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Palm OS Freeware Projects

 v1.5 user manual

Tutorial

The database list form

Opening a Database
When launching db2go for the first time the database list form appears as first form. A database can be selected by tapping on its name. The status of the button bar at the top determines the action performed on the database. By default the selected database will be opened.
So, tap on Wine to open the sample database.

The object list form

Opening an object
The object list form opens and shows a list of all objects (records) of the database. There are different types of objects in the wine database (like Country, Region, Winery) which are displayed in the first column. Tap on an object to open it. Let‘s take Region Napa valley for the following explanations.

The object form

Editing an object
A form opens that lets you see and edit the fields of the object. The first two lines show the name of the key field of the object (Region) and its entry (Napa valley).

The following two lines are the first lines of a note that can take arbitrary text input. You can see and edit the whole note by tapping on the note symbol on the right. Following is a list of fields. Only six fields are displayed. However, the object can have up to 16. The list can be scrolled with the arrow buttons .

Only the first three fields are used in this object. They give information about where Napa valley is located and name two of the main grape varieties of the region.

Remark: actually the first field of an object is the key field which defines the type of the object (here: Region). So, the following fields in this object (Country ,Varietal, Varietal) are the no. 2, 3 and 4 in the field list of the object.

Adding a field
Let us add a second important varietal of the region to the object: tap on the left of the first empty field line. A list pops up with all fields defined so far for this database. Select Varietal. Then tap on the right to get a popup list with all entry items defined so far for this field. Select Chardonnay. Tap to save the changes made to the object and to return to the object list.

Creating a new field
We will now create a new field that provides a rating of wines and wineries. Let’s use a rating of one to five stars for example.

A new field can only be created within the object form, so open an object that can be rated, e.g. that of the Winery Gallo. To add a new field enter the fields name and entry into one of the empty lines. E.g. enter Rating as field name and * * as value.

So far this field can not be used in other objects (It’s a local field, see section The Field Concept). To make it available to all objects set the focus on the field name (by tapping on it) and then tap the button. The form that opens now will be explained in the reference guide (see Creating a global field), just tap ok here. The dashed line below the field name vanishes indicating that it is now a global field that can be used in all objects of the database by just picking it from a popup list.

Item lists
Each global field owns a list that can be filled with commonly used entry items. After creating a new global field its list is empty. To add an item to the list set the focus to the entry and tap . So, to add the * * value to the Rating list tap on * * and then on . Again the dashed line vanishes indicating that the entry is taken from a list. Tap to save the changes made to the object and to return to the object list.