Definition of Terms Used Throughout This Help Document
Remember Context Sensitive Menus
There are many places where you can access the list of available actions by pointing your mouse on an item and right clicking.
These items are:
- Catalogs folder (the very top folder on catalog tree)
- Catalog folders
- View items under each catalog folders
- Any window where you see a record list (right on any record row)
- File or image fields on record forms
Catalog
A CATALOG ise the major structural item of a database where you store certain type of information.
This may be anything you can imagine: Inventory, Address Book, Books, Companies, Document Library, Flowers... etc. are all different catalogs.
You may create any number of catalogs in your database.
When viewed in tabular (spreadsheet style) form, a catalog corresponds to a whole TABLE with rows and columns.
Field
A FIELD ise the second level structural item of a database.
Every catalog contains several fields to store information. For example, an "Address Book" catalog may contain fields like name, phone number, birthdate etc. to store
information for each person.
When viewed in tabular (spreadsheet style) form; each field corresponds to a COLUMN and field name to column header in a table.
Record
A RECORD is a set of information you have typed into the fields of a catalog. So it is
NOT a part of the structural information of a database. You may create, update or delete records as needed.
You may have any number of records in a catalog.
When viewed in tabular (spreadsheet style) form; each record corresponds to a ROW in a table.
View
When you are viewing the records of a catalog in tabular style, you may need some customizations about how the records
are displayed. Views determine which fields are displayed, how records are sorted and filtered out.
Every catalog may have any number of views (or none) under it. Views are displayed under each catalog folder they belong
in the catalog tree.
See Understanding Views for details.
Filter
A filter is a group of rules which is applied to a certain view when displaying a record list. Every
view can have its own attached filter. Filters are saved in your database with the view it belongs to.
Example: If you sometimes need to quickly access the list of contacts who are customers and ones
who are friends at other times, it is best to have two views with appropriate filters.
Record Details Window (or shortly Form)
A form simply consists of boxes where you type in information to create or update a single record.
A form window (or record details window) is opened whenever you click the
"new record" button from toolbar or doubleclick a row of record.
You may arrange the locations of each field according to your preference using Form Designer.
Every catalog has a single associated form with it.
Form Menu
Form menus are the menu buttons displayed on the left side of a form.
If a record has some relationship with a group of other records from another catalog, you may access
that list of related records by clicking a menu button. For example, if there is a relationship
between companies and people catalogs, you may easily display the list of workers while
you are viewing a company record.
See Creating Relationship and
Creating Form Menus for more info.
Relationship
A relationship is defined between two catalogs. It helps to easily access the related information stored in the
second catalog while you are viewing a record details of the first catalog. Creating relationships (whenever
possible) greatly enhances the performance and ease of information management in your working environment.
See Creating Relationships for more info.
Next Topic: Record List Panel