.Form identifiers are an important navigation tool in Chris21. So much so, that their use is continuing in iChris, the latest interation of Chris21.
They are the three-character codes, or mnemonics, that help you to identify the forms in Chris21.
Form identifiers are handy because you can use them with the F6 function key, as a shortcut option when you want to navigate from form to form.
Without this functionality you would have to rely on finding forms via the main menu. An onerous task given how many menu options exist in Chris21!
Every form has an identifier, for instance, the Details form is DET. You will know many of the common ones because you use them so often. I’m thinking POS, PDT, SMN, ADR, etc. But what about those times when you want to navigate to a form, but you don’t know the identifier? You can waste a lot of time searching through the main menu looking for the form you want.
One solution is to write a report to extract the list of form identifiers. The report extracts data from the Forms – SCN form. Create a new report in the Report Designer, open the Field Chooser, press F6 and enter SCN. Then double click to add the Form Identifier and Description fields. Publish to Excel.
This will give you a spreadsheet listing all the forms in the system by Form Identifier and Description.
As you become more accustomed to usine form indentifers as you navigate Chris21, knowing the correct one to choose will begin to become second nature. It’s down to time and experience.
Try this tip if you sometimes have difficulty finding the form you want. It will be easier to search for the description in your Excel list to find the form identifier than search through the Chris21 main menu.
For more Chris21 navigation tips and a bit more about form identifiers, see my blog Navigate Chris21 Like A Pro By Following These Tips.