The topics below describe the tasks for creating SuperDB tables and linking fields from the Demographics screen in the Data Base module to fields in generic SuperDB tables.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Create a SuperDB Table
• Link Generic SuperDB Fields to Demographic Fields

Create a SuperDB Table

A table in SuperDB functions similarly to an Excel spreadsheet. A SuperDB table is great for storing information that may be entered multiple times, such as community service hours. For example, a student may fulfill community service hours over a period of time, and you can record each set of data within the SuperDB table. Also, you can filter and sort columns, and then save the filtered and sorted table as a View.

Use a View to access your filtered and sorted data, and then create reports such as report cards. For more information on Views, see Create a View of a SuperDB Table.

1. On the menu bar, click View > SuperDB.

2. In the SuperDB dialog box, click Create Table in the left pane.

3. In the Define Table dialog box, enter a Table Name.
4. Enter a Description of the data for this table.
5. Optional: Select the Generic Table (Not linked to students) check box.

Note: A generic SuperDB table isn't linked to any students, and the information isn't populated with student demographic information. Generic tables can hold information such as a list of doctors in town, a list of all school lockers and combinations, or a list of departments in the school. A generic SuperDB table can act as a spreadsheet, or you can populate Demographic fields in Data Base with generic SuperDB fields. 

6. Click Small: 160 Characters, Medium: 410 Characters, or (Custom...) from the Length/Record drop-down list, depending on the desired record length.

Note: A record length defines the maximum number of characters for each record in the table.

Tip: To create a custom student record length, click (Custom...) from the Length/Record drop-down list, and enter the custom record length in the Enter Record Length box.

7. Do either of the following:

• Select the All Students or All Staff check box to create a single record with default values.

Note: When you create one record with default values, records are added to the SuperDB table for any student or staff member who isn't already displayed.

• Click to link the table to another table, click the existing table you wish to link the table to, and click Select.

Note: Linking another table to your new SuperDB table adds the existing SuperDB table's fields to your new table.

8. Enter a field name in the Item Name column.
9. In the Type column, click Text, and click one of the following from the drop-down list:

• Text: Characters can be entered in any format.
• Integer: Whole numbers can be entered.
• Decimal: Numbers can be entered with a decimal point.
• Date: Dates in mm-dd-yyyy format, or any date format you've chosen for your Administrator's Plus, can be entered.
• Note: Characters can be entered in any format.

Note: Unlike the Text type, the Note type has no character length. You can also enter any text using the Note by clicking  in the table.

10. Click the text field in the Length column, and enter the field length limit for the field.

As you assign lengths for each field, the number of Characters Remaining decreases in the upper-right corner.

11. Click Optional in the Required column, and click Optional or Mandatory from the drop-down list.

Note: Optional fields can be left blank, whereas Mandatory fields require an entry in order to save the SuperDB record.

12. Click Leave As Is in the Case column, and click one of the following from the drop-down list:

• Leave as Is: No formatting is applied to this entry.
• Sentence Case: The first word of the entry is capitalized, and the rest are left lower case.
• Lower Case: Entries are converted to lower case.
• Upper Case: Entries are converted to upper case.
• Title Case: The first letter of each word is capitalized.

13. Click Not Validated in the Validation column, and click Not Validated, Supervisor Only, or Anyone from the drop-down list, depending on whether or not the field needs to be validated and by whom.

Note: When you allow field validation, the field becomes a drop-down menu that a user can add items to, if desired.

14. Enter a value in the Default Value column if you want each entry of this field to be the same.

15. Click Save [F10].
16. To add any new items, click Add [F2], and repeat steps 8–15.
17. Click Done [F10].

Link Generic SuperDB Fields to Demographic Fields

A generic SuperDB table functions as a spreadsheet within Administrator's Plus and is not connected to students. You can leverage fields from a generic SuperDB table and use them on the Demographics screen of the Data Base module. This topic shows you how to accomplish that by linking fields on the Demographics screen to fields in the generic SuperDB table.

1. On the Home screen, click Demographics.

2. Right-click the name of the field you want to assign as the primary validated field, and click Field Properties.

Note: Assigning the primary field in Demographics allows you to choose the correct information from the generic SuperDB table.

3. Click Primary Validated Field.

4. In the Primary Validated Field dialog box, click the table you want to assign to this field from the Which SuperDB Table drop-down list.
5. Click the SuperDB field you want to assign to this field from the Which SuperDB Field drop-down list, and click the SuperDB field.

6. Click Done.
7. In the Properties for Field dialog box, click Done.
8. Right-click the name of the field you want to assign as the secondary validated field, and click Field Properties.

Note: By assigning the secondary validated field in Demographics, you can further refine the correct information from your generic SuperDB table.

9. Click Secondary Validated Field.
10. In the Primary Validated Field drop-down list, click the primary validated field that is connected to this secondary validated field.
11. Select the check box next to the field you want to assign as the secondary validated field.

12. Click Done.
13. In the Properties for Field dialog box, click Done.
14. Repeat steps 8–13 for each of your secondary validated fields.