Common Responses

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Figure 4-6 The Hot Key Bar

Forms’ Common Response List and Hot Key Bar are shortcuts to save you the repetition of typing the same responses into a field each time. Each field can have its own options on the Hot Key Bar and on the Common Responses List.

The Hot Key Bar is a shortcut to allow you to enter your six most frequently used common responses using the Function Keys rather than typing text. The Hot Key Bar is displayed across the top of the application window, below the menu bar and Toolbar.

The Common Responses List is a list of frequently used text—you can have as many common responses as you like for each field. A field’s Common Responses List is available by clicking the right mouse button on the field. Unless you specify otherwise, the first six common responses you specify are available on the Hot Key Bar.

For information on adding Common Responses, see the Creating a Common Response topic.

Add a Lot of Common Responses—Fast!

When you first begin using Forms, you may find it helpful to add a lot of Common Responses (and assign function keys) at once. To add a lot of Common Responses more efficiently:

1. Choose Configuration | Default Field Attributes.

2. In the Common Responses section of the box, check Auto insert field into response list and Auto assign hot key.

3. Click OK to save your choices.

4. Start typing any responses you would like to become Common Responses into their appropriate fields. When you press [Enterż] the text is inserted into the field’s hot key and Common Responses list.

5. If you want to add another response to a field, just click with the mouse on the field again (or press [Shift][Tab] to get back to the field), and repeat Step 4.

WARNING!: Make sure you remember to do the following two steps to turn off common response addition. If you forget, your .INI file will get very large as common responses are added for each appraisal you do. If the .INI file gets too large, it will stop working.

6. When you are done entering Common Responses, choose Configuration | Default Field Attributes again.

7. In the Common Responses section of the box, uncheck Auto insert field into response list.

Enter Common Responses Using the Hot Key Bar

To hide or display the Hot Key Bar, choose Hot Key Bar from the View menu (ALT, V, H). A check mark appears next to the Hot Key Bar menu item when the Hot Key Bar is displayed.

To enter information quickly using the Hot Key Bar:

1. If the Hot Key Bar is not displayed at the top of the window, as shown in Figure 4-6, choose View | Hot Key Bar.

2. Click in the field where you would like to insert text. The common responses available for the field appear on the Hot Key Bar.

3. Click on the common response you want to enter (or press the appropriate function key).

3. Click Edit. The Edit Response Dialog appears, as shown in Figure 4-7.

4. To add the response to the Hot Key Bar, click Assign Hot Key and click the radio button for the hot key you want to assign.

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Figure 4-7 The Edit Common Response Dialog

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Figure 4-8 The Common Responses Dialog

Insert a Common Response into a Field

Common responses are a way of entering text you use frequently without having to type it; this can save you typing time. Each field on a form can have up to six common responses on the Hot Key Bar and many more common responses available on its common responses list.

Common responses are user-specific; each user can set up his own common responses.

You can enter a Common Response in any field that has a drop down menu with a list of Common Responses.

To enter a common response into a field:

1. Click on the small arrow button at the end of the field. A menu opens.

2. Select the item you want to insert from the menu. The item is inserted into

the field.

TIP: If the common response is on the Hot Key Bar , it may be more efficient to enter it using the Hot Key Bar (or function key shown on the Hot Key Bar) than using the Common Responses list.

Edit a Common Response

To edit a hot key or common response:

1. Press and hold down the right mouse button in the field whose common response you want to edit and select Edit Common Responses. (This is the same as choosing Field | Edit Common Responses.

2. Select the response you want to edit, as shown in Figure 4-8.

3. Click Edit. More buttons appear, as shown in Figure 4-7.

4. Edit or retype the common response.

5. Click Save and Close.

If you like, give your common response a label and hot key assignment. Choose whether you would like the common response to be available for all the fields in the form or just this field.

Tech Tip: You can determine where the Common Response file is stored via the Configuration | Common Responses menu option. The common response list is organized on a CAFE field basis. For example, the address field will have the same common responses regardless of report or form.

Copy Field to Common Responses

Shortcut:
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Press and hold down the right mouse button to get this menu.

If you like, you can copy the text in a field into the Common Responses List.

To copy a field to the Common Responses List:

1. Move the cursor to the field whose text you want to add to the list.

2. Choose Field | Copy Field to Common Responses or click the right mouse button, as shown in the margin. The Edit Response box appears, as shown in Figure 4-7.

3. Click Save.

Copy Common Responses from One PC to Another

See the Tech Tip earlier in this section to determine the location of the Common Response File. Copy that file to a diskette or network drive. On the 2^nd PC, determine the location of the configured Common Response File, and using Windows Explorer, copy the new Common Response File to that location.

Switch to another Common Response file

You can switch to another Common Response file for a particular session, or permanently. This is useful in at least two ways. First, you can have different Common Response files for different clients, different neighborhoods, etc. Second, you can set up a master Common Response file, and have other users on your network point to that file, rather than a local one.

To switch Common Response files, select Configuration | Common Responses. The Common Response File Selection dialog (shown below) is displayed. Click the "…" button to browse to the desired file. To make this a permanent change, check the "Make Default" box.

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The Common Response File Selection dialog