User's Manual

DPC/TRACK
Users Manual
7-24
Field Status Messages
Most of the time, your fields will contain real data, which you may review, search
for, edit, delete, etc. There are occasions, however, when a field may contain a
system message.
DPC/TRACK is unique amongst database programs in that it recognizes the
difference between blank data (such as multiple Spacebar entries) and no data at
all. The C:Clear value within a field indicates that there is no data whatsoever
within that field. DPC/TRACK’s recognition of the difference between no data at
all and blank data is an important concept that is missing from most database
programs. By default, DPC/TRACK hides these C:Clear messages (because this
concept may be unnecessarily confusing to some users). You may choose to
display the C:Clear messages via the ShowClear variable within the
DPCTRACK.INI file (see Appendix A, “The DPCTRACK.INI File,” for more
information). You may place a C:Clear message within a field by performing a
Ctrl+Bksp key combination while within a field. (Performing another
Ctrl+Bksp key sequence while within the field will return the field’s original
value.) Note that not all fields allow C:Clear as a value; hence you will receive an
appropriate error message should you attempt to place C:Clear within such a field.
If none of this makes sense to you, that’s all right. The concept of C:Clear may be
thought of as an advanced concept.
Certain fields may sometimes display the V:Bad Value message. This message
typically appears when an invalid value has somehow been forced into a field. You
may rid the V:Bad Value message by entering valid data, or by returning the field
to C:Clear, as described above.
In certain cases, a Syntax Error message may also appear within fields. You may
perform a Ctrl+Bksp to return the field to C:Clear, or you may type in a valid
entry to remove the Syntax Error message.
An R:Bad Reference message indicates that the data value for the given field
depends on another database field whose value is undefined or invalid.
An L:Bad Link message means that the data value for a given field depends on a
link between the current database and another database; the link does not exist or
has somehow been broken.