Data Entry with Drop Down Lists

[Himself]

I too have a hard time with the Reference ID of a particular record showing instead of its preferable known value, whatever it may be. I have read a few of the posts on this topic and many point to using Popup boxes in lieu of drop down lists others use a second field to mask the dropdown list to give an illusion of no foreign reference ID and others use a second window or form triggered by a button to make selections from a list view or portal.

None of these solutions are friendly to data entry personnel who would like nothing more than to never have to use the mouse. They want to Tab into fields and start typing and Tab on to the next field. Unless they know the Reference ID’s they can’t do that.

I have a proposed solution that I would like to hear comments on and maybe it has already been explored and I just couldn’t find it.

So for explanation purposes I will keep it simple.

Tbl_Inventory – 4 Fields Main Table

ID – Serial (Auto Number)

Brand ID – ID number Linked to Tbl_Ref_Brand::ID

Model ID – ID number Linked to Tbl_Ref_Model::ID

Serial# - Text field Unique

Tbl_Ref_Brand – 2 Fields Reference Table

ID – Serial (Auto Number)

Brand Name – Text Unique

Tbl_Ref_Model – 2 Fields Reference Table

ID – Serial (Auto Number)

Model Name – Text Unique

Now in a data entry form your Value lists would have both ID and Name included for Brand and Model which causes the problem stated above.

Proposed Solution:

Create another table

Tbl_Inventory_Entry – 3 Fields

Brand Name – Text Field DDL(Value List Validation from Tbl_Ref_Brand::Brand Name)

Model Name – Text Field DDL(Value List Validation from Tbl_Ref_Model::Model Name)

Serial Number – Text Field

Create a form for this table that you navigate to for data entry. Then script the Save Record button to use the entered values in Tbl_Inventory_Entry to create a record in Tbl_Inventory and delete the record in Tbl_Inventory_Entry (we don’t want that growing)

It would be similar to edit a record only values in Tbl_Inventory would need to set in Tbl_Inventory_Entry before the user edits it.

Any thoughts from the experts good or bad are welcome.

Thanks

[christoff]

Maybe you should attach a file showing what you are suggesting...

I was wondering something on the same topic. If you're in a shop and you have to order in stock and you have 100 different products to choose from, I spose a value list or pop up list would not be a great way of choosing the product you want...

what do people do in that situation?

[Himself]

Here is an example.

Data_Entry_Example.zip

[christoff]

Cool!

[Søren Dyhr]

what do people do in that situation?

I would use a portal, utilizing this approach:

http://www.briandunning.com/cf/910

Becasue you can cram substantial measures of data into the same layout where the assignments are supposed to work in, without hogging too much real estate.

But it does not quite solve the problem the OP have with a staff requirering a mouse evasive approach ... here would I turn to tableview and put OnObjectKeystroke from the eventtriggers to distinguise between straightforward typing and the arrow buttons enabling to create new records as well as modifying previous records ... I saw a template Michael Valentin was showing when fm10 was launced, doing something in the vicinty of this.

--sd

[Himself]

But it does not quite solve the problem the OP have with a staff requirering a mouse evasive approach ... here would I turn to tableview and put OnObjectKeystroke from the eventtriggers to distinguise between straightforward typing and the arrow buttons enabling to create new records as well as modifying previous records ... I saw a template Michael Valentin was showing when fm10 was launced, doing something in the vicinty of this.

The focus of the problem is not making a system that is void of mouse functionallity the user will need to use the mouse sometimes. One of the main complaints I get from users who do data entry work is that they are slowed down by using the mouse, they want to keep there hands on the home keys. I can't blame them it is faster.

The examples main point of focus should be how one can use the drop down list with auto enter on the acctual data and not the Key field for which it is referenced. The example is simple but if the user needed to enter 10 or 15 or 20 fields and do it repeatedly I don't see how any other method mentioned in the first post could match this in speed and efficiency. The best part is you still only have to store the key field data.

I am not sure I understand the alternative described as table view and event triggering don't keep the first Key field in a drop down list from showing its ugly head. Another downside is I don't have an event trigger plug in and don't see an upgrade to Version 10 in the near future.

I am glad that someone finally decided to post a comment. I was getting worried there for a while.