On the Field Editing menu, select option 2 - Format flags.
Modify the format flags using the dialog that appears.For a Y-type (boolean) field, you can modify the 'yes' and 'no' words used for the field. Select the field on the field list and select option 3 - Yes/no words.
The format flag questions vary depending on the data type of the field. They are explained in the following table:
| Option | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Numbers | DP4 provides a default format for each data type. To override the default, select one of the formats (right justified, left justified, asterisk-padded, zero padded) |
| Cash till input | Numbers | Select this option to specify that numbers are entered as on cash registers. For example, 1.00 is entered as 100 and 0.01 is entered as 1 |
| Separate thousands | Numbers | Set this option to 'Yes' to display thousands with commas between groups of 3 digits. For example, 1000 would appear as 1,000 |
| Blank if zero | Numbers | Set this option to suppress the display of a 0 value |
| Blank leading zeroes | Numbers | Answer 'Yes' to suppress the display of a leading zero. For example, .12 instead of the default 0.12 |
| Trailing sign | Numbers | Answer 'Yes' to place the minus sign to the right of the number. For example, 10- instead of the default -10 |
| In parentheses | Numbers | Answer 'Yes' to put negative values in parentheses. For example, (0.37) instead of the default -0.37 |
| Overtype mode | Char | Answer 'Yes' for text entry in overtype mode. By default this option is set to 'No', to clear the existing text as soon as the user presses a key (unless the user presses a cursor key first) |
| Start with capital | Char | Enable this option to convert the first letter of the field to upper case automatically. This is convenient when typing in names |
|
Show seconds Show hundredths |
Time | Set these options to determine how a time field is displayed |
| Year in full | Date | Enable this flag to output the year in full. For example, '1995' instead of '95' |
| Month name | Date | Enable this flag to output the month name. For example, 'Aug' instead of '08' |
| Month first | Date | Enable this flag to output the month first. For example, 'Apr 27 1995' |
| Year first | Date | Enable this flag to output the year first. For example, '2000 Dec 25' |
| Remove separator | Date, Time | Enable this flag to force dates to be input, printed or displayed without any separator characters. For example, '25Dec94' or '0912' |
| Force this format | Date, Time | Only applicable when no format flags, such as 'Year in full', 'Show seconds' and so on are enabled. If you enable this option, dates are displayed as <dd> <mm> <yy> and times as <HH>:<MM> |
|
Function keys Page up/Ins/Del Auto enter/Forbid null |
All | These options are not used in MAKEDB. They are shown because the 4.5xx MAPEDIT program uses the same dialogs to set the format of map fields and the flags are valid there. |
| Unit name | Numbers | Select a Unit symbol from the unit table (described in Adding Numerical Units ). The unit is displayed within the existing field length, before and/or after the number. You should, therefore, increase the field length to accommodate the symbols. Specifying a unit here is more flexible than including the symbol in maps, because it allows you to change unit definitions in one place without editing your maps. It also allows leading symbols to appear immediately before numbers, for example "£100", and trailing symbols to appear immediately after numbers, for example "100$" |
| Check box field | Y | Select this option if you want the field to take its input from a check box. You can toggle the check box with the <Space> key or by clicking the mouse |
| Yes/no words | Y | Select this option to override the Yes/no words that are used to respond to the boolean field. For example, 'Pos' and 'Neg' rather than 'Yes' and 'No' |
Complete the changes and press <Esc> several times to return to the DP4 System Main menu