How to add, edit and save records

If your Collections system is multilingual, it is possible to add data to a record in every available language.

Before creating a new record, or editing an existing record, select the required language from the Data language drop list in the Main menu as the data will be saved in the selected language.

NOTE: you may find that the Edit multilingual texts option in Record details View is sufficient for your translation needs. This option allows you to edit data in every available language in a multilingual fieldClosed A field configured to hold data in more than one language. Not all fields in a multilingual system are necessarily configured to be multilingual fields. regardless of the Data language selected. Note that if a multilingual field is also a Linked fieldClosed A type of field used to link one record to another. A Linked field is a drop list of values (records that the field can link to). When a link is made, the field stores a reference to the linked record (a linkref)., translation must occur in the linked record. Details here.

New records can be created in a number of ways in Axiell Collections:

Here we describe how to create a single record from scratch in Record details View.

Tip: We step through the creation of different types of records in the How do I...? section of this Help.

There are two ways to create a record from scratch:

Select Details

New in the Main menu

With this method you choose which data sourceClosed The management of a collection can involve a vast amount of information about objects / items / books, people and organizations, events, administration and more. This information is stored as records in data sources. Each data source stores a specific type of information: details about collection items, people, events, loans, and so on. to add the new record to:

  1. Select New in the Main menu.

    The Select data source1 box displays with a list of all data sources you are authorized to work with:

    Select data source

  2. Scroll through the list and double-click a data source

    -OR-

    Select a data source and click OK or press ENTER.

A new record opens in Record details View ready for editing.

New record in the Record details View toolbar

With this method a new record is added to the data source you are already working in:

  1. Select New record in the Record details View toolbar.

A new record displays ready for editing (details below).

Tip: A new record can also be created from a record template in Record details View with some fields pre-populated with data.

Default values

You may find that one or more fields in the new record already include a value: these are default values. Your Application Administrator can specify that a value displays in a field by default whenever a record is created. A default value is the most commonly used value in a field and is intended to save time and effort during data entry. It can be overwritten at any time.

If you have just created a record, it will be open in Record details View and ready for data entry.

If you want to edit the current record in Record details View:

  1. Select Edit Edit in the Record details View toolbar.

    The record will open in Edit modeClosed A record is either in Display mode (we view its details) or Edit mode (we add or edit its details). A record enters Edit mode as soon as we create a new record, copy a record in Record details View or edit an existing record..

    There are generally two reasons why you might not be able to edit a record:

    • You are not authorized to edit it.

      The Axiell Collections permissions model is comprehensive and granular and access rights can be assigned to individual fields and records, as well as to functions such as record creation, editing and deletion. If you are able to edit other records, it is likely that you have been blocked from editing the current record; if you are unable to edit any records, it is likely that you do not have the Edit permission.

      If you need to edit a record and are unable to, speak to your Application Administrator.

    • The record is locked for editing by another user.

      When a record is edited, a record lock is applied so that other users cannot simultaneously edit it. The lock is removed when the record is saved or closed by the record editor. There are circumstances in which the lock might not be removed. Details and solution here.

Here we see a newly created record ready for data entry:

New record

While editing a record in Record details View:

If you were adding details to a new record, you will lose the record.

If you were editing an existing record, you will lose your changes and the record will be locked for editing for other users.

Help View provides a description of a field's purpose and other data entry instructions as you edit a record.

To display Help View use the F1 keyboard shortcut or click the Help View button in the top Toolbar:

Field Level Help

Full details about Help View can be found here.

You can always discard changes to a record before the record is saved by clicking the Edit Edit button in the Record details View toolbar. The Save Prompt will display with an option to discard your changes and exit Edit mode.

If you have already saved changes and wish to reverse them, you can use the Record history option.

A record in Record details View is a collection of fields arranged in groups on panels. Panels can be opened and closed as you work with a record:

  • When working with a record it can be handy to open all panels and scroll through all available data, but often you will only want to see fields relevant to your current task (updating location details for instance). It is possible to open / close individual panels or all panels simultaneously:

    Each panel has a title bar containing a descriptive name, and when a panel is closed, only its title is visible:

    Six tabs

    To open a panel individually, simply click the downward pointing triangle in the panel's title bar. The triangle reverses direction. Click again to close it:

    Close tab

    To open / close all panels simultaneously, use the buttons in the Screens drop list2 on the Record details View toolbar:

    Open / Close all tabs

    Three options are available in the Screens drop list3 for opening / closing panels simultaneously:

    Screens drop list

    To open all panels :

    1. Click the toolbar button

      -OR-

      Use the keyboard shortcut, ALT+<down arrow>

    To open panels only if there is data in their fields:

    1. Click the toolbar button

    To close all panels:

    1. Click the toolbar button

      -OR-

      Use the keyboard shortcut, ALT+<up arrow>

    To open all panels:

    1. Click the toolbar button

      -OR-

      Use the keyboard shortcut4, ALT+<down arrow>

    To close all panels:

    1. Click the toolbar button

      -OR-

      Use the keyboard shortcut, ALT+<up arrow>

  • Closing a panel while editing a record does not lose data, nor does it save the data (for that you must click the Save or Edit button in the toolbar).

Only one person can edit a record at a time: when you start to edit a record, a lock is applied and other users are unable to edit it until the lock is removed when you save the record or close it without saving changes. One or more additional records may be locked for editing if the current recordClosed The record currently displayed in Record details View or highlighted (with a solid grey background) in Result set View or Gallery View for instance. is linked to a record and there is a write-back relationship between the two (data entered in the current record is written back to the linked record).

A locked record can still be viewed by other users, but it cannot be edited or deleted.

If a record being edited is closed improperly (due to a browser or system crash; or by closing the browser or Record details View while the record is being edited), the record will remain locked for other users.

The user who was last editing the record needs to return the record to Edit modeClosed A record is either in Display mode (we view its details) or Edit mode (we add or edit its details). A record enters Edit mode as soon as we create a new record, copy a record in Record details View or edit an existing record. by clicking the Edit Edit button in the Record details View toolbar. A message will pop-up:

Select Yes to return the record to Edit mode. Then Save or close the record to remove the lock.

If a record lock cannot be removed in this way, your Application Administrator or other authorized user will need to remove the lock with the Record lock manager tool.

Record locks applied within Adlib for Windows are respected by Axiell Collections and vice versa (a record locked in one environment is locked in the other), however a user must remove the lock in the environment in which it was applied.

If this is not possible, your Application Administrator or other authorized user will need to remove the lock with the Record lock manager tool.

Collections provides some assistance as you enter data in fields:

  • Increasing the size of fields dynamically as you enter data so that all your data is readable as you enter it.
  • Controlling the type of data that a field will accept and validating data to ensure that it complies with the requirements of the field.

The type of values that you can enter in a field is determined by a field's data type. A field with a Text data type will accept all characters, a Numeric field will accept numeric decimal numbers, an Integer will only accept whole numbers, a Date field expects dates, and so on. Beyond data type, some fields are configured to be unique (notably fields like object_number (IN)).

Details about a field's properties are available in the Field properties box, which is accessed in Display or Edit modeClosed A record is either in Display mode (we view its details) or Edit mode (we add or edit its details). A record enters Edit mode as soon as we create a new record, copy a record in Record details View or edit an existing record. by right-clicking a field and selecting Properties from the context menu:

Context menu

Note: Details about all options available from this context menu are available here.

Information in the Field properties box includes a field's system name and tag (e.g. creator (VV)), and its data (field) type (e.g. Text):

Field Info tab

Note: Full details about the Field properties box can be found here.

All data entered into fields is validated when you exit the field (by pressing TAB or clicking another field for instance). If the data entered in a field is not valid for the field (letters are entered in a Numeric field for instance, or a non-unique value is entered in a field configured to hold unique values only), a message will pop-up indicating how the value is invalid:

  • Non-unique value:

    You cannot save a record with a duplicate value in a unique field.

  • Wrong data type:

    If you do not correct the error and save a record with the wrong type of data in a field, the record will be saved but the erroneous value will be cleared from the field.

It is still possible to enter inaccurate data in a field, of course; for instance, a date field expects numbers and entering meaningless numbers or the wrong date will be accepted. Validation does not guarantee that the data entered is accurate, but does guarantee that the data is appropriate for that field, i.e. a date has been entered in a date field.

When editing records in Record details View you will find that some fields have a background colour or they have no border. This tells you something about data entry for the field. For instance, a field with a red background is mandatory, and a field with no border cannot be edited in the current recordClosed The record currently displayed in Record details View or highlighted (with a solid grey background) in Result set View or Gallery View for instance.:

Colour

Field

 Details

White

Editable field

Most fields have a white background. Data can be entered in the field:

If a field does not include an icon, simply key data into the field.

If a field does include an icon, as in the example above, how you enter or manage data depends on the icon. Details below.

Red

Mandatory field

A red background indicates that a field is mandatory and a value has not yet been entered:

It is not possible to save the record until valid data has been entered in the field: if a mandatory field is missed, a warning message will display indicating which field is mandatory and on what panel it can be found.

Once a value has been entered in a mandatory field, the background changes to white.

No background or border (grey background in older versions of Collections)

Replicated field (in the current record)

Usually a field only appears in one place in a record; however, the same information may be relevant in more than one place and for that reason a field can display more than once in the same record. Typically only one instance of the field is editable.

For example, details about an object's current location may appear on both the Identification panel and the Location | Future movements panel in a record in the Object catalogue. Details about an object's current location are entered on the Location | Future movements panel in the current_location.name (2A) field:

The same field appears on the Identification panel but there it has no border and it is not editable:

In older versions of Collections5 the replicated field has a grey background:

When a value is entered in the editable version of the field, it will display in the replicated field:

No background or border

Merged-in (auto-filled) field

In Edit modeClosed A record is either in Display mode (we view its details) or Edit mode (we add or edit its details). A record enters Edit mode as soon as we create a new record, copy a record in Record details View or edit an existing record. a Merged-in field has no background colour or border (until the cursor hovers over it) and it is not editable:

The value that displays in a Merged-in field is pulled dynamically from a linked record: when you link two records by selecting a value in a Linked fieldClosed A type of field used to link one record to another. A Linked field is a drop list of values (records that the field can link to). When a link is made, the field stores a reference to the linked record (a linkref)., other fields in the primary recordClosed A link is made from one record (the primary) to another (the target). can be auto-filled with values from the record you are linking to.

For example, a record in the Object catalogue is linked to the record for The National Museum in Persons and institutions using the Institution name (institution.name (BA)) Linked field; the Institution code (institution.code (I2)) field in the Object catalogue record is auto-filled with a value saved in the Persons and institutions record:

More details

See Types of field for full details about Merged-in fields.

See How to link records for more details about these fields.

See Searching remote indexes for details about searching Merged-in fields.

We add or edit details in a record one field at a time. Depending on the type of field, data can be keyed into a field, a value can be selected from a list or pop-up, or you can search for a value to add to a Linked fieldClosed A type of field used to link one record to another. A Linked field is a drop list of values (records that the field can link to). When a link is made, the field stores a reference to the linked record (a linkref).:

Field

Icon

Details

White background, no icon

 

A field with a white background and no icon has a data type of TEXT and will accept all characters.

Simply enter your data (key it, paste it).

Date

Click the Calendar icon to display a pop-up calendar and select a date to enter in the field. Selecting a date ensures that it is entered in the correct format. Alternatively, key a date into the field in the required format.

Date fields have both a data type format (the format a date is entered into a field and stored in the database) and a presentation format (the format a field displays in a record in Display mode). These are usually the same, but can be different (dates might be stored in ISO date format but displayed using an appropriate regional format).

Typically, all date fields across Collections will have the same data type and presentation format, and in the vast majority of cases this will be the ISO date format.

Date fields can be configured to accept dates in five formats (and one deprecated format):

Format Example
(EUR) dd/mm/yy 31/12/94
(EUR) dd/mm/yyyy 31/12/1994
(ISO) yy-mm-dd 94-12-31

To facilitate the international exchange of data, date fields in Collections are typically set to the ISO date format: yyyy-mm-dd. The ISO date format also accepts partial dates, such as 2020-12 or 2020.
(ISO) yyyy-mm-dd 1994-12-31
(Julian) yyyy-ddd 1994-365
(EUR dd/mm/yyyy 31/01/2002

Though still accepted, this format has been deprecated.

The simplest way to ensure a date is entered in the correct format is to use the calendar pop-up:

Enter a date

Tip

  • Enter a year in the field before clicking the Calendar icon; the Calendar pop-up will open to the specified year:

Alternatively, key a date in the required format into the field. If the format is yyyy-mm-dd, you would enter something like: 2020-01-28

If the ISO date format has been specified (yyyy-mm-dd), you can enter partial dates, such as: 2020-12 or 2020.

The simplest way to identify the required format is to select a date from the calendar pop-up: a date in the expected format will display:

Entering invalid data in a date field will result in a pop-up that clearly identifies the required format:

Note: It is still possible to enter inaccurate data in a date field; a date field expects numbers in a given format and entering an inaccurate date will be accepted.

Geolocation

No location saved to this field yet or

Location saved to this field

When GIS functionality is enabled in your system, locations are recorded in a Geographical thesaurus data sourceClosed The management of a collection can involve a vast amount of information about objects / items / books, people and organizations, events, administration and more. This information is stored as records in data sources. Each data source stores a specific type of information: details about collection items, people, events, loans, and so on. and the many location fields throughout Collections can link to a record in this data source. Once linked, any location fields in the currentClosed The record currently displayed in Record details View or highlighted (with a solid grey background) in Result set View or Gallery View for instance. or selected records will display on a map.

Click the icon to open an Edit Map location window and add a location:

In the Geographical thesaurus:

  1. Locate the geolocation field (typically labelled something like Geolocation or Map). The field is easily identified by the GIS icon, which will be one of the following:

    No location saved to this field yet

    No location has been saved to the field.

    Location saved to this field

    A location has already been saved to the field.

    In this example the field is called Geolocation:

    Edit location

  2. Click the icon to open an Edit Map location window.

    This is similar to Map View but includes additional options in the Map menu:

    Map menu

  3. To select one or more locations on the map, start by selecting a Drawing Type tool.

    All available options for working in the Edit Map location are described here:

    Option

    Details

    Drawing type

    Drop list with tools for specifying one or more locations on the map. It is possible to select a single point and/or a line; it is also possible to define an area by drawing a circle or polygon on the map.

    Tip: While it is possible to mark multiple spots and/or areas on a map and save them all to a single geolocation field, typically you will define a single point or area for each geolocation field.

    Tool

    Details

    None

    When you select one of the other drawing tools, it remains active until you click OK or Cancel (which close the Edit Map location window) or Clear (which removes any marks you have added to the map).

    If you have finished drawing on the map and wish to continue working in the Edit Map location window, you can select None to disable the drawing tool.

    Point

    Click the map to mark a single spot.

    Circle

    Click a spot that will be the centre of the circle, release the mouse button and move the mouse to widen the circle. Click again to finish the circle.

    Click the Show Area checkbox to show the area of the circle.

    LineString

    Draw one or more consecutive straight lines.

    To draw a single line, click the starting point, move the mouse and double-click at the end point.

    To draw two or more consecutive lines, click the starting point, move the mouse and click, move the mouse again and click. Repeat until your drawing is complete and double-click at the end point:

    Click the Show Distances checkbox to show the length (distance) of the line.

    Polygon

    Draw a closed shape with straight lines. Click the starting point, click the next point, etc., and double-click the penultimate corner to close the polygon:

    Click the Show Area checkbox to show the area of the polygon.

    Map scale

    The current scale is shown at the bottom of the map. By default it is metric. The following scales are available from the drop list:

    • Metric
    • Degrees
    • Imperial
    • Nautical
    • US

    Base Map

    The default base map is the Open Street Map. If other base maps are available, they can be selected from this drop list.

    Overlays

    One or more overlays for the base map may be available from this drop list, perhaps showing municipality borders, vegetation types or historical landmarks for example.

    To apply an overlay:

    1. Select the overlay from the drop list.
    2. Click Add overlay.

      The selected overlay will be shown on top of the base map, and it will be listed below the Overlays heading:

      More than one overlay can be applied. It is possible to:

      • Adjust the opacity of an overlay.
      • Change the order of overlays.
      • Remove an overlay from the base map.

    Show Area

    When using the Circle or Polygon drawing tool, the area of the enclosed space will display if this checkbox is ticked:

    Show Distances

    When using the LineString drawing tool, the length (distance) will be shown if this checkbox is ticked:

    Show location in UTM

    When you click anywhere on the map, the location coordinates display in a pop-up as latitude and longitude by default:

    When this checkbox is ticked, location coordinates display in UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system):

    Locate

    If you know the latitude and longitude of a location, enter these values and click Locate to zoom in to the location.
  4. When you have marked locations on the map, you have three options:

    Button

    Description

    OK

    Saves points and/or areas marked on the map, along with details about the currently selected base map and layer, to the GIS field, closing the Edit Map location window.

    Cancel

    Close the Edit Map location window without saving any changes you have made to the map.

    Clear

    Remove all marks on the map.

Increase / decrease number

This icon appears in a field expecting a number. Key a number in the field and/or click an arrow head to increase or decrease the number in the field.

Linked field

Link

A Linked field is used to link the current record to another record, and it operates as a drop list of values (records that the field can link to). When a link is made, the field stores a reference to the linked record (a linkref).

To link to an existing record:

  1. Enter details (a name or term for instance) in the Linked field.

    The drop list will filter to matching values.

  2. Select a value in the list.

If the value you are looking for is not listed, click Link to open the Find data for the field box. Here you can search for a record to link to, and add a new record and link to it.

Full details about linking records in Collections, and how to work with Linked fields is available here.

Read-only list

Click the arrow to display a read-only list of values. Select a value to add it to the field.

Time

Click the Time icon to display a scrollable drop list of times in half hour intervals from 00:00:00 onwards.

Select a time (and edit if required) or key a time in the required format: HH:MM:SS.

Upload media

Locate a media file on your device or network, upload it to Collections and create a new record for it in the Multimedia documentation data sourceClosed The management of a collection can involve a vast amount of information about objects / items / books, people and organizations, events, administration and more. This information is stored as records in data sources. Each data source stores a specific type of information: details about collection items, people, events, loans, and so on., and link to that record.

It is possible6 to upload and link multiple media files to an image or application field at once, whether you are editing a Multimedia documentation record or Catalogue record. The only condition is that the media field is repeatable (it is only possible to upload and link a single media file in non-repeatable media fields).

To upload multiple media files simultaneously:

  1. Click the Upload button beside a repeatable image or application field:

    The File Upload box will display.

    • To select multiple consecutive media files:
      1. Click the first file.
      2. Press the SHIFT keyboard key and click the last file:

        Select multiple consecutive media files

    • To select multiple non-consecutive media file:

      1. Click a media file.
      2. Press the CTRL keyboard key and click each of the required files:

        Select non-consecutive files

  2. Click the Open button to upload the files.

    Each uploaded file will end up in its own field occurrenceClosed If a field in the current record can have more than one value, we add an occurrence of the field for each value (e.g. a book can have multiple authors so we add an occurrence of the author.name (au) field for each author). An occurrence can be a member of a group of fields, and adding an occurrence of the field adds all members of the group at once..

Important!

It matters which media field occurrence currently has focus (the cursor is in the field) when selecting the Upload button: the linking of uploaded files will start in the active field occurrence:

  • If the active field occurrence already contains data, that data will be overwritten with a new link!
  • Subsequent existing media field occurrences will not be overwritten but will move down to accommodate the new links.

    For example, if you have three image field occurrences:

    A

    B

    C

    with the cursor in B and you upload image files G and M, what remains is four occurrences:

    A

    G

    M

    C

When the record is saved, the icon changes to , allowing you to download the media file to your device.

See Working with media for details.

If a value has been saved to a field's list of favourites, it can be copied to that same field when editing a record7:

In Record details View, in Display or Edit modeClosed A record is either in Display mode (we view its details) or Edit mode (we add or edit its details). A record enters Edit mode as soon as we create a new record, copy a record in Record details View or edit an existing record., a value can be added to a list of favourites for the current field by right-clicking a field with a value and selecting Add to favourites in the context menu that displays (details here). This can be useful if the same value (term, name, date, etc.) is often entered into a field as it can be selected from the list of favourites rather than being keyed into the field or, in the case of Linked fieldsClosed A type of field used to link one record to another. A Linked field is a drop list of values (records that the field can link to). When a link is made, the field stores a reference to the linked record (a linkref)., selected from the drop list or Find data for the field box.

Once a value has been saved to a field's list of favourites, it can be copied to that same field when editing a record:

  1. Right-click the field and hover the cursor over the Favourites option in the context menu to display the list of favourites.

  2. Select the required value from the sub menu:

The value is copied to the field and will overwrite any value already entered in the field.

Note: The Favourites and Manage favourites option are only present in the context menu if at least one favourite has been stored for the field.

With the Manage favourites option it is possible to change the order of values in the list of favourites for the current field, delete a value from the list, remove all values from the list, and view the complete text of a value (details here).

If one or more values are shared between records, you can copy values to the Collections Clipboard and paste values into fields:

The Clipboard can be a useful editing tool if one or more values are shared between records in the same data sourceClosed The management of a collection can involve a vast amount of information about objects / items / books, people and organizations, events, administration and more. This information is stored as records in data sources. Each data source stores a specific type of information: details about collection items, people, events, loans, and so on..

The Collections clipboard, which operates independently from the Windows clipboard, can store the contents of different fields simultaneously: when you use the Copy field option, a field's content is saved to the Collections clipboard and associated with the field's unique tagClosed A field tag is a unique two character identifier for a field.:

  • When the cursor is in the same field in another record (a field with the same tag), you can use Paste field (CTRL+K) to paste the Collections clipboard content associated with that field.

    -OR-

  • When you are editing a record, you can use Paste all fields (CTRL+J) to paste the clipboard content associated with every field currently stored in the Collections clipboard.

It is possible to store multiple values for the same field (multiple creators or authors for instance). In this case, each value is stored as an occurrenceClosed If a field in the current record can have more than one value, we add an occurrence of the field for each value (e.g. a book can have multiple authors so we add an occurrence of the author.name (au) field for each author). An occurrence can be a member of a group of fields, and adding an occurrence of the field adds all members of the group at once.. If a field can have more than one occurrence, pasting the contents of that field will add an occurrence for each stored value. We demonstrate this below.

Note

Four options are available from the Clipboard drop list:

With the cursor in a field in Edit modeClosed A record is either in Display mode (we view its details) or Edit mode (we add or edit its details). A record enters Edit mode as soon as we create a new record, copy a record in Record details View or edit an existing record., copy the contents of the field to the Collections clipboard.

Note: In Display mode, right-click a field and select Copy field from the context menu.

The contents of a field can be copied to the Collections clipboard in both Edit and Display mode:

  • In Edit mode, place the cursor in a field:
    1. Use the keyboard shortcut, CTRL+D

      -OR-

      Select Copy field from the Clipboard drop list in the Record details View toolbar

      -OR-

      Right-click the field and select Copy field from the context menu:

  • In Display mode:
    1. Right-click the field and select Copy field from the context menu.

When we view the Collections clipboard (select Show clipboard from the Clipboard drop list), we see that the field content has been stored and associated with the field tag:

Collections clipboard

If we copy data from the same field, a second occurrenceClosed If a field in the current record can have more than one value, we add an occurrence of the field for each value (e.g. a book can have multiple authors so we add an occurrence of the author.name (au) field for each author). An occurrence can be a member of a group of fields, and adding an occurrence of the field adds all members of the group at once. will be added for the field; if we copy data from another field, a new entry (tag plus data) will be added to the Collections clipboard:

Clipboard

The order of tags is the order in which they are added to the Collections clipboard.

With the cursor in a field in Edit mode, paste value(s) copied to the Collections clipboard for this field.

As we see above, the Collections clipboard can store values for multiple fields. The Paste field option only pastes content stored in the Collections clipboard for the currently active field (the cursor is in the field):

In Edit mode, paste all values stored in the Collections clipboard into the current record.

All values stored in the Collections clipboard will be pasted into the current record in the appropriate fields. The cursor can be in any field when Paste all fields (CTRL+J) is used.

The same rules regarding occurrences apply as for Paste field.

Select Show clipboard to open the Clipboard box and view the contents of the Collections clipboard for the current data sourceClosed The management of a collection can involve a vast amount of information about objects / items / books, people and organizations, events, administration and more. This information is stored as records in data sources. Each data source stores a specific type of information: details about collection items, people, events, loans, and so on.:

Other than viewing the contents of the Collections clipboard, the only other function the Clipboard box provides is emptying the clipboard of all stored values with the Clear Clipboard button.

And if you have more data to add to a record than there are fields to add it to (more than one author for a book, or creator of an object), you will want to add a new occurrenceClosed If a field in the current record can have more than one value, we add an occurrence of the field for each value (e.g. a book can have multiple authors so we add an occurrence of the author.name (au) field for each author). An occurrence can be a member of a group of fields, and adding an occurrence of the field adds all members of the group at once. of one or more fields:

If a field can have more than one value, we add an occurrence of the field for each value (e.g. a book can have multiple authors so we add an occurrence of the author.name (ya) field for each author). An occurrence can be a member of a group of fields, and adding an occurrence of the field adds all members of the group at once.

When recording details about items in your collection, there will be situations where one field or group of fields is inadequate for capturing all available details. For instance, a book can have more than one author, an object can have more than one creator, but you will find that a new record in Books has only one Author field by default:

To accommodate the need for additional instances of a field, some are configured to be repeatable:

Full details about field occurrences can be found here.

Note: The options described below are only enabled if the cursor is in a field that can have more than one occurrence (it has been configured by your Application Administrator to be repeatable).

The Occurrences drop list in the Record details View toolbar has five options, which are enabled when a record is being edited:

Option

Shortcut

Details

Add row above

 

Add an occurrence of the field (or group of fields if the active field is a member of a group) above the active field.

Add row below

CTRL+ENTER

Add an occurrence of the field (or group of fields if the active field is a member of a group) below the active field.

Remove row

 

Delete the occurrence of the field (or group of fields if the active field is a member of a group) from the record.

Note: Data in the field(s) will be deleted.

Move field down / up

 

Select Move field down / up to reorder occurrences: if the active field is a member of a group of fields, all fields in the group will be moved together.

Note: If automatic sorting of occurrences has been specified by your Application Administrator, any changes you make to the order will be overridden: occurrences will be sorted automatically (ascending or descending) when the record is saved.

Tip: Limited record editing is also available in Result set View.

When you have created a new record or edited an existing record, save it:

In Result set View an edited record is saved without asking for confirmation that changes should be saved whenever the user closes or leaves the edited record. In Record details View, clicking the Save record Save button will also save a record automatically without displaying the Save Prompt.

The Save Prompt will always display in Record details View when the Edit Edit button is clicked or a user leaves an edited record (by clicking another record in Result set View for example):

Save Prompt

If it is preferable that users always confirm their changes are saved, it is possible to restrict the ways an edited record can be saved to those that display the Save Prompt (it will not be possible to edit a record in Result set View). See Always prompt before saving for details.

When you save a record it is first validated to ensure that any mandatory fields have been completed. If a mandatory field has been missed, you will be required to go back and complete it: a warning message will display indicating which field is mandatory and on what panel it can be found.

If the record passes validation, it is saved, and the record returns to Display modeClosed A record is either in Display mode (we view its details) or Edit mode (we add or edit its details). A record enters Edit mode as soon as we create a new record, copy a record in Record details View or edit an existing record..

In Record details View a record can be saved in a number of ways:

Method

Button

 Details

Save button

The Save button in the Record details View toolbar is enabled as soon as a record is edited:

  • Select Save to save all changes made to the record immediately.

    The Save Prompt does not display: you are not asked to confirm that you want your changes saved and you do not have an option to cancel your changes. For those features, use the Edit button instead.

Note: In some systems, the Save button has been disabled and it is necessary to use the Edit button.

Select Save again to save the record and exit Edit mode.

Edit button

Edit

The Edit button in the Record details View toolbar opens the current record in Edit mode and, when clicked again, saves the record and exits Edit mode. The Save Prompt will display with the following options:

Save Prompt

Select:

  • Yes to keep your changes and exit Edit mode.
  • No to discard your changes and exit Edit mode.
  • Cancel to return to the record and continue editing it.
Leaving the current record

 

If you have made changes to a record and leave it, the Save Prompt will display (details above). Leaving the current record occurs if you:

Warning: If you close Record details View by clicking its button in the top Toolbar while editing a record, you will lose your changes to the record and the record will be locked for editing for other users.