Authority Controlled Fields

Authority Controlled Fields

Some fields in Calm have been set as Authority controlled fields. When you begin typing into an Authority controlled field, an authority box pops up. When you first use Calm the box is likely to be blank, but when you have more data in your database you will see that the authority box contains “prompts” which consist of information which has been previously entered, usually, into the field in question. However some Authority controlled fields take their authority from fields in other databases, for example the Author field in the catalogue database takes its authority from the NameAuthority field in the Persons database.

As you type into an Authority controlled field, the contents of the authority box will change to reflect the text you enter. Entries in the authority box will appear in alphabetical order and the authority box may be resized by clicking on the edge of the box with your mouse and "dragging". To close the authority box, click in any other field or use the ESC key on your keyboard.

Authority controlled fields may be used in one of two ways:

• If you wish to complete the field with the same information as is contained in one of the prompts in the authority box, click on the prompt you require, or use the arrow keys to select an option and press Enter to complete the field.

• If the field is one in which you do not wish to duplicate information, for example the Depositor field in the Depositors database, you may use the authority box as a warning. For example if the depositor name you are typing already exists in the database, it is likely that there is already a record in existence for the depositor; therefore you do not need to create another one.

For reference, the steps shown in the demonstration are detailed below:

• As you start to type data into a field, a pop-up box appears. The box contains the nearest match to data currently held in the index for that field i.e. it shows what you have entered in that field in other records.
• The contents of the pop-up box will change as you continue to type.
• To select a term from the authority list, click on it, or press Enter.
  This copies the highlighted term and removes the pop-up box.

Authority fields do not force you to enter information that has been used in the field previously. You may continue typing into the field to add content that is original.

Authorities can be added to and removed from fields, and have the field that is the source of their authority altered, using the Admin program.