Data Entry Tools

Data entry tools, such as field and keyboard shortcuts, are standard throughout the application pages. There may be some variance in different versions of the software. In general terms, a field is where you can enter or select information. Fields differ in appearance based on the kind of information they accept. Keyboard functions allow you to use the various data entry tools most efficiently. Data entry is used to add, edit, or search for records.

Data Entry Fields

Pages contain tools for data entry including text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, and drop-down lists. Date fields typically have a calendar pop-up. Some fields include a Lookup button which opens a table-based record list page.

Following are the primary field tools used to search for, add, and manage records.

Field	Description
Calendar Button	Available for any date field. Click the Calendar button to open the calendar widget. The current date populates by default. You can type in the desired date without using the calendar button and widget. Depending on the version you use, you may need to click or double-click a calendar date to populate the field. The widget closes and the date is populated.
Checkbox	Toggle-selection (on or off) fields. Click to select or clear a checkbox. The checkbox setting is turned on when a check appears within the checkbox. A checkbox always functions independently. If several checkboxes are available, you must make a separate decision for each of them. Select Check All if it is displayed to efficiently select all checkboxes with a single click.
Drop-down List	Click the arrow at the end of the text box to display the list options. After the list is displayed, select the desired item to set the field value. You can navigate a drop-down list using your keyboard. Use the arrow keys to move through the list one item at a time. Tab to the next field after your desired selection appears in the field. You can also type the first character of the desired selection, and the system displays the first list item beginning with that character. Use your arrow keys to navigate through the list. Typically, these lists are short and can be viewed without scrolling. If the items on the list are the result of data entry, you can use the List Box Display setting in User Preferences to determine the format used for displaying these items. If the items are standard to the application, this setting does not affect list display. For information on preferences, refer to User Preferences.
Drop-Down List with Multi-select	20.11 and later. Some drop-down lists allow you to select more than one item. When you click the arrow, the list displays a checkbox next to each item. The checkbox function works the same as described previously. A selected box includes the item and a cleared box excludes it. Selected items will populate in the field with the pipe ( \| ) separator. You can also type the first characters of a selection in the box and hit tab to populate it, or type multiple codes with the pipe separator. The text field and multi-select list sync with each other. The drop-down list reflects what you manually type, and the text field reflects your selection of checkboxes.
Lookup Button	Available for fields that are table-verified. You can search for, list, and retrieve valid entries with a field's Lookup (magnifying glass) button.
Radio Button Set	Series of on/off buttons that work together to indicate a single choice. Only one button in the set can be selected at a time. A selected button appears to be highlighted. A clear or empty button is not selected or off. Click within an empty radio button to select it. Doing so turns off the previously selected radio button.
Text Box	A text box allows you to enter text directly. Sometimes a text box field contains a default value, text that automatically appears in the field without your input. You can keep the default value or enter a new one. When entering data to search for records you can use search operators in the text box.
Text Box Type-Ahead	22.4 and later. Some text boxes display a list of options that match the character string as you enter it. The list displays without an interaction such as clicking a lookup button or drop-down arrow. As you start typing characters, the list displays any records that match what you are typing, no matter where the sequence occurs in the name or number. Narrow the results by typing more characters. For example, in a vendor text box field, if you type 101 the list displays vendors with vendor numbers 101, x101x (where x is a wildcard and could be any letter or digit), or names that include 101 in the name, regardless of what characters precede or follow those digits.

Frequently Used Keys

Application pages support several keyboard-based functions specifically related to data entry. You can perform actions through the keyboard that you otherwise perform using your mouse. You can save time during a lengthy data entry session by keeping your hands on the keyboard.

Field	Description
Arrow Keys	Display options in a drop-down field without opening the drop-down list, or navigate up and down a list of records.
Ctrl+C	Copy selected data to the clipboard. You can then paste the data into another field using Ctrl + V. The data remains on the clipboard until you copy or cut other data or until you end your session.
Ctrl+Alt+P	Performs the action associated with the page Back button.
Ctrl+Alt+T	Displays a lookup page for table-verified fields with a Lookup button. The lookup function is described in Data Entry Fields.
Ctrl+V	Pastes information from the clipboard into the text box where your cursor is positioned. This assumes you earlier placed data onto the clipboard using the copy or cut function.
Ctrl+X	Cuts selected data from a field and places it on the clipboard. You can then paste the data into another field using Ctrl + V the way you used the copy function.
Ctrl+Y	Reenacts a previously cancelled data entry action you took in a field (Redo).
Ctrl+Z	Cancels the last data entry action you took in a field (Undo).
Enter	Performs the command associated with the Accept button. If you are adding a new record, Accept saves the record as long as you completed all required fields. If you are updating an existing record, Accept saves your updates.
Shift+Tab	Returns your cursor to the page's previous field.
Spacebar	Toggles between the selected and cleared settings in a checkbox. In other words, if your cursor is on a checkbox and you press the spacebar, the setting changes from selected to cleared or the opposite, depending on how it was initially set. When you access a drop-down field during data entry, use the spacebar to open the list of valid field selections.
Tab	Advances your cursor to the page's next field.