Screens are a large part of the system and you need to learn how to use them efficiently. There are three types of screens in LubeSoft: Information Entry Screens, Report Control Screens, and Information Viewing Screens. The procedure for using each of these types of screens is the same throughout the system.
Most of the screens in LubeSoft allow you to enter information into fields in your system. For example, you can set up and edit vehicle and fleet (or charge) customer records, enter invoice information, and edit employee timesheet records. Although the information you enter on each screen in LubeSoft is different from screen to screen, the way you use the information entry screens is generally the same. Each screen has command line keys that perform specific functions for you. These commands are explained below along with an explanation of how you can program keys in LubeSoft to fit your own needs.
The bottom of each screen shows up to 10 function keys that activate different commands. The following list contains the standard command line keys. The F1 through F10 keys generally follow the standards explained below, but change on several screens, such as Maintain Vehicle History and Enter Invoices – Invoicing. The following diagram is an example of a standard command line.
[F1] – Help From a Menu
If you press [F1] on any Lubrication Menu, you receive the following prompt: Enter part of name to look for. Type part of a menu option title (for example, invoice), and press [Enter] to bring up a list of all menu options containing this text. Select the menu option you want, and press [Enter] to go to that screen.
[F1] – Help From a Screen
Help popups are available for many screens in LubeSoft. They usually contain the values available to enter in a field. To return to a screen from a help popup, press [Esc] [Esc].
[F2] – Adding/Editing
On most information entry screens, you can either add or edit the field information. Adding a record means that the information to be entered is new, and that a record is created to store this new information. Editing a record means that the record information already exists, and that you are changing existing information.
When working on an information entry screen, you are always either in Add Mode or Edit Mode. To change from one mode to the other, press [F2]. This toggles (switches) you between the two modes. Look in the lower left corner of the screen directly under the double line to find out which mode you are currently using.
[F3] – Repeating Information
When you are editing a series of records, you can use the Repeat key to save time. After you save a record, press [F3] to display the key field of the record you just entered. When you then press [F5] to move to the next record, this information is used to search for the next record. This feature is especially useful when you have several records in a row to be edited.
[F4] – Saving
In order for the system to store your additions and/or changes to a record, you must save the record before you exit. To save a record, press [F4] . Remember that if you make any changes to a record, saving it replaces the old information. Make sure you save every record to avoid losing any changes you make.
If you miskeyed information, and you do not want to save your changes, press [Esc] [Esc] to receive the Ignore Changes to This Record? prompt. Answer Y to ignore your changes and return to the menu, or N to return to the record. If the F10 function key is available, press it to clear the information from your screen.
When using multiple-screen sets (for example, screen 1 of 6), saving your work in any one of the screens automatically saves your work in all the screens of that set. For example, if you save the information on screen 3 of the Center Control File, you save the information on all six screens.
[F5] and [F6] – Scrolling through Records
Often it is convenient to be able to see all the records on a given screen or set of screens. Moving through these records is called “scrolling” and is done by pressing [F5] to see the next record in a group, or [F6] to see the previous one. Scrolling through records is similar to shuffling through a Rolodex file, with each card representing a different record.
When scrolling, the system bases the scroll order on the fields that are “indexed.” An indexed field is one that the system has put into order. If the Name field is indexed, for example, then scrolling through records by pressing [F5] (Next Record) brings up Anderson, Brown, Carson, etc.
[F7] – Moving to the Next Screen
Sometimes a record has too many fields to fit on one screen, and is separated into more than one screen. If there are multiple screens, such as the Center Control File screens, it is indicated in the upper right corner of the screen with a note like Screen 1 of 6. To move to the next screen, press [F7] . This key only shows up on the screen if there are additional screens available.
[F8] – Moving to a Previous Screen
To return to a previous screen, press [F8]. This key is not displayed if there are no previous screens available.
[F9] – Deleting
Sometimes you may want to delete a record, which erases all the information in that record from the system. For this reason, it should be used with care. Press [F9] to delete the record. Notice that you must be in the Edit Mode to delete a record. You are prompted whether it is OK to Delete the record. Type Y to confirm the deletion or type N to keep from deleting the record.
[F10] – Clearing a Screen
Pressing [F10] clears the screen and brings the cursor to the first field on the screen. It does not erase any information saved in the system but if changes have been made without being saved, they are lost. By clearing the screen, you start with a clean screen and a new record.
[Enter] – Entering
To fill information in a field, type the information you want to store and press [Enter]. Pressing [Enter] tells the system to accept the entry, and moves the cursor to the next field. This allows you to fill in information field by field, with the cursor automatically moving to the next field.
If you are adding a record, this method of moving from field to field is convenient since you probably need to add information to every field. If you only need to edit a record, press the up and down keys to move quickly between fields without making entries. Pressing your arrow keys does not accept the entries; it only moves you to the next field.
[Esc] [Esc] – Exiting a Screen
To exit from a screen to the previous menu, press the [Esc] key twice. Pressing [Esc] [Esc] does not save any changes you have made. If you want to accept your entries, be sure to save your changes before exiting. The escape sequence returns you to the menu.
On all menu options where an employee password is required, you can press [Esc] [Esc] from the password prompt to exit the option and return to the menu.
[Backspace] – Clearing a Field
The backspace key is useful when you want to clear the contents of a field before you fill in new information. When the cursor is at the beginning of a line, press [Backspace] to clear the entire line.
[Tab] and [Shift+Tab] – Moving to Fields
Press [Tab] to move to the next field. Press [Shift+Tab] to move to the previous field. In some cases, these keys are used differently and may be the only way to get to a certain field. These cases are defined when they occur.
[Num Lock]
The Num Lock key can greatly improve the efficiency of the bay technicians and the cashier. This key allows them to use the keypad on the right side of the keyboard when entering numbers instead of using the keys across the top of the keyboard. Without the Num Lock key on, the keypad cannot be used for numbers. The 8, 6, 4, and 2 keys can be used as arrow keys when the NumLock key is off.
[Caps Lock]
The Caps Lock key is essential for a successful login. When logging in to LubeSoft you must use lowercase letters. Therefore, you need to make sure that the Caps Lock is off.
Before long, you will become comfortable with the system and realize that you use many of the same keystroke patterns over and over. One of the benefits in LubeSoft is the ability to program all your bay terminal keyboards.
You can assign a string of numbers, letters, and/or functions keys to certain keys. With these programmed keys, you can assign a long keystroke sequence onto one key. For example, FS1 followed by pressing [Enter] could be assigned to [F1]. Then whenever you needed the characters FS1″XY-123″ followed by an [Enter], you would only need to press [F1]. LubeSoft provides standard programmed (hot) keys with the initial system load. If you want to change these, you can reprogram the keys. See the article Setting Up Key Programming for instructions.
