Xplore Features Used In This Application
Xplore gives a browse a very powerful file data manipulation feature set that lets a user control the layout, sorting order and filter of a browse of file data and generate reports and graphs from the displayed information. Most of the features are available by right-mousing inside the browse list and selecting options from the popup menu that will open up. Most of the options (except a filter) are retained in an .ini file and the browse will keep the altered appearance until the new layout is cleared or modified.
Browse lists have this button 
to bring up a .txt format document to use while using a browse list.
LAYOUT
- Columns can be shifted left or right by dragging their column header (Win 98 Explorer style)
- Adjust width to widest column string (Win 98 Explorer Style) Double-Click on column separator bar.
- Hot key (ALT + F12) to reset the browse back to its default setting.
- Hot key (ALT + F11) to adjust the width of all columns to the widest column text.
SORTING ORDER
- Change the sorting order, click on a column header to sort in the order of that column (Win98 Explorer style). Look for a > (ascending order) or < (descending order) sign order in the header beside the name to indicate sorting. You need to hit the wording in the header pretty square to make it work. It also looks like if the header is set to flush left, you need to hit near the far right-hand end of the wording of the header. On a big file, this sorting order may take a few seconds to come up.
- Right-Mouse-Click on a column header to get a little pop-up window with three sorting options;
ESCAPE - leave the window without making changes.
KEY SEQUENCE - display records in sorting order set by the application's developer at browse design time, which basically, un-does any sorting orders in place.
FILE SEQUENCE (display records in the order that they were entered into the file - last one at bottom.
POPUP MENU OPTIONS EXPLAINED
(the pop-up menu can be opened by right-clicking on the browse list itself)
PLEASE NOTE: It is important WHERE in the browse list you right-click.
VIEW
- if the browse has a QUERY button on it, this option will appear. This permits you to select premade QUERIES and apply them to the browse. An option is also to CLEAR the Query (turn the query off so the browse does not reflect the limiting conditions of the query).
QUERY
- if the browse has a QUERY button on it, this option will appear. Selecting this option is the same as pressing the QUERY button itself.
ADJUST ALL WIDTHS
- adjusts all columns in the browse to be a skinny as they can be. This will make the browse compact and probably truncate the column headers, but if you know what the columns are, it will let you see a lot in a single screen
FILTER
- Opens options for adding to/controlling the filter on the browse.
- ADD FILTER FOR "begins" the first four options. The column that a filter is added for is the same as the column which was high-lighted after you right-mouse. The value that is used in the filter matches the record which was under the mouse pointer (IE. if you had the cursor over the FirstName and the record that is high-lighted has the 'Robert' as the FirstName, you will get filter options of FirstName='Robert', FirstName~='Robert' and so on). The options are filter to find records with a variable equal to what is in the high-lighted record, not equal, less than and greater than.
- Add Equal To Filter. Opens a small window where you can type in a specific filter condition for the column you right-moused above. This is handy if you have used the < or > options in setting a filter. It will convert the < to a <= and a > to a >= - User Filter. This gives options like >= <= which is handy for finding strings within a word. If you are hunting for Rob Roy, you can hunt for Contains Rob and find Robert Roy, Rob Roy, Robby Roy).
- Void Filter. Sets the filter to blank (turns off the filter and clears it to make a new one)
SORT ON TYPE
- Has the same effect as clicking on a column header to adjust the sorting order
XPLORE
- Opens a menu where you can adjust the settings for the column which was right-moused on.
Move Left - moves the column you right-moused on to the left in the browse
Move Right - moves the column you right-moused on to the right in the browse
Width - opens a small window where you can adjust the width of the right-moused column
Header Text - opens a small window where you can adjust the text of the column header
Data Just Left - justify the data in the right-moused column along the left hand side
Data Just Center - justify the data in the right-moused column down the center
Data Just Right - justify the data in the right-moused column along the right hand side
Hdr Just Left - justify the header for the right-moused column along the left hand side
Hdr Just Center - justify the header for the right-moused column down the center
Hdr Just Right - justify the header for the right-moused column along the right hand side
Resize - toggles whether the right-moused column can be resized by click on its margins and sliding left and right
Border - toggles whether the right-moused column displays a vertical black line to mark its far right hand border
Color - opens a window where the user can interactively select colors for the column that was right-moused on
PROPERTIES
This opens a window where you can modify the browse.
In the top left corner is a list of all the variables you can display in the browse. In the top right is a list of all the variables that are currently displayed in the browse and the order that they display in. The topmost buttons between these two lists permit you to move the field high-lighted in the righthand list up and down (left and right in the browse). The two buttons below these permit you to move fields into and out of the browse (so they appear or are hidden). Below the righthand list is an assembly of code that permits you to adjust the header text, header justification and variable justification, resize, border, color and width for the field you have high-lighted in the right-hand list. From this screen you can really customize how the browse that you see appears.
NOTE: the options under the left hand list are generally disabled as they control layout issues
that the software developer should have handled for you. If you really think you need
to change something in this group, let the developer know so he can make it available
HIDE COLUMN
This will hide the right-moused column so you don't see it anymore.
To make the column visible again you can go the PROPERTIES (see above) or you can
select DEFAULT (see below)
DEFAULT
This will return the browse to the original condition before the XPLORE options were set.
WARNING!!!! it will wipe-out all changes. Every last one. Be sure you really want to
do this if you have spent time customizing a browse
OUTPUT
This opens a window with 5 options
OPTION 1
GRAPH ON (right-moused column). This will produces a printable graph based upon the column right-moused on. The graph is a simple bar chart.
OUTPUT (button) will print the graph.
REFERENCES will give you access to an area where you can set the font and colors used.
OK will close the graph and let you exit.
The graph will adhere to any filters and queries set. The graph is basically of the data you see on the screen. Each different value in the right-moused column is graphed for # of records found with that value. At the top left of the graph is # of records found. Each bar has the value it is graphing running vertically up it. At the bottom of each bar is the total # of records found with that value and what percentage of the total that is. NOTE: the printer confirmation window will sometimes hide behind the program screens. If you don't get a confirmation screen, look around for it. You need to OK the print-job to get a printout
OPTION 2
PRINT ALL. This will produce a report of all the fields in the browse that are not hidden for records that are sorted, queried and filtered as you currently have the browse. It will print all records that match the query and filter conditions. You will get a standard preview screen where you can view the print-out on-screen before either printing it or deciding to cancel and not print the report.
OPTION 3
PRINT PAGE. This basically does the same thing as PRINT ALL, except it just shows the records currently visible on the screen.
OPTION 4
EXPORT TO ASCII (C:\temp\xport.csv). Exports all the fields in the browse that are not hidden for records that are sorted, queried and filtered as you currently have the browse. This produces a comma-deliminated file at c:\temp\xport.csv. It will try to open the file (by asking the operating system what to open a .csv file with). For most computers this is Quattro Pro or Excel, but you can adjust your computer to use other software (ask your IS person for help). This allows you to export data into a tool like Excel if you have to do more complex reporting or analysis. WARNING!!!! This program will automatically overwrite xport.csv every time you use this. If you export data that you need to retain or use, you need to make a copy of the data to another place with a new name (use the SAVE AS option in Excel or Quattro Pro).
OPTION 5
EXPORT TO HTML (C:\temp\xport.htm). Exports all the fields in the browse that are not hidden for records that are sorted, queried and filtered as you currently have the browse. This produces an HTML file at c:\temp\xport.csv. It will try to open the file (by asking the operating system what to open an HTML file with). For most computers this is Microsoft Explorer or Netscape Communicator, but you can adjust your computer to use other software (ask your IS person for help). This is handy if you want an electronic copy of data that you can attach to an e-mail and send to people (most anyone with e-mail has a tool that they can open an HTML page with - have them save it onto their hard-drive and double-click on the file and Windows should open it with something). It also can be the basic information for a webpage on a website.
NOTE: The tabs (with the words By.....) that are the primary sorting mechanisms are still in force with regards to any range limits and filters set on them. Thus, you can "borrow" the existing setup of a window. Look for a tab that comes closest to what you want. If you can use a tab to eliminate records you don't want to see, you can save having to add your own filter later. Most tabs use range-limits to eliminate unwanted records. This is much more efficient than a filter and thus, you get a much quicker response from the computer