Creating Sort Sequence
Accountants Enterprise only
If you select the User defined sequence option, the Create Sort Sequence window displays for the purpose of defining a sort sequence.
Sequence code: A ten (10) character alphanumeric field, enter a code to index the sort sequence that you are about to create, for example, AREA. If you wish to retrieve a sort sequence that you have already created, click [F10] to list the Sequences available for selection. This is a list of all the sort sequences you have created; to select an option, tab to the preferred option and click [Enter] or Select. You will then be returned to the Create Sort Sequence window. Click [Enter] again to move to the next field and the details of the sort sequence will default to all the fields in the Create Sort Sequence window.
If you are adding a new sequence, a query will display asking you if you wish to create a new sequence. Click Yes to continue and enter a Sequence Code and Description.
If you do not want to use an existing sequence or create a new one for future use, do not type anything into the sequence code field and the sequence used to print the report will not be stored. Click [Enter] to continue.
Name Selection
There are two choices, Primary and Alternate, referring to the code of the Contacts that have been added to Central Database. Select one of these to determine whether you wish to sequence Contacts according to their primary or alternate code. The default is Primary, that is, Contacts will be sorted according to their main code.
From, To and Mask: These three fields consist of ten alphanumeric characters each. You may nominate the range of Contacts to be selected in this sort sequence. The default is from first to last and to accept these, click [Enter] over each of the fields.
At the Mask field, you may nominate to sort only a particular group of Contacts. For example, if you enter the characters [C*], then only those Contacts beginning with C will be included in the sort sequence.
Include Types
These checkboxes determine the Contact types that you will include in this sort sequence. The default option includes all Contact types. If you do not wish to include all Contact types, de-select the checkboxes which correspond to the Contact types you wish to exclude, for example, creditors, prospects by clicking [Alt+highlighted letter] or just select on the checkbox and the tick will be removed.
Sequence Fields
These fields allow you to input up to five levels of sorting criteria. These levels of sorting may be viewed as five filters for sorting Contacts. This is where you nominate to sort the Contacts using specific sort view values which you have attached to Contacts.
Using: At this field enter the sort view that you wish to use. Click [F10] to display the sort view entries available for selection. Click [F9] to display an example of fields that can be sorted.
At the next two fields, the From - To fields, nominate the range for the sort view that you have entered. For example, if you entered AREA in the Using field, click [Enter] twice to accept the defaults which are ‘First’ to ‘Last’. This means that all Contacts with the sort view AREA will print regardless of the sort view value. Alternatively, by entering From 2000 to 2000, Contacts with a value of 2000 for AREA will print.
At the Mask field, if you have selected from first to last in the From - To fields, you may nominate to sort only a particular group of Contacts. For example, if you want to report on all Contacts in your database who's date of commencement is in 1994, you could use this syntax:
@FLD=D120 From first To last Mask ??-??-94
This means that only Contacts with 94 in the year part of the date of commencement will print regardless of the day and month.
If you want to report on all Contacts in your database with an AREA code beginning with 2, you could use this syntax:
AREA From First To last Mask 2*
Masking Rules
Use ? to replace 1 character
Use * to replace all characters
Must have: At this field, answer [Y] so that the Contacts retrieved from your database must have the sort view attributes that you nominated. For example, if you nominated AREA at the Using field, with a range of 2000 to 2065, by selecting Yes at Must have, then only those Contacts that have sort view values within 2000 to 2065 will print.
If you answer [N], then the sort sequence will include all the Contacts you nominated to sort in the selections above. When you print the sort sequence results, all those Contacts NOT possessing the sort view which you selected will be listed first, followed by all the Contacts that do have the sort view attached in numeric and/or alphabetic order. For example, this option could be used for reviewing who has or does not have an area attached.
The 'Must have' option is not accessible if you are reporting on a field rather than a sort view as it is not applicable. All Contacts in your database will have all the relevant fields attached to them regardless of whether an actual value has been entered. You may enter up to five levels of sorting criteria. If you enter less than five levels, click [F6] or [Alt+O] to continue.
The next window that displays is the Output Device window. Select an output device (screen, printer or disk file) and the detailed listing is printed according to the sort sequence that you created.