Fields
Every database in Calm contains one or more record types or templates. Each record type contains a number of default fields. Record Types may be customised, for example by adding and removing fields or changing the field order, and your own record types can be created.
There are several types of field in Calm, suitable for recording different types of information, for example there are fields designed specifically for numbers, dates and text. You can create your own fields using these types. There are also a number of User Definable Fields (of various types) which may be customised to suit your requirements. All these fields can be inserted into your Record Types as required.
Fields are completed by placing the cursor into the white box next to the field label and typing on your keyboard, you may also copy and paste information into fields in Calm. Please note: it is recommended that you do not use non-alphanumeric characters such as brackets in any fields except Text Fields such as the Description or Notes fields, as this may cause problems with indexing.
The widths of fields in Calm are variable and may be
altered using the Admin program.
There is also a zoom facility to enable you to see the entire contents of a
field if it exceeds the currently set field width, using the
button on the toolbar or Zoom from the View drop down menu.
Click on the options shown on the left to find out about the different types of fields used in Calm and the different attributes fields may have.
Calm includes facilities for "intelligent" data entry; you can check field entries against a list of permitted values (for a "picklist" field) or against a list of values already entered in this field in previously created records (for an "authority" controlled field).
It is possible to enter data into fields that are designed for different types of data, for example you might enter dates into a text field. In this case the dates will be sorted alphabetically e.g. 31/01/98 will come after 29/12/99. Therefore you need to use the date or period field type if you wish to sort correctly in chronological order or if you want to search by ranges of dates e.g. Date = 1914-1918.