Document toolboxDocument toolbox

(v1) The Data Entry Form

The Data Entry Form

Example of a PCR-360 Form

When an item on a Grid is opened, the User is presented with the Data Entry Form for that particular item. In this form (see above), Users can view and edit the item's data. This is perhaps the most important tool for Users in terms of managing the finer details of their organization's data.

Save, Delete, and Clear

Any time an existing item is altered in the data entry form, the User must click the Save button at the bottom of the form in order to make the changes permanent. If a User attempts to exit the form without saving, the User is prompted to either return to the form to save the changes or to proceed without saving.

Likewise, an item can be deleted by clicking the Delete button at the bottom of the data entry form. Whenever the 'Delete' icon is selected, the User is presented with the option to confirm the Delete process or to cancel and return to the data entry form.

Located beside the Save and Delete buttons is the Clear button. Selecting this function clears the data entry form of all information and prepares it to add a new item.

Data Warning

Data Warning Message

When Saving data on a data entry form, the application checks to make sure you are not overwriting changes that may have been made since you opened the data entry form. When this data is detected, you are presented with a Data Warning message. 

The message gives three options:

  1. Reload the Record - this closes the form with the outdated data (including any changes you've made) and reopens it with current data.
  2. Show History - this opens a new browser tab with change history from the Audit table
  3. Cancel - this simply closes the prompt, leaving the outdated form open.

To preserve changes when you see this prompt, we recommend option 3, following these steps:

  1. Click the Cancel button on the yellow prompt.
  2. Leave the old form open and reopen the same record. This leaves you looking at the same record, but the new form has current data.
  3. Compare your changes in the older form with the current data and copy/paste changes you need to preserve.
  4. Save the updated form.

Required Fields

Whenever a red asterisk accompanies a data field or box, this field must contain data in order for the item to be saved successfully. If a User attempts to save the data entry form without addressing each Required field, the User is prompted to do so before proceeding.

Prev and Next

The Previous Arrow button  is short-hand for 'Previous'. Clicking this button steps the User on Record on Grid from the current record. This is based on the current sort in the Grid. For example, if the Grid is sorted numerically and the User is on "5" then clicking the Prev button moves the form to the data held on "4". The Next Arrow button  steps in the opposite direction. In the previous example, clicking 'Next' would step the open form to the "6".

Search Icon

The appearance of a 'Search Icon' (Magnifying Glass Icon) inside the left margin of a data field or box allows the User to select an input from a list of relevant defaults. By clicking on the icon, the User is presented with a list of possible inputs specific to the nature of the data requested.

Typing in this field and then pressing the 'Enter' or 'Tab' key, clicking the icon, or clicking elsewhere presents the list with a search by the text entered. If there is only one matching result, the field is populated with the matching item.

Options Menu

The Options menu button  is placed in the upper right corner of every Form that opens in PCR-360.

Copy to New Form

Copy to New Form example

The 'Copy to New Form' menu takes all the information from the top part of the form and copy it to a new, blank form that the User can add information to and save. No information in the Tabs on the form carries over to the new form and needs to be populated with fresh data.

History Report

Options Menu example

The 'History Report' is a list of all changes that have occurred on a record in PCR-360. The record-keeping allows for the tracking of individual changes on a record for audits. To open, click History Reports in the Options Menu. This opens the History Report for that record. Users can toggle between 'Show Full History' and 'Show Only Recent History' (a three-month time frame). The items are presented in expandable rows.

If a User receives a Permissions Error when attempting to view the record, this problem can be easily corrected.

Add Bookmark

This option creates a Bookmark for easy navigation. Once created, it appears in the bottom bar with the rest of the Bookmarks.

How to create a Browser Bookmark:

  1. Navigate to the Form with the Perspective you wish to Bookmark
  2. Click the View Perspective link in the Options menu
  3. Select your Perspective and click the Bookmarkbutton
    Perspectives Bookmark Form example
  4. Click the Copy Browser Link button
  5. In your browser create a new Bookmark; the link location should have been copied to your clipboard

How to create a System Bookmark:

  1. Navigate to the Form with the Perspective you wish to Bookmark
  2. Click the View Perspective link in the Options menu
  3. Select your Perspective and click the Bookmarkbutton
    Perspectives Bookmark Form example
  4. On the form enter a Bookmark name
  5. Click the Save System Bookmark button

This Option creates a form with a link for the Users to copy. This link can then be sent to other Users and acts as a way to share forms easily. Not every form has a link associated with it. For instance, forms that are purely for data entry or selection does not have a link.
 Get Link form example

Permission Builders

Permission Build in Options Menu

This Option allows the User to utilize Permission Builders without leaving the current form.

Print

Print in Options Menu

This Option prints the current form. This form opens in a new tab and displays the current Grid or Form in a printable format.

Perspectives

If the User clicks the 'Save Perspective' menu option, they open the 'Perspective' form.
Save Perspectives in Options Menu

Perspective Form example

From here, the User can name their current Perspective, choose to overwrite an Existing Perspective (if any exist), and choose to Set as the Default Perspective. This functionality extends the capabilities of the Perspectives to make it easy to create them.

Additionally, there is a Menu option to 'View Perspectives' that opens the 'View Saved Perspectives' form.
View Perspective in Options Menu

View Saved Perspectives form example 
Note: This form can also be opened by clicking on the Perspectives button.

Form Layout

Form Layout in Options Menu

The Form Layout menu has several options.

  • Save Layout - After adjusting the size of a form, the User can click Save Layout. The form is always that size from then on.
  • Restore Defaults - Resets the size of the form to its original size.
  • Titlebar Color - Allows the User to change the Color of a form's title bar.
    • Default - This is the Default color of the title bars.
      Default Form Header styling
    • Apply - The Apply button lets the User select a custom color on the title bar. The color is specific to the form being viewed and can help visually distinguish one important form from another.

To set the color, first pick a color from the field. The slider on the right of the color picker (see below) can change the primary color while the large field on the left lets the User select the hue.
Color Picker example

Once the color desired is chosen, the User can now click the Apply button to change the color of the title bar:

Example of modified Form Header styling

Manage Reports

The Menu Reports opens the 'Manage Reports Links' form.
Manage Reports in Options Menu

Manage Report Links form example

This allows a User to associate a specific Crystal Report with a given form. A complete guide to the creation process for these Reports can be found on Crystal Reports. Any Reports that are associated with a form in this manner shows up in the Reports menu.

Manage Validation

Manage Validation in Options Menu

The 'Manage Validation' menu option opens the 'Manage Form Validation' form.

Manage Form Validation form example

From this form, an Admin can Add, Edit, or Delete Selected Custom Validation routines for the given record. These Validation routines are very high level and should be reserved to System Administrators or PCR staff. The routines involve PHP programming knowledge and can be toggled on or off. The benefit of these routines is that certain records can be locked down from being changed, edited, or deleted without prior authorization from the SysAdmin.

Wiki

Example of link to PCR-360 Wiki in Options Menu

If a given form in the above example 'Service Order' has a Wiki associated with it, a User can navigate to that Wiki using this option. The Wiki page/section opens in a new tab and serves as a quick point of reference for potentially confusing materials.

Reports Menu

The Reports menu button only appears on the form once a Report has been associated with a form.

Reports that have been associated with a form using the Manage Reports menu option.

Help Desk Portal - Email: help@pcr.com - Phone: 616.259.9242