Completing Form Fields

Notes forms contain several types of fields. Some are automatically filled in and others are fields in which you enter information. Notes fields in which you enter data are easily identified because they are the white boxesusually to the right or below the text that describes the fieldwhere you type in information, as you have seen in the subject of a Mail Memo form.

The following list describes the common field types you find in Notes database forms. Not all forms contain all of these elements.

• Text Fields Fields in which you can enter words and sentences, usually titles or topics. You cannot format text in a text field. The Subject in a Mail Memo is a text field.

• Rich Text Fields Fields in which you can enter text, import text, import graphics such as GIF or JPEG files, and attach files. The body of the Mail Memo is a rich text field. You can apply both text and paragraph formatting in rich text fields.

• List Fields Fields in which you select choices from a list. The Title field on the New Contact form in your address book is a list field. Depending on the database design, you might be able to enter or even add your own list items.

• Date/Time Fields Very often, these fields are automatically filled by Notes, using your computer's clock. Most time fields display hour and minute, while most date fields display month, date, and year. In the Calendar Appointment Entry form there is a date field and a time field for Starts and Ends.

• Number Fields Fields that can contain only numbers, such as currency or quantities. You will get an error if you enter text in a number field. A number field might be the quantity you enter in an order form.

To enter information into a field, click inside of the field and begin typing. To move from field to field on a form, press the Tab key.

Most fields within the mail database are not fixed-length fields; they grow in size as you type information into them. In some cases, a database designer can make a field fixed-length to keep the integrity of the data consistent. For example, he might design the area code field to accept only three characters.

For the most part, information that you place in Notes fields can be copied, moved, or deleted as you would in any word processor. However, as stated above, the ability to format text and paragraphs in a field is reserved for rich text fields.