retained and cursor moves to the next field. Assume that user modifies it, by moving to the last column in the same field, changing from 1 to 2 and goes ahead to complete the entry of full record, then the field with duplicate option will consist of data as depicted below:

Record2

When third record is being entered, the contents of the screen will be as follows:

This generally improves the efficiency of the data entry operator many-folds since number of keystrokes will, drastically, be reduced.

Justified: Justification is always left for alphanumeric fields by default. Hence for normal alphanumeric field if the length of field is of 30 characters and data entered is Richard Dave it will be visible as follows:

If the same information is entered with Right justified it will be visible as follows:

Mandatory Entry: This option ensures that the data is entered in the field. When this option is enabled, if user tries to go to the next field without entering any data, it remains in the same place/field until the data is entered.

Search

This option provides a facility for listing the Records according to Search Type & Search Value in a specified file.

Two types of search options are provided.

Field Search

This type of search method enables to list all the records within the required file containing the given value of the selected field.

Record Search

This type of search method enables to list all the records within the required file belonging to the Record

Search Type & Search value.

Main Screen