The database table forms provide a columnar presentation of the data in the model.
Right click in a column/cell on the form to display the Description of Field form that explains the type of data presented in that column/cell.
Use the drop-down list in the upper right-hand corner of the form to select the data to be displayed on the form.
Use the Record buttons to move through the displayed data.
Use the scroll bars on the bottom and right side of the tables to scroll right and left or up and down if portions of the data table can not be displayed in the form's display area.
The table columns can be resized by clicking the left mouse button on the separator of the headers, holding down the left mouse button and then dragging the mouse to the left or right. Reset the column widths to their default values by selecting the Format-Filter-Sort menu > Reset Default Column Widths command.
The table can be split into two or more tables by clicking on the small black rectangular area near the bottom-left corner of the table, holding down the left mouse button, and then dragging the mouse button to the left or right. Repeat this process to add more splits. Use the split and horizontal scroll bar to put two columns side by side for easier comparison. The splits can be removed by selecting the Format-Filter-Sort menu > Remove Splits command. Alternatively, remove the split by clicking, holding and dragging the left mouse button to merge the split key to its original location.
Select multiple consecutive columns by putting the cursor on the header, holding down the mouse button, and then dragging the mouse button either left or right. Alternatively, depress the Shift key and click the left mouse button to select a range of columns.
The individual fields (columns) can be formatted. Fields with text information can be set for specific types of alignment (center, left, right) and to specific widths. In addition to setting the alignment and column widths, fields with numeric data can be set for the maximum number of characters, zero tolerance, number of decimal digits and so forth.
The tables can be formatted, filtered and sorted using multiple criteria accessed using the Format-Filter-Sort menu command on the form. Filtering and sorting features can be useful in identifying critical cases. After specifying the table formatting information, save it to a format file that can be used in the future by selecting the appropriate feature available under the Format-Filter-Sort menu command.
Use the Add Tables button to access the Choose Tables For {Editing, Display, Printing, Export} form and specify additional data types to add to the current list of tables.
Tip: The database is extensive and several hundred tables can be generated. To view a list of the available input data tables, click the Advanced > Edit > More > Interactive Database Editing command to display the Choose Tables for Interactive Editing form. Click the Expose All Tables check box on the right side of the form. Click the + (plus) symbols next to the various data category names to expose a tree of the available table names. The construction of the model determines the output tables available..
Note: During display, Excel spreadsheet and Access database files can be created. However, it is not recommended that those files be imported back into the model because the formatting applied during display likely would result in errors when the file is imported. Thus, use the appropriate Orb > Export commands to create Excel spreadsheet and Access database files that will ultimately be imported back into the model. The Export commands include controls that reduce the likelihood of errors when files are imported back into the model.
The following menu commands on the form can be used to work with the tables.
Command |
Action |
File menu |
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Export Current Table |
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To Excel |
Exports the currently displayed table to MS Excel and opens that program, displaying the data in appropriate columns and rows. |
To Access |
Exports the currently displayed table to MS Access format. Displays the Save Access Database File As form; use the form to specify the location and filename for the exported data. Also opens that program. |
Display Current Table |
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In Word as RTF File |
Displays the Microsoft Word Rich Text File Format form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .rtf file. Generates the currently displayed table in MS Word rich text format. Also opens MS Word and displays the exported table. |
In Text Editor |
Displays the Text File Report form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .txt file. Generates the currently displayed table in plain text (ASCII) format. Also opens the default Text Editor program and displays the exported table. |
In Text Editor with No Splits |
Displays the Text File Report form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .txt file. Generates the currently displayed table in plain text (ASCII) format as a continuous feed print. Also opens the default Text Editor program and displays the exported table. |
In Internet Explorer at HTML |
Displays the HTML File Report form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .html file. Generates currently displayed table using hyper-text markup language format. The resulting file can be edited, formatted or printed using an .HTML editor. |
Print Current Table as Text File |
Sends the currently displayed table directly to the default printer. |
Export All Tables |
|
To Excel |
Exports all tables in the model to MS Excel and opens that program, displaying the data in appropriate columns and rows. |
To Access |
Exports all tables in the model to MS Access format. Displays the Save Access Database File As form; use the form to specify the location and filename for the exported data. Also opens that program. |
Display All Tables |
|
In Word as RTF File |
Displays the Microsoft Word Rich Text File Format form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .rtf file. Generates all of the tables in the model file in MS Word rich text format. Also opens MS Word and displays the exported tables. |
In Text Editor |
Displays the Text File Report form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .txt file. Generates all of the tables in the model file in plain text (ASCII) format. Also opens the default Text Editor program and displays the exported tables. |
In Text Editor with No Splits |
Displays the Text File Report form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .txt file. Generates all of the tables in the model file in plain text (ASCII) format as a continuous feed print. Also opens the default Text Editor program and displays the exported tables. |
In Internet Explorer at HTML |
Displays the HTML File Report form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .html file. Generates all of the tables in the model file using hyper-text markup language format. The resulting file can be edited, formatted or printed using an .HTML editors. |
Print All Tables as Text File |
Sends all of the tables in the model file directly to the default printer. |
Save Current Table Formats to Table Formats File |
Displays the Database Table Formats File form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .fmt file, which, in this case, stores the format specified for displaying the currently displayed table. As appropriate, use this command after using the Format command and the Modify/Show Database Table Format form to refine the table definition of the currently displayed table. |
Save All Table Formats to Table Formats File |
Displays the Database Table Formats File form; use the form to specify the location and file name for the .fmt file, which, in this case, stores the format specified for all of the tables in the model file. As appropriate, use this command after using the Form-Filter-Sort command and the Modify/Show Database Table Format form to refine the table definition of all tables in the model file. |
Apply Formats from File to Current Table |
Displays the Database Table Formats File form; use the form to locate and select the file name for the .fmt file to be applied to the currently displayed table. |
Apply Formats from File to All Tables |
Displays the Database Table Formats File form; use the form to locate and select the file name for the .fmt file to be applied to all of the tables in the model file. |
Add Tables |
Redisplays the Choose Tables for {Interactive Editing, Display, Print or Export for [File Type]} form so that additional tables can be added to the interactive editing, display, print or export. |
Remove Current Table |
Removes the currently displayed table from the list of tables that have been selected to be displayed, printed or exported. This command does not remove the table from the database or the model; thus the table is available for future use. |
View menu |
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Maximize (Toggle) |
Use this command to toggle between a full screen display of the table or a minimized display of the table. This is similar to the Minimize/Maximize button used in Windows. |
Reset Default Column Widths |
Restores default column widths to the currently displayed table. |
Remove Splits |
Removes any program-inserted splits, which function similar to page breaks in Excel or Word. |
Format-Filter-Sort menu |
|
Format Table |
Access the Modify/Show Database Table Format form with the Format tab selected. |
Filter Table |
Access the Modify/Show Database Table Format form with the Filter tab selected. |
Sort Table |
Access the Modify/Show Database Table Format form with the Sort tab selected. |
Maximize (Toggle) |
This command is a toggle and works to maximize or minimize the form, similar to the actions of the standard Windows Maximize and Minimize buttons in the upper right-hand corner of Window screens. |
Reset Default Column Widths |
Resets the column widths in the form to the system defaults. |
Remove Splits |
Removes any program or user specified splits (page breaks) in the table. |
Select menu |
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Select |
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Current Record |
In the active window, selects the object associated with the selected record. |
Current Table |
In the active window, selects the objects associated with the data in the currently displayed table. |
Current Table within Current Selection |
Can be used to progressively select objects in the active window when those objects share common parameters. It should be used in conjunction with other selection options to select objects that have characteristic A and then characteristics A and B and then characteristics A, B, and C and so on. For example, assume the Format-Filter-Sort menu > Filter command has been used to specify a particular pattern of data tables (i.e., "the current selection"). Use this command to select the objects in the active window associated with that pattern by selecting a table type (e.g., Joint Restraint Assignments) from the drop-down list in the upper right-hand corner of this form. The command can be used repeatedly to select a subset of the previously selected data by selecting another table type or record (click on a particular record). |
All |
In the active windows, selects all of the objects associated with all of the data in the specified table(s). |
Deselect |
|
Current Record |
In the active window, deselects the object associated with the selected record. |
Current Table |
In the active window, deslects the objects associated with the currently displayed table. |
Invert Selection |
Clears the selected items and selects the unselected items in the active window. |
Get Previous Selection |
Selects whatever objects were last previously selected in the active window. |
Clear Selection |
In the active window, clears the selection of all currently selected objects. It is an all or nothing command. The command can not be used to selectively clear a portion of a selection. |
Options menu |
|
Print Landscape |
Prints the display so that the width of the print exceeds the length of the print. |
Print Filter After Table Title |
The Modify/Show Database Table Format form may be used to apply filtering to the data in the table(s). Use this option to specify that the filtering criteria be printed after the table title. |
Print Hyperlinked Contents |
Generates a table of contents for the table as the first page of the output, with hyperlinks to facilitate movement through the output. |
Access a database table form as follows:
Method 1:
Method 2:
Method 2:
Method 3:
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