Approach 97 For Windows For Dummies

Introduction

About This Book

How to Use This Book

What You Don't Need to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Basic Approach 97 Stuff

Part II: Polishing Your Database

Part III: Getting Real Work Done

Part IV: Definitely Database Grad School Stuff

Part V: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

How'd It Go?

Part I: Basic Approach 97 Stuff

Chapter 1: Database 101

What the Hex Is a Database?

What's So Hot about Approach 97?

Forms, Reports, and Other Database Portals

Starting Approach 97

What Is All This Stuff?

Creating a New Database

Filling Out a Form

Looking at the Worksheet

Printing a Database

Saving Your Work

Retrieving a Database from Disk

Closing a Database

Exiting Approach 97

Chapter 2: Creating Database Fields

Finding Out about Fields

Text fields

Numeric fields

Memo fields

Boolean fields

Date fields

Time fields

PicturePlus fields

Calculated fields

Variable fields

Adding Fields to a Database

Adding, Changing, or Deleting Fields

Creating Fields That Fill Themselves In

Default value options

Setting a default value

Validation options

Setting validation options

Setting the Formula for a Calculated Field

Chapter 3: Self-Help for Lonely Approach 97 Users

Getting Help in Several Ways

Finding Your Way Around in Help

Using Stay-on-Top Help Procedures

Searching for Elusive Help Topics

Discovering the Index tab

Putting the Find tab to work

Getting Help from the Internet

Asking Lotus for help

Asking others for help

Approach 97 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Approach 97 Internet mailing list

Approach 97 CompuServe forums

Chapter 4: Entering and Updating Data

Working in Browse Mode

Adding a New Record

Duplicating a Database Record

Deleting a Record

Moving Around in a Database

Moving forward one record

Moving backward one record

Moving to the first record

Moving to the last record

Moving to a specific record

Entering and Editing Data

Moving from field to field

Moving the insertion point

Cutting, copying, and pasting

Duplicating a field's value

Setting a field to the same value throughout the database

Entering Field Values

Text fields

Numeric fields

Memo fields

Boolean fields

Date fields

Time fields

PicturePlus fields

Chapter 5: Finders Keepers

Understanding Find Mode

Using Find

Discovering Fiendishly Advanced Finds

The > (greater than), < (less than), and other comparative operators

The = (equal to) and <> (not equal to) operators

The . . . (ellipsis) operator

The & (and) and , (or) operators

The * (wild card) operator

The @ operator

The ! operator

The ~ (sounds like) operator

Find It Again, Sam

Using the Find/Sort Assistant

Chapter 6: Putting Your Affairs in Order (Or Sorting Database Records)

The Easy Way to Sort a Database

The Hard Way to Sort a Database

The Way to Create a Default Sort Sequence

Chapter 7: Checking Your Speling

Checking Your Spelling

Using the User Dictionary

Setting the Spelling Options

Changing the Language Options

Chapter 8: Joining Databases

Understanding Joins

Join types

Join fields

Joining Databases

Considering Database Polygamy

Discovering Join Options

Part II: Polishing Your Database

Chapter 9: Creating World-Class Forms

Forms, Fields, and Objects

Working in Design Mode

The wacky menu

Using the Tools palette

Setting Design mode options

Creating a New Form

Deleting a Form

Changing a Form's Name and Title

Working with Fields

Moving and resizing fields

Adding fields to a form

Deleting fields from a form

Changing the tab order

Changing a Field's Appearance

Playing with the Properties dialog box

Using Fast Format

Chapter 10: Putting Your Database on Report

Understanding Approach 97 Reports

Considering Approach 97 Report Types

Columnar reports

Standard reports

Columnar with Groups and Totals reports

Columnar with Grand Totals reports

Summary Only reports

Repeating Panel reports

Creating a Report by Using the Report Assistant

Deleting a Report

Redesigning a Report

Understanding panels

Changing a report's name and title

Changing report headings

Using PowerClick reporting

Printing a Report

Chapter 11: Drawing on Forms and Reports

Some General Drawing Tips

Start in Design mode

Display the Drawing SmartIcons

Zoom in

Display the rulers

Use the grid

Save frequently

Don't forget Ctrl+Z

Drawing Simple Lines and Shapes

Drawing Text Objects

Improving an Object's Appearance

Creating a drop shadow

Creating embossed effects

Creating simple text with no border

Creating white-on-black text

Drawing Complicated Pictures

Changing layers

Line 'em up and spread 'em out

Group therapy

Stealing Pictures from Other Programs

Using Named Styles

Creating a named style

Applying a named style

Chapter 12: Adding Pictures and Sounds to a Database

What Is a PicturePlus Field?

Adding PicturePlus fields to a database

Adding a PicturePlus field to a view

Adding a Picture to a Database Record

Inserting a picture from a file

Pasting a picture from the Clipboard

Talking Fields

All about sound files

Inserting a sound in Approach 97

Playing a sound

Removing a sound

Let's Go to the Movies

Adding a video clip

Playing a video

Chapter 13: Using Calculated Fields

Using Simple Arithmetic

Creating simple formulas

Creating fancy formulas with parentheses

Working with Functions

Mathematical functions for eggheads

Conjuring conversion functions

Interesting financial functions

Using logical functions

Functions for doing funny things with text fields

Statistical functions

Summary functions

Chapter 14: Working with Date and Time Fields

Entering Values into Date and Time Fields

Entering values into date fields

Entering values into time fields

Automatically entering the current date and time

Using Fancy Date and Time Formats

Setting a fancy date format

Setting a fancy time format

Using Dates and Times in Calculations

Simple date and time calculations

Functions for date and time calculations

Part III: Getting Real Work Done

Chapter 15: Creating Form Letters

Seeing the Big Picture

Creating a Form Letter

Printing Form Letters and Envelopes

Chapter 16: Printing Mailing Labels

Creating Mailing Labels

Using a Custom Label Format

Printing Mailing Labels

Chapter 17: Working with Worksheets and Cursing at Crosstabs

Working with Worksheets

Creating additional worksheets

Moving around in a worksheet

Selecting worksheet cells

Resizing a column or row

Adding a column to a worksheet

Removing a column from a worksheet

Rearranging columns

Printing a worksheet

Cursing at Crosstabs

Creating a simple crosstab

Adding more columns to a crosstab

Changing a crosstab formula

Chapter 18: Charting Your Course

Understanding Charts

Creating a Chart

Changing the Chart Type

Improving a Chart's Appearance

Adjusting Chart Text

Part IV: Definitely Database Grad School Stuff

Chapter 19: Creating and Using Macros

Creating Macros the Easy Way

Creating Macros the Hard Way

Running a Macro

Running a macro from the Macros dialog box

Attaching a macro to a view

Creating a macro button

Attaching a macro to a field

Assigning a macro to a function key

A Real-World Example

Chapter 20: Approaching a Network and the Internet

What Is a Network?

Accessing a Network Database

Accessing a Network Database in Single-User Mode

Setting Approach 97 Preferences for Network Sharing

Creating SQL Queries

Approaching the Internet

Saving a database to the Internet

Opening a database from the Internet

Chapter 21: Playing with Preferences

What's with All the Options?

Dealing with Display Preferences

Ogling Order Preferences

Playing with Password Preferences

Saluting the General Preferences

Making SmartIcon Bars Smarter

Chapter 22: Conversion Experiences

Opening a Foreign File

Opening a spreadsheet file

Opening a \delimited text file

Opening a fixed-length text file

Importing Foreign Data

Exporting Approach 97 Data

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 23: Ten Database Commandments

I. Thou Shalt Carefully Planneth the Layout of Thy Data

II. Thou Shalt Avoideth Redundancy, Repetition, Reiteration, and Entering the Same Thing Over Again

III. Thou Shalt Frequently Saveth Thy Design Changes

IV. Thou Shalt Not Hoggeth a Network Database

V. Thou Shalt Backeth Up Thy Hard Disk Religiously

VI. Thou Shalt Storeth Each File in Its Proper Directory

VII. Thou Shalt Not Abuseth the Approach 97 Design Features

VIII. Thou Shalt Not Violateth Thy Approach 97 License

IX. Thou Shalt Not Fondleth Thy approach.ini File or Any Other ini File

X. Remember Thy Computer Gurus and Keep Them Happy

Chapter 24: Ten Approach 97 Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts to Change Modes

Design Clicks

Shortcuts to Cut, Copy, and Paste

Ctrl+Z, the Oops! Keyboard Shortcut

Helpful Design Shortcuts

Useful Browse Mode Shortcuts

Shortcuts to Other Programs

F1, the Panic Button

Chapter 25: Ten Things That Often Go Wrong

I Can't Find My File!

I Ran Out of Memory!

I Ran Out of Disk Space!

Approach 97 Vanished!

I Can't Find a Record!

I Accidentally Deleted a File!

I Accidentally Deleted a Record!

My Printer Won't Print!

My Car Blew Up!

Chapter 26: Ten Great Things about Approach 97

Internet Integration

LotusScript

Transcripting

PowerClick Reporting

Send SmartIcon

Properties Dialog Box

Approach 97 Assistants

Structured Query Language Support

Consistency with Other SmartSuite Applications

Fast Format

Chapter 27: Ten Types of Form Fields

Adding Field Boxes

Using Drop-Down List Fields and Field Box and List Fields

Adding Check Boxes

Using Radio Buttons

Chapter 28: Ten Cool Approach 97 SmartMasters

Discovering World Wide Web Sites

Using the Meeting Room Scheduler

Tracking Customer Calls

Keeping Tabs on Employees and Departments

Managing Your Contacts

Tracking Invoices and Orders

Using the Technote Database

Discovering the Artist and Music Collection

Screening the Video and Actor Database

Considering All Those Templates

Glossary

Index

Reader Response Card