Input Field Properties Window
Use this window to view or edit the properties of an input field (i.e.
a non-calculated field that is extracted by a template). To access this
window, select Input Fields from
the Table Design ribbon.
To view or edit the properties of all
fields, use the Field List window
by selecting Field List from the
Table Design ribbon.
General tab
Field |
Description |
Name |
Accepts
a name for the field. If you have not named a field it is indicated
by the prefix "eg_" and the
sample data from the first record encountered. Field names may
be up to 62 characters in length and may contain uppercase and
lowercase characters, spaces and punctuation except for period
(.), exclamation point (!), accent grave (`) and brackets ([ ]).
Names may begin with any character, except for an underscore or
space. If a name is entered with leading spaces, the name is accepted
but the leading spaces are ignored.
Note
If
you elect to enforce DBF field naming rules, field names must
adhere to the dBASE III field naming convention:
-
Names
may be up to ten characters long and may contain any letter
or number and the underscore character (_).
-
The
first character must be a letter.
-
Spaces
and punctuation are not allowed.
|
Type |
Displays
the field’s type. The drop-down list contains all available field
types: character, date/time, numeric, and memo. Monarch Classic initially
sets the field type according to the data it finds in the field. |
Decimals |
Accepts
a value representing the number of decimal places of accuracy
that will be calculated for a numeric field. (This value is grayed
for character, date, and memo fields.) Note that the data length
value must be large enough to accommodate both the integer portion
and the decimal portion of the largest number that the calculated
field expression is likely to produce. Monarch Classic
rounds all values in the field to accommodate the specified number
of decimal places. |
Format |
Displays
the selected format for the field. The drop-down list contains
all available formats for the field type.
For character
fields, the only format available is General.
For numeric
fields, the formats are:
-
General
-
Thousands
-
Currency
-
Percentage
-
Time
Span
For Date/Time
fields, the formats are:
-
General
-
Short
Date
-
Long
Date
-
Short
Date and Time
-
Long
Data and Time
-
Time
-
Japanese
Date (This format is available only if Fullwidth
Character Mode is On.
Turn Fullwidth Character
Mode on or off from the Language
Tab of the Input Options window )
-
Japanese
Era Date (This format is available only if Fullwidth
Character Mode is On.
Turn Fullwidth Character Mode on or off from Language
Tab of the Input Options window )
For memo
fields, the only format available is General.
For more
information on field formats see Changing
a field's type. |
Display
Width |
The
display width refers to the width of the field (or column) on
screen in the Table window. If the display width of a numeric
field is set to less than the width of the field values, the field
values display as pound signs (####). For character fields and
date fields, field values are truncated on screen. In all cases,
the actual data in the field remains unaffected; the display width
setting affects only the way that the data appears on screen. |
Alignment |
Displays
the current alignment setting of each field. Text fields are by
default left aligned, while numeric fields are right aligned.
Alignment settings carry over to the summary. |
Hidden |
Select
to hide the field from view. Note:
Hidden fields are not available for export or copy operations.
They can be restored (i.e., re-displayed) by un-selecting
this box. |
Template tab
Field |
Description |
Template
Width |
Displays
a field’s template width (the number of characters extracted from
a report). This value is blank for calculated fields and for fields
imported from an external database. You can modify the template
width by clicking on its cell and typing a new value. You should
use caution, however, when changing this value, as it has implications
for how data is extracted from a report. Typically, you would
change this value to adjust the width of a field to match a change
in the structure of a report. For example, when dealing with Y2K,
an IT department might have modified the structure of a report
to accommodate years expressed in four digit format. This change
would cause date fields in a report to grow by two characters,
so you might need to increase the template width to accommodate
this change. |
Verify
(non-calculated fields only) |
Displays,
and allows the specifying of, the current field verification settings.
The selected settings are used when verifying
field boundaries.
-
Left side: Select to verify
the field’s left boundary.
-
Right side: Select to verify
the field’s right boundary.
-
Type: Select to verify the
field’s type.
|
Empty
Cells |
Many
reports are designed so that duplicate field values do not repeat
down the page. When Monarch Classic
extracts the data from the report and builds a database table,
it does not automatically duplicate these values, leaving empty
cells throughout the field.
Copy value from previous record
(non-calculated fields only): Select this option to copy the appropriate
values into the empty cells. |
Redaction |
Select
the redaction method to be used:
-
X-over text: All text characters
are replaced with x. You
can only apply this method to fields of type character.
-
X-over non-blanks: All characters
except blanks are replaced with x. You
can only apply this method to fields of type character.
-
X-over digits: All numeric
characters are replaced by x. You
can only apply this method to fields of type character.
-
X-over digits except last 4:
All numeric characters except the last 4 are replaced by x.
You can only apply this
method to fields of type character.
-
Replace with blanks: All
characters are replaced with blanks. You
can only apply this method to fields of type character.
-
Consistent alias text: Replaces
all instances of a field value with the same set of text characters.
You can only apply
this method to fields of type character.
-
Consistent alias digits:
Replaces all instances of a field value with the same set
of text characters.
-
Pseudo bank card number:
Numeric characters are replaced with random digits, but adjusted
so that the resulting number
has an incorrect Luhn algorithm check digit.
-
Pseudo SSN: Numeric characters
are replaced with random digits, but adjusted so that the
resulting SSN
is not valid.
-
Pseudo NHS Number: Numeric
digits are replaced with random digits, but adjusted so that
the resulting NHS number is not valid.
Refer
to Redacting Field Values
for examples and additional information.
|
Advanced tab
Use the Advanced tab to capture multiple line fields. A multiple line
field may have a fixed number of lines or a variable number of lines.
Select one of the Start Field On options to indicate the location of the
first line of the field, then select one of the End Field On options to
indicate the location of the last line of the field.
Field |
Description |
Start
Field On options: |
Select one of
the following options to indicate where the selected field begins:
-
Line Number:
Select this option to indicate that the first line of the
field begins at an absolute offset from the top of the template.
The line number represented by this setting is determined
by the position of the field highlight in the template sample.
For example, if you highlighted the field on the second line
of the template sample, this option would be represented as
Line Number 2.
-
String
[string] anywhere In Previous
Line: Indicates that the defined field will exist only
if the specified string is found anywhere on the previous
line, so the field will start on the following line from where
the string is found. This option is typically used to assist
in the trapping of HTML data.
-
Preceding
String [string] in
current line: Select this option to indicate
that the first line of the field begins immediately to the
right of a string, such as a label. Enter the string in the
adjacent box. The maximum length of the string is n-1
where n is the column
starting position of the field. For example, if the field
starts in column 15 you may enter a string of up to 14 characters
(i.e., the entire search string must fit to the left of the
field). This option is typically used to locate a field based
upon the presence of a label to its left.
-
After Last
Defined Field in Template: Select this option to indicate
that the first line of the field begins two lines below the
last line of a multiple line field which is also extracted
by the template. This option can be used to capture a field
that falls immediately after a variable line field, in which
case the starting position of the second field may vary relative
to the top of the template but falls at an absolute offset
relative to the end of a variable line field. This option
can be used to capture a multiple line field or a normal [single
line] field. To capture a normal field, select the "Line
Count: 1" End Field On option.
|
End
Field On options: |
Select one of
the following options to indicate the height of the field:
-
Line Count:
Select this option to terminate the field after a fixed number
of lines. This option should be used whenever all instances
of the field have the same number of lines. Use the spin box
to indicate the field's height, in lines.
-
Nonblank Preceding String of n Characters: Select this
option to terminate the field when a line is encountered that
contains a nonblank string
to the left of the field. The maximum length of the string
is n-1 where n is the column starting
position of the field. For example, if the field starts in
column 15 you may specify up to 14 as the length of the nonblank
string (i.e., the entire string must fit to the left of the
field). This option is typically used to terminate a field
based upon the presence of a subsequent field or field label
that appears below and to its left. Note: Use this option
only if the number of lines in each instance of the field
varies. If the field always contains the same number of lines,
use the Line Count option, described above.
-
Blank Field
Values: Select this option to terminate the field when
a blank line or series of blank lines is encountered. It is
important to note that Monarch Classic
does not require the entire line to be blank, only the column
positions occupied by the field. Use the spin box to indicate
the number of blank field values required to terminate the
field. Note: Use this option only if the number of lines in
each instance of the field varies. If the field always contains
the same number of lines, use the Line Count option, described
above.
-
End of
Left Justification: Select this option to terminate
the field when Monarch Classic
encounters a line with a blank in the first column position
of the field or any nonblank character in the column immediately
preceding the field. Either of these conditions indicate that
left justification has ended. This option is useful for capturing
left aligned text blocks. However, if the text block contains
a blank line, such as that found between paragraphs, Monarch Classic will
consider the blank line an end to left justification and will
therefore terminate the field. For multiple paragraph blocks,
use either the Nonblank Preceding String option, the Blank
Fields option or the Trap By Any Other Template option. Note:
Use this option only if the number of lines in each instance
of the field varies. If the field always contains the same
number of lines, use the Line Count option, described above.
-
None of
the Above: Select this option to terminate the field
when Monarch Classic
encounters another template, including another instance of
this template. The field will also be terminated if an HTML
markup line is encountered. Note that a multiple line field
will not terminate if it encounters a Postal line template.
In this case, the Postal line template is ignored and the
multiple line field continues. The Postal line template will
not be affected (the address fields will be extracted both
by the Postal line template and the multiple line field).
Monarch Classic
will also terminate a multiple line field after it extends two
pages. The field will be terminated on the second page where the
page break character (character code 12) is encountered. This
prevents a field from continuing without end if the selected End
Field On action is not appropriate to end the field.
Note: The None Of The Above behavior is always
enforced by Monarch Classic,
even when the None Of The Above option is not selected. Select
this option only when none of the other options would apply.
Using a dummy
template to terminate a multiple line field - If none of
the other End Field On options can be used to terminate a multiple
line field and you don't have an appropriate template already
defined that can be used to terminate the field, consider creating
a dummy template specifically for this purpose. By creating a
template, you have available to you all of Monarch Classic's
sophisticated trapping techniques. |