2.3 Adding some final touches to our addressbook

In this section, we'll refine our AddressBook with the following updates:

1. make the First and Last Name fields mandatory. It doesn't make much sense to have the address without a name, does it?
2. turn the Sex field into radiobuttons: Male, Female and ``Do not Know''
3. turn the Relation field into radiobuttons: Family, Friend, Bus., and Other
4. turn the Comments field into a text entry and raise the height to four(4) lines

2.3.1 Making the first and last name fields mandatory

On the nxqddb window, position the mouse over the ``First'' label and then <Control-3> click the mouse. To perform this operation, you press and hold the control key and then click the right(or left for left handed users) mouse button. The configuration window shown in figure 2.8 will be displayed.

  
Figure 2.8: Configuring individual fields

To make the First name field mandatory, click the ``Mandatory'' checkbutton and then press the ``Ok'' button to dismiss the configuration window. When you return back to your nxqddb window, you'll notice that the First name entry now has a darker shaded background color. This visual cue tells you that you cannot enter a record in your addressbook without first populating the required First name field.

Required fields are visibly obvious in nxqddb because they have a darker shaded entry background than non-required fields. Before saving or modifying a record, you must be sure that all required fields contain text(at least one character).

To make the Last name field mandatory, repeat the same steps as described for the First name except initially <Control-3> click over the Last name field label.

2.3.2 Sex radiobuttons: Male, Female, Do not know

As in the previous section, we want to display the field configuration window by <Control-3> clicking the mouse on the ``Sex'' label. By now, you'll be familiar with the configuration window shown in figure 2.8.

To turn the Sex field into a radiobutton, perform these steps:

1. Click the ``Radiobutton'' radiobutton.
2. Enter Male Female ``Do not know'' in the Values entry. Note, you must separate the words Male and Female with at least one space. If your radiobutton name has spaces, then you must surround the value with double quotes. For example, if you wanted to choose Sex based on (1) Male, (2) Female and (3) Do not know, you would enter the values in the radiobutton text entry as shown in figure 2.9:
   
   

       Male  Female  ``Do not know''
   

   
   

     
   Figure 2.9: Entering radiobutton names that have spaces
   

   
   
   
   
   

3. Click the Ok button.

Follow the same steps mentioned above to convert the ``Relation'' attribute into radiobuttons: Family, Friend, Business and Other.

2.3.3 Aligning radiobutton labels

Notice in figure 2.11, the radiobuttons do not line up with the rest of your nxqddb fields. To align radiobuttons, simply change the height of the radiobuttons to 2 or more rows. For example, to ensure that the ``Sex'' radiobuttons are vertically aligned, do these steps:

1. <Control-3> click the mouse on the Sex label to display the configuration window.
2. Enter a value of ``2'' in the width entry for the ``Radiobutton'' entry.
3. Click the ``Ok'' button

nxqddb will reformat your window such that the ``Sex'' radiobutton label is vertically aligned with the rest of the fields.

2.3.4 Changing Comments field to text area with height of 4 lines

<Control-3> click the mouse on the Comments label to bring up the familiar field configuration window. To make the Comments field a text area with a height of four(4) lines, just do these simple steps:

1. Click the ``Text'' radiobutton
2. Enter a value of ``4'' in the Height entry
3. Click the ``Ok'' button

2.3.5 Resizing your nxqddb display window

After reconfiguring fields, your nxqddb window will be automatically updated to reflect your recent changes. You may have to resize the window to view any hidden changes that may occasionally occur

  
Figure 2.10: Iconify Button

when you enlarge widgets(i.e. increase text area height). To quickly resize the window, left-click on the maximize window icon(see figure 2.10).

After making the changes from this section, your ``nxqddb AddressBook2'' window should resemble the one shown in figure 2.11.

  
Figure 2.11: Revised AddressBook2

2.3.6 Saving your changes

In this chapter, we have made several changes to the display configuration of our addressbook. In order to have these changes present after we exit nxqddb, you must be sure to save your changes.

You can save (1) personal or (2) global configuration or (3) default settings by selecting the appropriate Cofigure menubutton.

  
Figure 2.12: Personal Configuration Saved

When you click one of these ``Configure/Save'' buttons, the status bar will be updated accordingly (see figure 2.12). Reference section 5.2 for details about each of these configurations.

If you have``Auto-Save Personal Configuration'' turned on, nxqddb will automatically save any configuration changes that you have made in your current session before you exit nxqddb.

Reference chapter 5 for a complete discussion of saving/loading configuratons as well as a discussion of all of the nxqddb configuration features.