Application Functions: General Information

This section provides information on fields, options, and buttons used throughout the Costpoint product suite. It also explains terminology and software behavior.

Browse, Add, Change

To browse information, click Query. You can use Query to locate and display records.

Adding data records or changing existing ones, operates in just one of two modes:

  • Insert Mode: Use this mode to add data. You can activate the Insert mode by clicking New on the toolbar.
  • Update Mode : Use this mode to edit data. Records automatically display in Update mode so you can edit them.

Main Screens vs. Subtasks

When you select an application, the main screen for that application displays. When you select one of the links located at the bottom of an application, a subtask screen displays. Subtasks collect and store additional information (also known as child data) related to the selected record on the main screen.

Table Windows

When you add, delete, or edit a line while working in table windows, symbols display beside each line that designate which lines will change when you save your table:

  • : Indicates rows that contain data you have modified.
  • : Indicates rows you have added.
  • : Indicates rows you have marked for deletion.

To enter a new row of data into a table window, you must first select the New Record option from the Line menu.

Field Description
Find

To find a value in a column, right-click the column heading and then click Find. On the dialog box, enter your search criteria and then click the Find button.

Replace

To replace a value in a column, right-click the column heading and then click Replace. On the dialog box, enter your replace condition(s) and then click one of these buttons:

  • Replace: Use this to replace a value on the current row you selected.
  • Replace&Find: Use this to replace value(s) and find the next row that meets your replace condition(s)
  • Replace All: Use this to replace all values in the column that matches your replace condition. You can use the Stop button to halt the replace process.
  • Find: This is similar to the Find button that you see on the Find tab. Use it to search for a value.
  • Stop: Use this to halt an ongoing replace process.
Lock/Unlock Columns

You can freeze a column when you scroll to the right when you apply the Lock Column feature.

To do this, right-click the column heading that you want to lock, and then click Lock Columns. You can unlock the column when you right-click its heading and click Unlock Columns.

Resize Column

To resize a column, on the column heading, hover to the right border of the column until a bi-directional arrow appears. Click and move the arrow to adjust the column size. You can also right-click the column heading and then click Resize Column. Click and move the bi-directional arrow that appears to adjust the column size.

Move Column

To move a column, click the column heading and drag it to a certain position in the table. You can also right-click the column heading, click Move Column, and drag the column to a certain position in the table.

Sort Ascending

To sort a column in ascending order (that is, from the lowest value to the highest), right-click the column heading to sort so you can see the sort options available. And then, click Sort Ascending.

  • For characters, an ascending order will be from A to Z.
  • For numeric digits, an ascending order is from the lowest number to the highest.
  • If both numeric digits and characters are in the list, numeric digits will be listed before characters.
Sort Descending

To sort a column in descending order (that is, from highest to lowest), right-click the column heading to sort so you can see the sort options available. And then, click Sort Descending.

  • For characters, a descending order will be from Z to A.
  • For numeric digits, a descending order is from the highest number to the lowest.
  • If both numeric digits and characters are in the list, characters will be listed before numeric digits.
Arrange Table Columns

You can change the order of the columns in a table window when you click and drag a column heading to a certain position in the table. Another way is to use the Arrange Table Columns dialog box. To open this, right-click any column heading and then click Arrange Table Columns. On the dialog box, arrange the order of the columns through the Move Up or Move Down buttons. Enter the number of columns you will lock when you scroll to the right in the Locked columns on left side field. Click Apply to save changes, and click Close to exit the dialog box.

To return to the original positions of the column headings, click Options > Reset Default Positioning and View or press SHIFT+ALT+Z.

Show/Hide Screen Controls

To show or hide columns, right-click the column heading and then click Show/Hide Screen Controls. On the dialog box, click Data Fields or UI Controls to see the options available. Select the Always Hide check box next to the item(s) you want to hide, and then click Apply. The selected item no longer appears in the table layout. Click Close to exit the dialog box.

To make changes permanent, save the Application Layout after clicking Apply.

To display hidden columns, open the dialog box, clear the Always Hide check box, click Apply, and save the Application Layout.

IDs and Codes

When creating IDs and codes or entering them in a field (for example a part ID), you should observe the following guidelines:

  • Never embed spaces in ID or Code fields.
  • Never embed single quotes (') in any field.
  • Letters within IDs and codes should all be upper case.

If you are unsure of an ID or code required for a particular field, you can use Lookup to search and select available values.

Segmented IDs

In certain fields (for instance, account, organization, project, reference number 1, reference number 2, alternate project reporting, and alternate organization), segment separators (periods or dashes) automatically display when you enter a value. These multi-level items are called "segmented ID" fields.

Range Options

Use Range Options to limit the scope of records you want to include in a report, process, or inquiry. The system-defined options are:

  • All: This option allows you to choose all available records in a database table.
  • One: This option allows you to choose one of the available records in a database table.
  • Range: This option allows you to choose a specific range of records in a database table.
  • From Beginning - This option allows you to define a range from the beginning of a database table to a selected ending record.
  • To End: This option allows you to define a range from a specified beginning record to the end of the database table.
  • Non-Contiguous Range: Select this check box on the main screen and then use the Non-Contiguous Ranges subtask to select a noncontiguous range of records (for example, projects or employees). This is different from using a regular range because you can include or exclude any records of your choice. You can enter more than one row.
Field Description
Select/Delete (or Deselect)

Use the Select or Delete buttons when you make selections and transfer items between two table windows.

  • To move data in the top or left window to the bottom or right window, choose an item from the table window or top window and click the Select button.
  • To remove data in the right or bottom window, choose the item and click the Delete button.
OK

Click OK to save the current data and return to the previous screen.

Cancel

Click Cancel to remove your additions, changes, and deletions and return to the previous screen.

Logging Out

To exit, click on the Navigation Toolbar, click File > Log Out from the Global Menu, or press CTRL+SHIFT+F12.