Use range input for data entry; the Range Input add-in is a simple alternative to Symphony's FORM windows. (Symphony macros) (includes related information on Range names) (technical)

USE RANGE INPUT FOR DATA ENTRY

Entering data is an unavoidable annoyance when you work with Symphony. Sometimes it's easiest to work in a SHEET window and enter data directly into the worksheet. For bigger jobs you might generate a data-entry form in a FORM window.

The worksheet provides almost limitless work space, but it provides no guidance or structure in the data-entry process. The FORM window is sometimes bothersome to work in, and there's a practical limit to how many entry blanks you can fit in one window. A third option offers a compromise between working in a SHEET window versus working in a FORM window: the Range Input add-in.

The Range Input add-in provides a tool by which you can lock the cell pointer into a specified range. Once you activate the command, the cell pointer will move only to unprotected cells within that range. Labels in cells adjacent to the unprotected cells can identify what information you should enter into the worksheet. Using this tool, you can create large and elaborate data-entry forms, limited only by the size of the worksheet, the amount of RAM in your computer, and your ambition.

UP AND RUNNING

This discussion assumes that you've already acquired a copy of the Range Input file, INPUT.APP, and copied it to the directory that contains your Symphony program files (see the box on page 31). If you're running Symphony …