Overview
The Value Lists feature enables the creation of lists of values for use in Transaction or General data entry. These values will be presented to the user as a pop-up list or combo-box (editable or non-editable) from which the data value can be selected e.g. a choice of pre-determined colors, sizes, salutations, etc. See Pre-determined data for the Text data type.

The nature of the value list restricts the definition of each value to a single string of printable characters as input to a single text type field in the input template/database table.  Look at Preferences.

Take Note:
Other single and multi-field pre-determined data options have been provided through these alternatives:

• import single or multiple fields as native data from Global tables as part of the Transaction and General data entry Procedures using the Stop and show feature (in the Inspector) associated with Retrieval objects; or,
• import one or more fields as linked database fields to a Global table during General data entry; or,
• create view fields only that import information during Transaction or General data entry from a database table (but do not update the database as native or linked fields).

This window has two basic areas:

• the top half displays the List name of all existing Value Lists,
• the bottom half displays all List Items of the currently active Value List (a new one being built or an existing one being edited)

Order and Selection Enforcement
The order of the Value List items determines the order in which the items are shown by the pop-up list with the first item being the default selection. You may rearrange the existing order of the items: hold down the Control key, mouse-drag a List item up or down the list, and drop into the desired slot.

If you want to enforce the conscious selection of an item, you can use Select One as the first (default) value. You can then define a Template Procedure and test the completed record that a selection was in fact made (i.e. specific field value equal to Select One?) and display a user-defined Alert Panel (Alert Draggable object in Procedure Palette) with an appropriate message, if an error is encountered (selection still sitting at Select One).

To add a new Value List

• press the New button;
• type the name of the Value List into the Name field;
• select the first cell in the List items -Item area and type the name of the item;
• type the next item(s);
• press the Save button.

To delete a Value List
(this is only possible as long as the List is not in use)

• select the List Name to be deleted;
• look at the Delete item in the menu:
• if it is disabled, the List is in use* and cannot be deleted;
• if it is enabled, select it.
  • "in use" means that it is attached to a field in a template whether or not data is stored in its database table.

To edit an existing Value List

• select the desired Value List name;
• to change or delete an item, select the appropriate List item:
  • to change the selected item, retype in whole or in part,
  • to delete the selected item, select the Edit > Delete item menu item;
• to add a new item, select an existing item above which you wish to make the insert, then select the Edit > Insert item menu item and type the text of the new item;
• press the Save button.

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