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FORMS AVAILABILITY

Who do I contact to add a form to the electronic list?

If you can not find the form you need in InForms, it probably has not been developed for InForms. To request a form be developed in InForms, you should:

a. For an existing form, obtain both a blank and filled-in copy of the form.

b. For a new form, prepare a draft of the form and information about how often the form is used, who uses the form, and the urgency of the need.

Send this information to:

Brenda Clark, Forms Manager
ARS-OCIO-ADB
5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Room 3-2230B
Beltsville, Maryland 20705

P&P 256.1, Forms Management, dated August 14, 1998, instructs customers to use forms AD-14 (Request for Supplies, Forms, and/or Publications) or CFPDC-1 (Request for Forms and Publications) when requesting forms by mail. Why aren't those forms available electronically in InForms?
Both of these forms have pre-assigned, pre-printed unique numbers that are used to track orders on a nationwide basis. Any numbers generated by the InForms software would compromise the CFPDC tracking system.

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OPENING FORMS, AND SAVING, RETRIEVING, AND DELETING DATA

How do I open a form?
For most users, InForms begins with a menu list of available electronic forms.

a. To access a form from the electronic form list screen, press the down arrow key to the right of the form title line, and type the form number (start with the letter prefix, space once and type the number) This will highlight the form. Position mouse on the highlighted text, click once; then, click the Go to the Form Listed button. This will open the requested form.

b. If you do not begin InForms with the electronic form list screen, select File and Open. You will see the traditional file open dialog box (similar to the one for WordPerfect). Again, using the down arrow key, scroll down the list of form files until you find the form you want, highlight it, and press the OK button or just double click left mouse button.

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Why is the screen blank once I open a blank form?
There is no explanation for this occurrence. However, you can resolve the problem by:

a. Moving the scroll button on the right-side of your PC screen down and then up again.

b. From the View menu, selecting one of the view options.

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How do I navigate through a form?

Most forms have a preset order for filling in the form. To move from field-to-field in the preset order, press the tab key to move forward and the shift-tab keys to move backward. You may also left-click your mouse in a field to begin filling in data.

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How do I save a record?
There are two ways to save a record in InForms. They are:

a. Select Database from the menu bar at the top of the screen. From the Database drop-down menu, select Add Record. Add Record saves the current record to the associated database of the current form.

b. Some forms have been designed with a button that you select to save the record. This button is usually identified as Save or Save Record.

Saving data does not always clear the form on the screen. To display a blank copy of the same form, select New Record from the Database menu. If the form has a button labeled "New Record," simply press that button.

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How do I retrieve or query saved data?
From the Database menu, select one of the following:

a. First Record - Displays the first record in the associated database. Using this method, select Database, then Next Record (which displays the next record following the current record in the database) until you get to the record you desire. This method is not recommended unless the first record is the one you wish to retrieve.

b. Last Record - Displays the last record in the database. Using this method, select Database, then Prev Record (which displays the previous record -- the one before the current record -- in the database) until you get to the record you desire. Again this method is not recommended unless the last record is the one you wish to retrieve.

c. From Database menu, select Database Query (this opens the InForms Query by Example window). From the open window, select Query from the menu bar, then select Perform Query. All records contained in the database are shown on the bottom half (or Report section) of the screen. You can then double-click the record you wish to retrieve. (A shortcut for this is simply to press F2 twice.) This method is recommended only if you do not know specific data in record by which you could perform a database query as described in (d.) below.

d. From Database menu, select Database Query (or press F2 once). At the InForms Query by Example window, click the box under a named field, and type in your search criteria. (Do not enter search criteria in memo fields or signature fields because they cannot be used to find records.) Select Query from the menu bar, then select Perform Query (or press F2 once). All records meeting your search criteria are displayed. Double-click the record you wish to retrieve.

e. With a new record (blank form facsimile) opened, tab to or mouse-click a field on the form and enter search criteria for that block (e.g., an employee's name). From the Database menu, select Find First. (The Find First function searches for the record that matches the data entered in the current form. This method should be used when you wish to locate the first record of a group of records containing the same data.) Using this method, you will have to select Database, then Find Next (which displays the next record in the group of records containing the same search criteria data) until you get to the record you desire.

The above process is automatically performed for users if the form is designed with a Find First button on it. Simply type the search criteria in the form block and press the Find First button. Press the Find Next button until you find the correct record. Find Next functions only after a Find First has been performed.

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How do I save a query?
You can not save a query using InForms filler software. If you want to perform a routine query, you must enter the query each time. This is the way the software is designed.

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How do I update a record?
Update Record updates the current, modified record in the associated database of the current form. Many of our forms now have an UPDATE button. Pressing this button will update the database with your modified data. If the form does not have an UPDATE button, once you have entered the additional data on the form or modified the existing retrieved data, select Update Record from the Database menu at the top of the InForms screen. The update option does not add a new record to the database; it changes the existing record on the database to show the new or modified data.

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How do I delete a record?
Delete Record removes the current record from the attached database. This function is performed by selecting Database on the menu bar at the top of the InForms screen then selecting Delete Record. You will be asked if you are sure the record is to be deleted.

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PRINTING

How do I print a form?
Most of the forms have a print button located at the top or bottom of the form. Click that print button to print. If the form you are using does not have a print button, you may print by either pressing the printer icon on the toolbar of the InForms screen or select File from the menu bar and the Print option.

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After printing a form in landscape, some documents created using other applications (GroupWise, WordPerfect, etc.) now print landscape instead of portrait. Why?
This is actually a "bug" in the software. When a landscape form is printed, the printer's default setting for paper orientation is not automatically restored. Solutions:
 

a. After exiting or minimizing InForms and you are using Windows, go to Start, select Settings, Printers, highlight your printer, select File, Properties, select the tab labeled "paper" and then press Restore defaults (or click the circle for portrait orientation), then select Apply, OK.

b. In your next application (GroupWise, etc.), select File, Print Setup. Then press Setup, select the tab labeled "paper" and press Restore defaults (or click the circle for portrait orientation) then select Apply, OK.

c. After printing the landscape form (but can still having InForms open), go to File, Select Printer, Setup, select the tab labeled "paper" and press Restore defaults (or click the circle for portrait orientation) then select Apply, OK.

d. Simply print a form in portrait and the default setting is automatically restored.

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Why do I have to select a printer every time I want to print?
A default printer was not selected during installation. To resolve this problem, perform the following steps:

a. Select Edit;

b. Select Preferences;

c. Double-click Print icon; and

d. Click box to left of use default printer

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Why does it take so long to print some forms?
A form is designed with both graphics and text, which take longer to print. Adding more memory to the printer will increase the print speed. An HP LaserJet 4 or greater printer is recommended.

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SENDING FORMS TO OTHER USERS VIA E-MAIL

How do I send a form from my PC to another user's PC?
From the File menu, select one of the following:

a. Workflow - Only available if GroupWise 4.1 is the default mail system selected in Preferences. Use Workflow to route forms to a group of people in order or to send forms to several people simultaneously. After selecting Workflow from the File menu, choose Send. (Send opens the Workflow screen. Here you enter to whom you wish to send the form and a message, if any.)

Workflow items are tasks and you can track the form status, including who opened the form, when it was opened, etc. To track form, with the form opened, select File, Workflow, then:
 

(1) Item Information. Opens the Information screen of your mail system for that item.

(2) Status. Workflow Status filters your Out Box to show only Workflow tasks. Double-clicking the item in your Out Box opens the Information screen of your mail system for that item.

(3) Go to Message. Takes you to the message.

b. Send - Selecting Send from the File menu opens the Send screen. After selecting the options available or required, select the Continue ... button. This button opens the Mail To: screen and attaches the form to the mail message.

 

 

Last Updated: 10/01/03

 

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Electronic Forms Page

Questions/Comments may be directed to Brenda Clark, bclark@ars.usda.gov