Adding Information to a Spreadsheet Database


Quattro Pro provides you with two ways to enter information into a spreadsheet database:

  • You can enter information manually

  • You can use a data form

The major difference between a spreadsheet database and any other spreadsheet is that databases don't contain headings in column A. Before you enter any of your database records, you should type the field names into row 1. Each field name should be unique; for example, if you want to set up two fields for two lines of an address, don't name both fields "Address." Instead, name one "Address 1" and the other "Address 2." Although field titles can be multiple words, make sure that you don't have any blank spaces before or after the field title.

The following are some rules you should know about spreadsheet databases:

  • The records in a database should appear in contiguous rows; don't leave any rows blank. The first record in the database should appear immediately below the row containing the field titles.

  • A single database cannot expand beyond one sheet in a notebook.

  • The shape of the spreadsheet database is rectangular. If you don't have data for some of the fields in a record, leave blank cells for the fields.

  • The information in a single column should be either text or values, but not both (an address, such as 1234 Main Street, is text in Quattro Pro). If, in a particular field, you find that you need to fill in values for one record and text for another, you probably need to create two separate fields for the data.

Adding Records Manually

Adding records to a Quattro Pro database is as easy as adding any information to any Quattro Pro spreadsheet. Simply type the information for each database entry on a single row, making sure that you type the proper information for the entry into the proper column (see Figure 12.2).

Figure 12.2. Type the information for each database entry on a single row of the spreadsheet database.


Tip

If you don't have the information for a particular field, leave that field blank.


Using a Data Form to Add Records

If you prefer, you can easily use a data form to enter information into the spreadsheet database. The data form window, shown in Figure 12.3, simply prompts you, on a field by field basis, for the information needed for each record.

Figure 12.3. A data form prompts you for each field of the record you are entering.


To use the data form window to add records to a database, follow these steps:

1.

Select the cells containing the field names in row 1 and the cells below it in row 2 (see Figure 12.4).

Figure 12.4. Select the cells containing the field names and the cells immediately below the field names.


2.

Open the Tools menu, point to Data Tools, and click Form. Quattro Pro displays the Database Form dialog box shown in Figure 12.5.

Figure 12.5. Use this dialog box to confirm that you selected the first two rows of the spreadsheet database.


Tip

You don't need to select all the cells in rows 1 and 2; you can select one cell in each row, and Quattro Pro will do the rest for you.

3.

Confirm that the selection contains at least the cells in row 1 that contain field names and the cells in row 2 below the field names.

4.

Click OK. Quattro Pro displays the data form window shown previously in Figure 12.3.

5.

Click the New button to display a blank data form window and fill in the blanks with the information for the new record.

6.

Repeat step 5 to add more records; when you finish adding records, click Close.




Absolute Beginner's Guide to Quattro Pro X3
Absolute Beginners Guide to Quattro Pro X3
ISBN: 0789734265
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 128
Authors: Elaine Marmel

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