Data fields

Data items on each data form are displayed in fields, generally with related fields organised into groups or tables. You can select a field with the mouse, or use the keyboard to navigate around the form. TAB moves from group to group, and the arrow keys move across the fields in a group.

The following types of fields are used:

Text

A general string of text, used for example for titles and comments.

Name

Each object is given a name, which you can edit. Object names must be unique – you cannot have two objects with the same name.

Numeric

Numbers can be entered in a number of formats such as 3, 3.0, 0.3, .3 or 3.0e6 or 3.0E6. It is possible to enter more digits than are displayed. The exact value that you enter is used in calculations, even if it is truncated for the purpose of display. If the value has been truncated for display, then you can hover the mouse over the value and view the full precision value in the popup hint.

For some numeric data items the values "~" and/or infinity are permitted. Their meaning is data item specific.

Spin buttons

These are small buttons with up and down arrows, used for incrementing and decrementing the associated field (such as the number of entries in a table).

Check boxes

These show a tick, meaning selected, or are blank, meaning not selected.

Colour selection

These show as a block of colour. If you edit a colour field a colour selection dialog is opened.

List boxes

These allow you to choose from a list of pre-determined values. You are only permitted to use the values that are included in the drop-down list