Add (Total) Contents of Selected Fields... (Return to top)
This command adds a simple
spreadsheet-like ability to total the contents of one or more fields
(columns in List View).
First, open a datafile that contains
numbers in one or more fields, such as this one:
Next, select Add (Total) Contents of Selected
Fields... in the Fields
sub-menu, under the Edit
menu, to bring up this dialog:
Enable
the checkbox next to each field that you want to total. You may total
any number of fields in a single operation.
If you
are dealing with money, enable the Treat
as money (two decimal places in result) checkbox.
Click
the Add Field Contents button.
A new record will be added at the end of the datafile, with each
selected field containing a total of the contents of that field in all
other records. In our example, the result looks like this:
Create New Field w/Content... (Return to top)
This command lets you add a new field
with either static content (the same in every record) or sequential
numeric values in every record.
Select Create New Field w/Content... in the Fields sub-menu, under the Edit menu, to bring up this dialog:
First, type a name for the new field in
the Name the Field: text box.
To have the new field filled with sequential numbers, enable the Sequential Numbers Starting With: checkbox and type a starting number into the text box next to it. With that checkbox enabled, select the Pad with Leading Zeros checkbox to force all number entries to have the same number of digits by adding leading zeros where necessary.
To have each number preceded by some
unchanging prefix, enable the Include
Static Prefix: checkbox and type the desired prefix into the
text box next to it. If you desire only a piece of static text in each
record, use this checkbox and leave the other checkboxes disabled.
To have each number followed by some
unchanging suffix, enable the Include
Static Suffix: checkbox and type the desired suffix into the
text box next to it.
In our example, the result looks like
this:
Move Current Freeform Text into Fields (Return to top)
This command moves the first line of text
from the Freeform Text Area of the current record into the first field
of that record, the second line into the second field, and so on, for
as many lines of text and fields exist. The purpose of this command is
to assist you in moving blocks of text, such as address blocks, into
fields. Since iData 2 doesn't have any way of matching text to field
names, it is up to you to structure your text to match the field
structure of your datafile. In the following example, an address block
has been broken down to match the field structure.
If the Freeform Text Area contains more
lines of text than there are fields, the excess text will remain in the
Freeform Text Area.
Here is the datafile with an address
block pasted into the Freefrom Text Area of a new record. Note that the
fields are all empty.
Here it is with the address rearranged to
match the field structure of the datafile. In particular, note that two
blank lines have been left where Position and Organization data would
normally appear.
Here is the result of moving the data
into the fields.
Move Freeform Text of Selected Records into Fields (Return to top)
This command works like the previous command, but
affects all records in the datafile. Before executing this command, you
should save any changes so that you can revert the datafile, or close
it without saving changes, if the results are not exactly as you
anticipated. This can be useful for converting a freeform datafile into
a field-based datafile. In that case, plan your field structure to
match your data as closely as possible, in order to minimize the need
to rearrange the record text. For example, you might want to have a
single Name field and a single City, State, Zip field. Use the Modify Fields command (below) to add
the new fields.
The Modify Fields dialog is for managing the field structure of a datafile. You can add fields, delete fields, rename fields, rearrange the order of fields, and set which fields show in List view.
Select Modify Fields... in the Fields sub-menu, under the Edit menu, to bring up this dialog:
The checkboxes in the Show column determine which fields will show as columns in List View. If a box is checked, its field will show in List View. If no boxes are checked, only the first line of the Freeform Text Area will show as a column in List View.
Click on a field name to highlight it. Once highlighted in the Field Name column, the name can be edited, or the entire field can be deleted. If you delete a field that contains data, the data in that field will be lost. The command key for the Delete Field button is command-D.
To add a new field, click on the Insert Field button. A field will be added with the title "New Field" highlighted. Simply type the title you wish for that field. The command key for the Insert Field button is command-I.
The order of fields can be rearranged by dragging and dropping field names in this dialog.
When you are satisfied with the field settings, click the Finish button (or type command-return).
Note that you can even add fields to a
datafile that was created with no fields at all. The distinction
between field-based and freeform datafiles is not as final as it was
earlier versions of iData and InfoGenie.
Add iPod Note Field... (Return to top)
See the Export As iPod Notes File help page.
