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How to Use Lists

This is a generic topic designed to educate you on how lists work in Total Office Manager. Almost all records can be found in a list. Lists include Customer:Job, Items, Checks, Bills, Sales, etc. From that list, you can create new records that will appear on the list. Lists make it easy to find the information you are looking for.

We have included a number of fantastic tools that allow you to filter, sort, and search through the various lists in Total Office Manager.  You can create your own sub-lists. We call those Smart Lists. You can create complex searches and save them. We call those User Filters.

The various options that are available depend on the particular lists. The larger the number of records or the more complicated the records, the more features your list is likely to include.

Opening a List

Usage

Most forms have lists that you select various records with. Below is an example from the invoice form. When you click the small arrow (it point down and is always on the right side of the list), a list will display. If the list is empty than there are no records in that list.

Step-By-Step

  1. Open the form that you wish to work in.

  2. Locate the field you wish to populate and click the small arrow on the right side of the list.

  3. Select a record by single clicking on it.

  4. On may lists, you can add a new record to the list by single clicking the <Add New> option at the top of the form.

  5. You may clear your selection by single clicking the blank line that is always at the top of the list.

Adding and Removing Columns

Usage

Certain list, including the customer:job list and work order list, offer the ability to add or remove certain columns from view. Example: You can add or remove the phone number or bill to address.

Step-By-Step

  1. Open the list that you wish to use.

  2. Click the options button at the bottom of the list.

  3. Click Form Preferences.

  4. Select which columns you want included on the list and click the Apply button.

Tips

  • Only the customer:job list, marketing list generator, and work order list have this capability.

  • Total Office Manager will save your changes by user. The next time you open that form, the columns will be the way you want them to be.

Rearranging Columns

Usage

Certain lists, including the customer:job list and work order list, offer the ability to arrange the order the columns appear on the form. Example: You can have the phone number first and the zip code second.

The above image shows the user dragging the header and repositioning it.

Step-By-Step

  1. Open the list that you wish to use.

  2. Point at the column header, press and hold your left mouse key, and drag the column to a new position.

Tips

  • Only the customer:job list and work order list have this feature.

  • Total Office Manager will save your changes by user. The next time you open that form, the column order will be the way you want it.

Auto Locate Record

Usage

Open most forms in Total Office Manager and you can start typing to be taken directly to a record (like a customer or item).

Step-By-Step

  1. Open the list that you wish to use.

  2. Begin typing the first one or two characters of the customer name or item number (whatever the key field is). You will be taking to that record.

Tips

  • Some of the small simple fields may not have this feature including many of the drop down selection fields.

  • If you pause your typing, the auto lookup starts over. In other words, if you type “wil”, pause and then “l”. Total Office Manager will take you to all records starting with “l”.

Filtering Lists

Usage

You select a field (such as Name) to filter by. Optionally you may enter a range such as A to Z or 1 to 10. The list will only display records that meet those criteria.

Field Definitions

Filter By

The selection box allows you to choose a field to filter by. The available records depend on the list that you are using.

From

This is the beginning of the range you wish to filter by. Entry is optional. If you leave it blank, the list will display all records from the beginning to the end you specify.

To

This is the end of the range you wish to filter by. Entry is optional. If you leave it blank, the list will display all records from the beginning you specify to the end.

Step-By-Step

  1. Open the list that you wish to filter. Most lists may be accessed by clicking Company and selecting Lists.

  2. Choose a field from the Filter By selection box.

  3. Optionally you may enter a beginning point to filter by in the “From” field.

  4. Optionally you may enter an end point to filter by in the “To” field.

  5. Click the Apply Filter button to recreate your list.

  6. Click the Remove Filter to view all records with no filters applied.

Tips

  • Your filter preferences will be lost once you close the list form.

Advanced List Filter

Introduction

This topic helps explain the use of the Advanced List Filter feature in Total Office Manager. The Advanced List Filter feature may be found on the Customer:Job form and others.

Usage

This unique filter allows users to narrow down the records that appear in the list. Rather than perform an Advanced Search each time you want to look up a record, this feature makes it fast and easy to locate not only what you are looking for, but records that closely match your criteria.

Form Access

This feature may be found at the top of the Customer:Job for and others. This feature works the same regardless of what form you find it on.

Detailed Explanation of Each Field

Field

A list of available fields that you can filter by.

Condition

Also known as the “operator”, this is condition of the filter.

Value 1

This is the value of the filter

Value 2

This is the full path or location of your database . Important Note: This field is only used when “Between” is used in the Field (noted above). Unless you use “Between”, this field will be grayed out.

And\Or

Allows you to create a second set of filter criteria. For example: You could filter names that start with A and start with C. You may also filter by those who start with A or C.

Apply Filter

Applies the filter that you have entered, and re-populates the list accordingly.

Remove Filter

Removes ALL filters, so that the list is populated with ALL records.

Tips

  • This filter feature has no affect when it comes to displaying inactive records. The only way to include inactive records in your list is to uncheck the Show All check box (usually found at the bottom of the list).

Sorting a List

Introduction

All of the major lists in Total Office Manager allow you to sort their contents. This feature is built into the lists.

Usage

Click the header to sort ascending or descending. An arrow pointing up signifies the list is being sorted from low to high (ascending). An arrow pointing down signifies the list is being sorted from high to low (descending)

Form Access

This capability is included on most Total Office Manager forms.

Step-By-Step

  1. Open the list that you wish to filter . Most lists may be accessed by clicking Company and selecting Lists.

  2. Click the yellow area of the column that you wish to sort your list by. Click again to sort in the opposite manner.

Tips

  • Your sorting preferences will be lost once you close the list form.

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