ProDon:Characteristic Management

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Introduction

The characteristics are fully configurable fields. Their main use is to manage information for which no field has been created in the software. For instance, someone who would want to manage his or her clients' marital status could easily do it.

It is possible to configure characteristics to deal with information in many managements. For example, "Client management", "Transaction management", etc.

If the information to be managed requires several precise pieces of information, it is possible to create groups of characteristics that contain many characteristics. When adding a group, all the characteristics that are in the group are added in a single operation. For instance, someone could create a group named "Call", that would contain 2 characteristics. A first one for the type of call, and a second one for the duration of the call.

CAUTION: Prior to creating a characteristic, read the "Categories vs Characteristics vs Customized Fields" document. This document explains the different possibilities of configuration.

Configuring Characteristics

To go to the "Characteristic Management", from the software home page, click on the "Configuration" menu, then select "Characteristics".

A: List of all the characteristics.	B: The button allows you to add a new characteristic. The button allows you to modify an existing characteristic. The button allows you to delete a characteristic from the list.

Add / Edit a Characteristic

"General" Tab

After clicking on the button, this window opens.
A: This line contains the name of the characteristic.	B: This line allows you to write down notes on the use of the characteristic for the different users.
C: This field allows you to specify the management in which the characteristic will be available for use. For instance, to be able to use a characteristic in a client file, you must choose "Client management" here.	D: The type of characteristic must be chosen based on the way the information of the characteristic is entered. For more details on the types of characteristics, consult the "Different Types of Characteristics" section.
E: If this box is checked, it is not possible to add the characteristic more than once in an element of the management chosen in C.	F: Allows you to add a field to the characteristic in order to enter a start date.
G: Allows you to add a field to the characteristic in order to enter an end date.	H: Allows you to add the column corresponding to the characteristic in different management grids of the software. CAUTION: This box can be checked only if the option in E is checked. Moreover, to be able to view the column in a management, consult the "View management" document.
I: Allows you to add the characteristic to all the elements of management chosen in C.	J: Allows you to require information entry for that characteristic.
K: Allows you to specify a default value for new entries.

"Mass Mailing" Tab

This tab allows you to configure a characteristic with the intention of including it to a mass mailing.

For more details on the use of a characteristic in mass mailing, click here.

"Format" Tab

Different types of characteristics

There are 7 types of characteristics:

• Numeric
• Text
• Date and time
• Checkbox
• List of options
• Predefined list of options
• Long text

"Numeric" Type

A "Numeric" type characteristic contains numbers exclusively.

A: The button contains three configurations of predefined formats: monetary, percentage and quantity. By selecting one of them, the B, C and D fields are automatically filled in. It is also possible to fill in these fields manually.	B: Allows you to choose the number of decimals the number will comprise. For example, for a "Monetary" format, you must enter "2", since a monetary format only has two decimals. Although, It is easier to use the button explained in A.
C: Allows you to specify if the numbers should contain a separation between the decimals or the thousands. For instance, for a "Monetary" format, you must enter a "." in the "Decimal" box. Although, the use of the button explained in A is easier.	D: Allows you to specify if a symbol must be added to the number. For example, for a "Monetary" format, you must choose "Before" in the drop-down list, then "$" in the second box. Although, the use of the button explained in A is faster.

"Text" Type

A "Text" type characteristic has no predefined format. It is in a text form and may contain a maximum of 255 alphanumeric characters.

"Date and time" Type

A "Date and time" type characteristic must contain only one date, only one time, or a date and a time.

A: The button contains three configurations of predefined formats: Date only, time only or date and time.	B: The button displays the legend of all the formats of date and time.
C: This line allows you to enter the date and time format. In this example, it is date only.	D: This field allows you to specify the separator to be used for the date. For instance, if the "3" separator is chosen, the date will be entered as "2012/01/27".

"Checkbox" Type

A "Checkbox" type characteristic has no predefined format and it comes in the form of a checkbox.

"List of options" Type

A "List of options" type characteristic comes in the form of a drop-down list (meaning that it is possible to manually add options to the list). Each value may contain a maximum of 255 alphanumeric characters.

A: It is the prefined list of options. They are always presented in alphabetical order.	B: The button allows you to add new values to the list.
C: The button allows you to modify a value from the list.	D: The button allows you to delete a value from the list.
NOTE: When entering a "List of options" type characteristic, it is possible to add new values. If a new value is added in the entry, it will automatically be added in the "Characteristic management".

"Predefined list of options" Type

A "Predefined list of options" type characteristic comes in the form of a static drop-down list (meaning that it is not possible to manually enter another response). Each value can contain a maximum of 255 alphanumeric characters.

A: It is the list of predefined values. The values can be placed in the desired order.	B: The button allows you to move upward a value in the list.
C: The button allows you to move downward a value in the list.	D: The button allows you to add a new value to the list.
E: The button allows you to modify a value from the list.	F: The button allows you to delete a value from the list.
NOTE: When entering a "Predefined list of options" type characteristic, it is not possible to add new values. The different options must be configured in the characteristic.

"Long text" Type

A "Long text" type characteristic has no predefined format. It comes in a text form and has no limit with regards to the number of alphanumeric characters.

"Groups containing this characteristic" Tab

A group of characteristics must be created prior to attaching a characteristic to the group. To learn how to do this, click here.
A: It is the list of the characteristics available in the different groups of characteristics. For more information concerning groups of characteristics, consult the "Add / Edit a Group of Characteristics" section.	B: The button allows you to uncheck the box under the "Req. for the group?" field. If the box is unchecked, the characteristic will remain empty during the entry. NOTE: It is also possible to select the line and to use the spacebar of the keyboard to check or uncheck a box.
C: The button allows you to check the box under the "Req. for the group?" field. If the box is checked, you must fill in the characteristic during its entry. NOTE: It is also possible to select the line and use the spacebar of the keyboard to check or uncheck a box.	D: The button allows you to assign the characteristic to an existing group.
E: The button allows you to modify the group for which the characteristic has been assigned.	F: The button allows you to delete the characteristic from a group by deleting a line.

Configuring Groups of Characteristics

To go to the "Characteristic management", from the software home page, click on the "Configuration" menu, then select "Characteristics".

Then select the "Groups of characteristics" tab.
A: List of all the groups of characteristics.	B: The button allows you to add a new group of characteristics. The button allows you to modify an existing group of characteristics. The button allows you to remove a group of characteristics from the list.

Add / Edit a Group of Characteristics

After clicking on the button, this window opens.
A: This line contains the name of the group of characteristics.	B: This line allows you to write down notes on the use of the characteristic for the different users.
C: This field allows you to specify in which management the group of characteristics is available for use. For example, to be able to use a group of characteristics in a client file, you need to choose "Client management" here.	D: It is the list of characteristics present in the group of characteristics.
E: The button allows you to uncheck the box under the "Required?" field. If the box is unchecked, the characteristic will remain empty during the entry. NOTE: It is also possible to select the line and use the spacebar of the keyboard to check or uncheck a box.	F: The button allows you to check the box under the "Required?" field. If this box is checked, you must fill in the characteristic during the entry. NOTE: It is also possible to select the line and use the spacebar of the keyboard check or uncheck a box.
G: The button allows you to add a new characteristic to the group of characteristcs. NOTE: The characteristic must have previously been created in the "Characteristics" tab.	H: The allows you to modify a characteristic from the list.
I: The button allows you to remove a characteristic from the list.	J: The and buttons allow you to move the values upward and downward in the list.

Using a Characteristic or a Group of Characteristics

For every management where characteristics are available (clients, transactions, etc.), the "Characteristics" tab is present. In the example below, it is a transaction file.

Here is how to use the 5 buttons present in all "Characteristics" tabs of the software.
A: The button allows you to add a characteristic.	B: The button allows you to add a group of characteristics.
C: The button allows you to modify the value of a characteristic present in the list.	D: The button allows you to remove a characteristic from the list.
E: The button allows you to remove all the characteristics from the same group as the value selected in the list.

Using a Characteristic in Mass Mailing

Prior to using a characteristic in a master document, it is important to configure it correctly. To learn how to adequately configure a characteristic, consult the "Configuring Characteristics" section.

After correctly configuring the characteristic to include in the mass mailing, go to the "Mass mailing" tab.

A: Allows you to specify how the information should be presented when the characteristic is used in a mass mailing.	B: Following a right-click, a menu opens up to allow you to insert the variables of your choice.
General notes: It is possible to type text directly, as "of the:" in the example above. The square brackets are useful only when a characteristic might be present more than once.

All characteristics can be used as merge fields in the master documents. The characteristics are under the "Characteristics" sub-section. The "characteristic" merge fields are all named as follows: "charact_name of the characteristic".

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Document name: ProDon:Characteristic Management

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