136. Enter Data in List View  BEFORE YOU BEGIN 135 Create a Database
 SEE ALSO 139 Enter Data Using a Form
After creating a table in Base, you can enter data into it in one of two ways. For a table that contains simple data, you can enter information in List view. List view looks remarkably like a Calc sheet, as described in 38 About Sheets and Spreadsheets . In List view, the fields in your table are displayed in individual columns ; as you add records to the table, each record is displayed in its own row. The other method you can use to enter data into a table is to use a form, as described in 139 Enter Data Using a Form .  NOTE You might want to enter data into a table using a form. Some tables contain a lot of fields that will be easier to view or arrange in a logical order when they appear on a form. A form also lets you select repetitious data from a list that's linked to a simple table of values you create beforehand.
| 1. | Click Tables
To add data to a table, you must first open the table. Click the Tables icon in the Database pane. A list of tables in the current database appears on the right side of the Base window.
| | 2. | Double-Click Table
In the Tables list, double-click the table you want to add data to. The table is opened in List view, ready for you to add data. On the Navigation toolbar at the bottom of the screen, the current record number is displayed, along with a total of the records in the table.
| | 3. | Enter Data in Record The first empty row in the table is marked with a yellow asterisk on the left. The current row is marked with a green pencil icon on the left. If needed, click in the first field (column) of the first empty row (record). 136. Enter Data in List View  If the first field in this empty row is an auto value , skip it by pressing Tab . Type data for the field, and then press Tab to move to the next field. Continue to press Tab and enter data into each field in the record (row). KEY TERM Auto Value A field in a table that's automatically filled in a value that increases with each new record. Typically, the primary key is set up as an auto value. NOTES You can skip any fields that do not apply to the current record by pressing Tab to bypass them. If you need to make changes to an existing record, click in the appropriate field (the Edit Data button on the Table Data View toolbar is now enabled, indicating that you can now make changes), and then make your changes directly to the field. To remove a record from the table, right-click at the beginning of that row and choose Delete Rows from the context menu that appears. | | 4. | Press Tab to Begin New Record
To begin a new record, press Tab . The cursor moves down one row to the first field in the next row. Repeat step 3 to enter data into each field in the record and to add all the records you want into the table.
| | 5. | Close and Save the Table
When you're done entering and editing table data, choose File, Close from the menu. A table is saved each time a record is completed (each time you press Tab to move to a new record/row), so most likely when you close your table, you won't have to save it. If you're prompted to save, click Yes. The table is saved and you're returned to the Base main window.
| |
