Table Form Layout

New data storage tables are defined from the NEW button on the My Data area of the home or Nodal Display section of the Metamation screen. Once the basic properties of the table have been defined, you can then define the columns (fields or content) which can be stored in the table.

At the bottom of the table column definition screen, there is a button to set the Display Layout. This allows the defined columns to be sorted and laid out for display of the table data in a form view.

The Display Layout will display a window showing all of the defined columns of information. Against each prompt, the group (screen section) and the prompt order can be defined as follows:

Screen Sections
The prompts can optionally be divided into sections of the form screen if required. This will effectively break the entry or display form screen into more readable sections, say, header and detail sections. Against each prompt, there is a drop down list of the section the prompt belongs in.

Initially, this section list will be empty, but new sections can be added to the table using the new section icon. When used, a pop-up box will allow a new section to be defined, and against the display group, an order number. Sections will be shown on the form in the numerical order specified (1 at the top, then section 2, etc).

As prompts are divided into screen sections, so the group name and group number will be listed.

Any prompts not defined in a section will be automatically displayed in a blank section at the end of the defined form. If no prompts are put into sections, then the form will just be one form with no sections but all prompts shown.

Prompt Order
Within the sections, each prompt can be specified into an order by enter of a numerical sort order. When the form is displayed, the prompts will be shown on screen in section order, and then in order of the prompt order number. If no prompt order is specified, the prompts will be shown in the order they were defined.

At the base of the screen, the Display Layout will give you a view of how your defined form will look. In order for the layout to reflect your changes, you must first save the changes.