I know that you understand that queries allow you to load the exact items you want onto grids. Through Query dialogs, you can determine exactly what criteria are needed to access exactly what you need to load onto your grid.

And I know you are aware that the Lists function allows you to load items onto a grid from a text file.

But did you know that you can combine Queries into the header of a list? This gives you the power to run a query "automatically" against the list as the list is loaded, saving a lot of time and money.

So let's take a look at a real world example.  This month we were asked by a customer how, using a list of container codes in a text file, could he load all barcoded filefolders onto a grid that are in these containers?
 

All he needed to do was to take the text file and add the following line to the top with the list of container codes underneath:

Query: Filefolder^ContainerCode = ?1
"containercode1"
"containercode2"
"containercode3"
"etc"
 

When he loads the list, the query is activated and each line gets translated into the following queries:

Filefolder^ContainerCode = containercode1

Filefolder^ContainerCode = containercode2

Filefolder^ContainerCode = containercode2

etc..

September 2006 - Backup Wizard & Reminder

The Backup Reminder and the Backup and Maintenance Wizard are programs that are included on your RS-SQL CD.

The Backup and Maintenance Wizard program allows you to set up automatic backups of your RS-SQL database and transaction log.

The Backup Reminder is a reporting tool that tells you when backups were run, where they are stored, and whether they have been transferred to tape.  This utility will also ensure you backup all the files required to restore your database.

The Backup and Maintenance Wizard creates and schedules jobs to perform two types of backup: Complete Database and Transaction Log. The complete database backup is a full copy of the database. This provides the foundation for database recovery in the event of any loss. It is often performed once a day for small to medium size record centers. Transaction log backups contain all transactions that have occurred since the last transaction log backup was performed.

In SQL Server, a transaction log grows indefinitely until a transaction log backup is performed. Transaction log backups are much smaller than complete database backups, and can be performed much more often, with minimal impact on your system's performance. If transaction log backups are available after a loss, the database becomes recoverable right up to the time of the last transaction log backup, which may have only been a few minutes before the crash.

A typical restore scenario would start with a complete database restore, followed by restore of each transaction log backup made after the complete backup was made. You can see that this eliminates much of the need for re-entry of information.

When the Backup and Maintenance Wizard creates a complete database backup, two SQL Server Maintenance Plans are generated: one for the RS-SQL database and one for the Master and MSDB system databases.

NOTE: We strongly recommend that you read and understand the Database Backup and Maintenance chapter. By understanding the information in the chapter, you will be in a much better position to protect your data and your business. No simple backup utility can substitute for the knowledge you will gain by understanding this material well.

August 2006 - Do You Use Lists? Don't overlook this great feature...

The Lists function in RS-SQL allows you to load items onto a grid and save them. Sounds easy, so how can this help you? Well, have you ever loaded a large number of records to a grid after running a complex query only to find you need to leave them for now and come back to complete the work later? Well, you can save the query result as a list and reload them instantly at any time.

You may also load a list from a file sent in by a customer or you may want to compare two lists and see all matching items or all items that don’t match. Each grid where Lists is available shows a menu item called List. The options in this menu are: Load, Save, Load from File, Save to File, Load Similarities, Load Differences, and Exceptions.

Some examples of Using Lists:
Create a list of all containers picked up from one customer in a day. Save it and compare it to a list of containers scanned onto shelves for that customer on the same day. Load the differences to ensure that they were all put away and charged for.

Your customer gives you an ASCII list of containers that you are to pick up. Compare it to the list of containers that you actually did pick up that day and load the differences. You can work out any variances with your customers right away.

Create a list of containers to be destroyed this month for a customer, then compare it to a list of their containers that had activity the previous month. Load the Similarities from both lists and let the customer know that those containers are still active.
 

July 2006 - Enhancements to Authorized Lists available in RS-SQL Version 3.0

RS-SQL has offered the control of authorized lists for many years.  In this latest version you now have even greater control.  Two new options have been added per authorized user: Inactive and Notes

The Inactive field is used to determine if an authorized person is no longer active. If the Inactive field is set to Yes for an authorized person, when that person is selected while creating a workorder, the following message appears.

Notes can be added for an authorized person. When creating a workorder, if you select an authorized person for which notes exist, the notes display.

The following are some examples of the type of notes that you might find useful:

·         Which services the person is authorized to request

·         Which priorities the person is authorized to request

·         Contact information such as phone number, e-mail address.

June 2006 - Using Long Descriptions? Here's 10 things you may not know...

RS-SQL offers you the option of entering free text to describe each record. Your customers will define what descriptions are to be entered, and this information can be searched on later to help you find it.

Each item in the system can be given a unique description. When you click this button, the Description dialog box appears and you can type in whatever would best describe this record. But did you know:

1. Keywords can be added and removed using the toolbar buttons, or the Add and Delete buttons. Existing keywords can also be edited using the Edit button.
 

2. Keywords are shown in boldface within the text.
 

3. Lines that exceed the line limit for descriptions are shown in red. If the user tries to save with a line that exceeds the line limit, a message is displayed and the cursor is placed on the offending line.
 

4. The keyword list includes a count of the number of times the keyword appears within the text.
 

5. Keywords do not have to appear in the text. These keywords are added using the Add button. Keywords that do not appear in the text have a zero match count in the keyword list.
 

6. You can turn off highlighting of keywords with the check box in the lower left-hand corner of the window.
 

7. Search and replace is available from the toolbar and the menu.
 

8. There are an unlimited number of undos and redos. Undo and redo are available from the toolbar, menu, or with CTRL-Z and CTRL-Y.
 

9. The text that is part of one line but wraps because it hits the end of the window can be distinguished by the hanging indent.
 

10. The current line being edited and the total number of lines are displayed in the lower right hand side of the window.

Ok.. I couldnt resist sneaking in number 11:  The Description dialog box also supports embedded URL or Email references. For example, if the text www.oneilsoft.com is entered, it will become blue and underlined. Clicking on the reference will attempt to open a browser. The same is true of email references, so clicking on mailto:ian.thomas@oneilsoft.com will attempt to invoke an email program with the To: field filled in automatically.

May 2006 - Time Saving Tricks...

Unfortunately, we can't necessarily make all your time management better but we do try to make time easier to use. In RS-SQL's data entry screens have you noticed that only valid time characters are allowed to be entered?  Well we also have some other tricks up our sleeve to help you enter times:

You can enter the time in 12 or 24 hour format regardless of the regional setting entered in your PC Control Panel.

If you entering 12 by itself we assume PM.

"AM" is ignored except when entering 12 because of the assumption above.

Only "A" or "P" are needed to indicate AM or PM.

You can always use a colon or a period for the separator in addition to the standard time separator

After exiting the control the time will be checked and displayed in regional format if correct. If not correct, the text in the control will turn to red

You can use the plus sign to indicate PM or the minus sign to indicate AM. This makes it so you can enter the time just using the numeric keypad

...and finally, <F3> enters the current time.

Some Examples:

Enter "12" is the same as "12:00PM"

Entering "12a" is the same as entering "blank" (we treat blank as midnight).

Entering "1" is the same as "1:00AM"

Entering "1.00P" is the same as "1:00PM"

Entering "100P" is the same as "1:00PM"

Entering "1300" is the same as "1:00PM"
 

April 2006 - Using the Right-Mouse Click

Are you still dragging your mouse down to the bottom of the screen every time you want to click a button?  Several sites I visited lately are all doing this and were surprised when told about the right-mouse click. Available since 2002, in order to get a menu simply leave your mouse on the row you have selected and click the right mouse button.  A menu will pop out that has all the same options as the buttons at the bottom.  Give a try...

March 2006 - Workorder Edit Function Access

Have you ever wanted to ensure that a workorder cannot be edited after it has been printed or sent to a picklist?  Here's how you can "lock" your workorders using a function access that has been added to allow unlimited workorder edits. Be aware that, by default, function access is set to Yes. This means the new feature limiting workorder edit capabilities will not be enabled until function access is set to No for a user.  So how does it work?

Once a workorder is printed, a picklist is printed, or a picklist is sent to a PDT, the following function access areas are limited if function access is set to No:

· Print and Picklist status boxes in the workorder are not editable. Note: Reprint or resend/reprint of picklist is allowed and date/time stamps for these actions are updated accordingly.
· Items cannot be added to, deleted from, or edited on the workorder.
· Workorder priority and required by date/time cannot be modified.
· Workorder override cannot be modified.
· Web orders containing itemized containers, filefolders, or tapes cannot be posted to the workorder.
· Scheduled items cannot be converted onto the workorder.

February 2006 - Retention Schedules ensure Regulatory Compliance.

You know all about the need to ensure records are disposed on-time and to an agreed schedule but are you aware that you can help your customers by setting up their schedules on RS-SQL.  That's right, you can help your customers by creating a base records retention scheme, then work with each of them to allocate their disposition time frames for each document type, and then set them up on RS-SQL so their records meet the schedule. So how do you do this?

First create a Record Series, which is a Group of identical or related records that are normally used and filed as a unit. Records Series may break down and be categorized along such lines as legal, payroll, personnel, and contract depending on the environment. A record series can be assigned to any item (container, filefolder, or tape) in the RS-SQL database.

Next, provide the record series to your customer and get them to complete the Retention Information. This is simply the details that describe the retention policies for a record series for a particular account and object type. Perhaps the most important information identifies the length of time items of a record series must be retained in active or inactive status before final disposition.

You can even add Legal Citations that cites or describes the laws, regulations, code, or rules that justify the retention policy. The retention information for a record series may reference one or more legal citations.

And finally the Disposition, which is a descriptive term from a controlled list that describes how a record series is to be handled at the end of its retention period. Typical values may be Shred, Incinerate, Recycle or Transfer Ownership.

Now all your customer needs to do is to include the Record Series Code along with the transmittal information and RS-SQL will automatically calculate the correct disposition date.

January 2006 - The New Enhanced Priority Services Features gives you Total Control over agreed service levels.

You know the scenario:  For one customer you offer a one-hour delivery (only during the week) but for another customer, who is further away you can't.  To ensure your Customer Service Rep doesn't select the wrong service you use Customer Service Notes but this isn't ideal. Mistakes can happen.  You think to yourself: Wouldn't it be great if RS-SQL automatically calculated the required by Date & Time and only allowed services to be selected when available.   Great News - Now it Can !!

The Enhanced Priority Services feature in Version 2.09 allows the Required By date to automatically be calculated for priority services when creating workorders or web orders.  In order to use this feature, you must set up the company holidays and business hours for your record center.

Next, you set up each of your Enhanced Priority Services, such as a 1 Hour Rush. The options you have include:

• You can select whether this service applies to all accounts or to an individual account.
• You can specify the time range and how the Req'd-by Date/Time should be calculated.
• You can specify the days of the week that the calculation is to be done.
• You can specify whether you want to calculate the Req'd-by Date/Time from the current time or set it to a specific time.
• You can specify how you want to handle when the calculated Req'd-by Date/Time falls on a holiday or during hours your record center is closed

Click Here to See a Screenshot of the Setup