Data Entry and Window Navigation Shortcuts

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The following keys and combinations of keys on your keyboard may be used in place of clicking on items with the mouse.  Using these shortcuts can increase data entry speed and overall use of Design Manager.

Tab – This key is usually on the left side of your keyboard above the Caps Lock key.  Using the Tab key will make the cursor or focus move from field to field providing an easy way to get the next field when performing data entry.

Shift + Tab - Holding down the Shift key and pressing on the Tab key will cause the cursor of focus to move to the previous field.  It is the reverse of using the Tab key.

Esc – The Esc key is in the upper left on the keyboard.  It can be used to exit from many windows without saving the information.  On many windows it works like the Cancel button.

Enter – The Enter key is usually on the right side of your keyboard about half way up from the bottom.  Many windows will have a "default" button which is signified by a dark border surrounding the button.

outlined button

If such a button exists, clicking the Enter key will activate button just as if you clicked the button with your mouse.  The default button is often the OK button used to save information on the window.  When entering text into Description or Notes fields, however, the Enter key will cause the cursor to move down a line similar to a word processor.

Space Bar – When an option has the window "focus", often signified by a dotted box surrounding the control and/or the label of the control appearing in blue, hitting the Space Bar will change the state of the control from unchecked to checked or from checked to unchecked.  The check box must have focus for this to work. control with highlighted checkmark

Alt – The Alt key is located on either side of the space bar on your keyboard.  You use the Alt key in conjunction with another key, usually one of the letter keys by holding down the Alt key and pressing the letter key.  You will find on many Design Manager windows that certain letters within labels will be underlined such as the "x" in Fax on the Project window.underlined label

By holding down the Alt key and pressing the X key, the cursor will jump to the Fax field so you can enter or edit the Fax number.

Another example is the "e" on the Special Instructions tab of the Component Window.  Hitting the Alt and E keys will move to the Special Instructions tab as if you had clicked the tab heading with your mouse.  If you watch for these underlined letters you can do most of your work without using the mouse.

Data Entry Basics:

Percentages:  All percentages, such as the Deposit Percent on the Item Window - Item Tab, will be entered as the entire percentage without the "%" sign.  For example, fifty percent will be entered as 50, not as 50% or .5.
Dollar Amounts:  All dollar figures, such as the Unit Cost on the Component Window - Component Tab, will be entered without the "$" sign or a comma separating thousands, etc.  Decimals will need to included to represent the cents.  For example, one thousand and five hundred dollars and fifty cents will be recorded as 1500.50, not $1500.50 or 1,500.00.