Data Entry Guidelines

The operations described below are universal within the software module.

Navigating Fields

Mouse

To move to a specific location in a field, point to the position and click once. Note: This is useful to change only a single letter or number.

To select an entire word within a field, point to the word and double-click.

[TAB]

To move from one field to the next, press the [TAB] key. The active field's title is highlighted in bright green.

NOTE: You can change the highlight color, by changing the Style in the System Parameters.

Arrow Keys

To move to a different position within a field, press the left or right arrow key.

Shortcut Menu

To display the field-level shortcut menu, left-click in any field box and then right-click.

You can use the shortcut menu to cut, copy, and delete the field contents.

Updating Data

Tip: You can change the whole field or just part of it (even a single character).

Alphanumeric Data

To insure predictable sorting of data, NDS strongly recommends that you use all capital letters when entering data into alphanumeric fields (also called STRING fields).

Tip: To easily enter all characters in upper case when working in INVISION™, press the [CAPS LOCK] key so the Caps Lock light appears on your keyboard.

[BACKSPACE]

To delete a single character that appears before the pointer, press [BACKSPACE].

Note: If you highlight the whole field value, [BACKSPACE] erases the entire contents of the field.

[DELETE]

To delete a single character that appears after the pointer, press [DELETE].

Note: If you highlight the whole field value, [DELETE] erases the entire contents of the field.

[ENTER]

You usually click [ENTER] when ready to perform a function, such as saving a record.

Tip: If a button appears focused, outlined like the first Save button below, you can automatically click the button simply by pressing [ENTER].

Focused

Not focused

Save

Always save your work!

Data Validation

Date Validation

In many places, the program automatically confirms whether date entries are valid. Invalid dates trigger a message on the Status Bar, which displays the proper date format.

Example: If you enter 02/31/2016, the following message appears because February has only 28 or 29 days:

Notes:

Slashes: You can optionally leave out the slashes or the first two digits of the year, and the date field automatically formats correctly.

Example:

Valid entry

Result

Calculating Dates: You can enter a value to automatically be added to today's date. Enter the amount you want to add (x) and the code for the date element as follows:

xD: Adds x days to today's date.

xW: Adds x weeks to today's date.

xM: Adds x months to today's date.

xY: Adds x years to today's date.

Example: If today is 01/01/2001, type 5Y to enter 01/01/2006. The value of the calculated date appears in the field.

Tip: To simply enter today's date, type only D, W, M, or Y. Capital or lower-case letters are valid.

Numeric Entry

Improperly formatted data for a numeric field triggers a message on the Status Bar, which displays the proper numeric format.

Format Rules:

Type the decimal point in the proper location to avoid unpredictable results, such as padded zeros after the decimal.

Zeros appear as place-holders in empty fields, with the appropriate number of zeros to the right of the decimal.

Dollar signs ($) appear with the placeholder zeros, when applicable.

Examples:

Dollar and cents

Whole dollar

Error messages display the numeric format as |X.Y|, where X = the number of digits to the left of the decimal point and Y = the number of digits to the right of the decimal. For example, |7.2| indicates you can enter up to seven digits to the left of the decimal, and two digits to the right.

Example: If you mistakenly enter 9.999 in a |7.2| field, the following message appears.

Required Field

Any mandatory field that is left blank appears with a red checkmark next to it and triggers the following error message on the Status Bar:

Example:

Note: You must enter valid data in a required field before saving.

Rejected Entry

Any field containing invalid data appears with a red checkmark next to it. Invalid field data triggers a message on the Status Bar, which displays the proper format for the field.

Example: If you incorrectly enter a zip code as 04084a, the following message appears:

Note: You must correct the data before saving.

Tip: If you experience trouble formatting the data, you can view the field properties by clicking the right mouse button to see the shortcut menu.

Mouse	To move to a specific location in a field, point to the position and click once. Note: This is useful to change only a single letter or number. To select an entire word within a field, point to the word and double-click.
[TAB]	To move from one field to the next, press the [TAB] key. The active field's title is highlighted in bright green. NOTE: You can change the highlight color, by changing the Style in the System Parameters.
Arrow Keys	To move to a different position within a field, press the left or right arrow key.
Shortcut Menu	To display the field-level shortcut menu, left-click in any field box and then right-click. You can use the shortcut menu to cut, copy, and delete the field contents.

Alphanumeric Data	To insure predictable sorting of data, NDS strongly recommends that you use all capital letters when entering data into alphanumeric fields (also called STRING fields). Tip: To easily enter all characters in upper case when working in INVISION™, press the [CAPS LOCK] key so the Caps Lock light appears on your keyboard.
[BACKSPACE]	To delete a single character that appears before the pointer, press [BACKSPACE]. Note: If you highlight the whole field value, [BACKSPACE] erases the entire contents of the field.
[DELETE]	To delete a single character that appears after the pointer, press [DELETE]. Note: If you highlight the whole field value, [DELETE] erases the entire contents of the field.
[ENTER]	You usually click [ENTER] when ready to perform a function, such as saving a record. Tip: If a button appears focused, outlined like the first Save button below, you can automatically click the button simply by pressing [ENTER]. Focused Not focused
Save	Always save your work!

Date Validation	In many places, the program automatically confirms whether date entries are valid. Invalid dates trigger a message on the Status Bar, which displays the proper date format. Example: If you enter 02/31/2016, the following message appears because February has only 28 or 29 days: Notes: Slashes: You can optionally leave out the slashes or the first two digits of the year, and the date field automatically formats correctly. Example: Valid entry Result Calculating Dates: You can enter a value to automatically be added to today's date. Enter the amount you want to add (x) and the code for the date element as follows: xD: Adds x days to today's date. xW: Adds x weeks to today's date. xM: Adds x months to today's date. xY: Adds x years to today's date. Example: If today is 01/01/2001, type 5Y to enter 01/01/2006. The value of the calculated date appears in the field. Tip: To simply enter today's date, type only D, W, M, or Y. Capital or lower-case letters are valid.
Numeric Entry	Improperly formatted data for a numeric field triggers a message on the Status Bar, which displays the proper numeric format. Format Rules: Type the decimal point in the proper location to avoid unpredictable results, such as padded zeros after the decimal. Zeros appear as place-holders in empty fields, with the appropriate number of zeros to the right of the decimal. Dollar signs ($) appear with the placeholder zeros, when applicable. Examples: Dollar and cents Whole dollar Error messages display the numeric format as \|X.Y\|, where X = the number of digits to the left of the decimal point and Y = the number of digits to the right of the decimal. For example, \|7.2\| indicates you can enter up to seven digits to the left of the decimal, and two digits to the right. Example: If you mistakenly enter 9.999 in a \|7.2\| field, the following message appears.
Required Field	Any mandatory field that is left blank appears with a red checkmark next to it and triggers the following error message on the Status Bar: Example: Note: You must enter valid data in a required field before saving.
Rejected Entry	Any field containing invalid data appears with a red checkmark next to it. Invalid field data triggers a message on the Status Bar, which displays the proper format for the field. Example: If you incorrectly enter a zip code as 04084a, the following message appears: Note: You must correct the data before saving. Tip: If you experience trouble formatting the data, you can view the field properties by clicking the right mouse button to see the shortcut menu.