Example One - Simple Custom Screens

The following example creates a simple custom screen for ‘Monitoring Lab Work’. This custom screen will have:

• A drop-down selection for the laboratory used, with two lab names created.
• Another drop-down for the shade of crown, with several values for this.
• A date field for the date an order was sent.
• Another date field for when the completed order was received.
• A drop-down for the checked status of the delivered order ('satisfactory', 'unsatisfactory')
• A text field for the person who received the order to enter their initials.

To create a custom screen

1. From the Configure menu, select Custom Screens….
2. Click the button at the top of the window to add a new Custom Screen.
3. Enter LABS as the unique code.
4. Enter Monitoring Laboratory Work as the title.

   

   NOTE: The Set Default Entries button is inactive at this point in the process. As fields are added to the Custom Screen, you will use this button to view the way the screen will look.

5. Click the button to add a field to the Custom Screen.
6. Select Combo Box as the field type from the drop down list (this is the field type for drop-down menus).
7. Enter Lab Used as the Title. The remaining fields should be completed as in the example window below:

   

8. Click OK to save the field entry information. This will return you to the Add Custom Screen window and display the entry as shown below:

   

   NOTES:
   The Set Default Entries button will display the custom screen being created, provided that at least one field has been added.
   To view and/or modify the settings for a field, click on it to highlight it, then click the Edit button.
   Highlight a field and click on the Delete button (bin) to delete it.

9. Repeat the above steps, selecting the appropriate Type and other variables, to add the following fields according to the examples shown below:

   a) Add a laboratory name:	b) Add a second laboratory name:
   c) Add the 'Shade' drop-down field:	d) Add a value for 'Shade':
   e) Add a second value for 'Shade'	f) Add a third value for 'Shade'
   g) Add 'Date Sent' field	h) Add 'Date Received' field
   i) Add a 'Checked' status drop-down	j) Add a 'Checked' status code
   k) Add a second 'Checked' status code	l) Add a Text field for a user's initials

10. The ‘Add Custom Screen’ window will now look similar to the following:

    

11. Click the Set Default Entries button to view the completed custom screen and set any default entries.
    Setting default entries means that the selected options will be displayed each time the custom screen is used, minimising the amount of data entry for instances where a particular value is more commonly used than the other options. For instance, in this worked example, the checked status 'Satisfactory' is much more likely to be used than 'Unsatisfactory', so you would set that as the default.

    

    To set a default, click a drop-down, or enter a value in a field, as appropriate.

12. If any of the fields are incorrect - for instance, there is a spelling mistake, two fields have been assigned to the same line and overlap, or a field is too short to allow the necessary data to be entered, click the Cancel button, and return to the 'Edit Custom Screen' window.
    Click on the field that needs editing, and click the Edit button to open the 'Edit Form Field' window for that field.
    Use the Set Default Entries button again to check the results.
13. After setting the defaults, click ‘OK’ to save the selected defaults and close the window, then click the Save button save the custom screen and make it available for use throughout EXACT.