Entering Data

Oracle Clinical enables you to enter data in the following ways: by typing characters in the field; by selecting from a list of valid values; or by copying objects stored in the database. Determine data types and formats appropriate to each field in each module by checking field help.

For more information, see:

• Check Boxes
  
• Case Sensitivity
  
• Using Long Fields
  
• List of Values
  

Check Boxes

Some forms contain check boxes, which are fields that require YES or NO answers. A YES answer is equivalent to a checked box, while a NO answer is equivalent to a blank, or clear box.

To answer YES, navigate to the check box, and either click the box with the mouse, or press the space bar. A check appears in the check box. Another click, or pressing the space bar twice, removes the check, leaving the box in the cleared, or NO, state.

Case Sensitivity

For many alphabetic fields, such as name, you can type in all lowercase letters, but the characters appear on the window in uppercase, and the data is saved to the database as uppercase. Other fields, such as comments, are case sensitive, and are saved to the database with the input exactly as you type it.

Using Long Fields

Some fields accept more characters than are displayed on the form. For example, the Comments field may display only 80 characters, but it has the capacity to contain up to 200 characters.

There are two ways to enter or view text in a field that is longer than the display: typing into the field directly, or using the field editor pop-up window (see the section Using the Editor Window). When you type in text directly, to view the text, scroll through it, using the left and right arrow keys.

List of Values

For some data fields in the system, a list of values (LOV) contains all the valid entries for that field. When you move into one of these fields, List of Values appears on the status line at the bottom of the window. Select [List] to view the list of valid values for the field. The list of values pop-up window appears.

To enter a value into a field from a list of values, follow these steps:

1. Select [List] to display the list of values.
2. Move the cursor to the value you want, either by clicking on the selection, or by moving to the selection with the up and down arrows.
3. Choose one of these methods to enter that value in the field you want:
   • select [OK]
   • type a carriage return
   • double-click on the selection

You can sometimes limit the listing by entering a character string, which serves as selection criteria, in the Find field of the list of values pop-up box. Oracle Clinical then displays only the items that meet these criteria. To use a wildcard in this box, first place your cursor in the field and type a search pattern, using the percent sign (%) to represent any number of characters. Then select [Find] or type a carriage return. In response, Oracle Clinical displays matching values from which you can make a single selection for your current field.