CCS ALPHA SEARCH

Computers like numbers; people like names. In an effort to appease both parties, CCS Accounting provides a very flexible method for locating a specific record using either numbers or names. The process is identical for EMPLOYEES, COMPANIES, JOBS, CLIENTS, CLASSES, CRAFTS, or, in short, any entity in any module that is assigned an identifying code. Here is how it works:

Numeric Search: If you know the number assigned to an entity, simply type that number in the requisite field. If, for example, you know that the Employee whose record you want is assigned the number 44604, simply type that into the Employee# field of the Employee Form and press <Enter> or <Tab>. The program will locate the requested Employee record and display it to screen.

NOTE: If you enter a non-existing number, the program will tell you so and offer to create a new record using the number you entered.

Alpha Search: If you do not know the number assigned to an entity, but you know its name, you can type the beginning of the name in the field that displays the number. Using Employees as an example, if you do not know the number assigned to a specific employee, but you know his or her name, type the beginning of the name in the Employee# field. If the employee's name is Stewart, Oliver P., you could type, "ste", for example, in the Employee# field. The program will know that you typed letters where numbers are normally required, so it will automatically launch an alpha search and pop up a window, shown below, listing all employees whose last names begin with "ste".

(NOTE: The quotations are not necessary for search.)

(NOTE: The search is not case sensitive. "STE" or "ste" will produce the same results.)

(NOTE: The Wild cards * and ? (* matches one or more characters, ? matches one character only) can be used in the search text.)

In the above example, you would point to the desired record, either via keyboard or mouse, and press <Enter> (or click on OK).

If you had typed only "s" or "S" in the Employee # field, you would see a list of all employees whose last name begins with an "S":

To summarize, any field that contains a number assigned to an entity in CCS Accounting is intelligent enough to know whether you want to find a member via a numeric search or via an alphabetical search. A numeric search takes you to a specific record. An alpha search takes you to a list of qualifying entities so that you can select the specific record.

Alpha-Numeric Codes: Let's imagine that you want to create JOBS, and you want to assign alpha codes to them instead of numeric ones. Let's say that the job was for Mr. Smith, so you want to label the job "SMI." However, as soon as you input "SMI" into the Job Code field, the program thinks you want an alpha search for jobs whose names begin with "SMI." Rather than create an SMI Job, it will either pop up a window that shows all Jobs whose names begin with "SMI" or it will inform you that there are no Jobs beginning with "SMI." It will not offer to create such a Job because it thinks you are alpha searching. There are two solutions:

1. Begin all Job Numbers with a zero. Using the previous example, you would create a Job Number of "0SM". Since a zero is not an alpha character, the program would launch a numeric search, not find such a job, and offer to create one.

2. Turn off the Alpha Search capability for the Job Number field. This is accomplished by right-clicking on the Job Number field and selecting Validation from the pop-up menu. The validation window for Jobs appears, as shown below:

Tab to the Parent field (highlighted above), erase the contents, and save your work. Once this task is accomplished, you will only be able to locate a job by entering in its exact "Number." However, you will now be able to create Job Number "SMI." If you decide later on that you want re-enable alpha searching, repeat the above process, select JOB_ALPHA_SEARCH from the Parent drop-down combo box, and save your work.