Viewing & Editing Datafiles

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iData Mobile stores newly created or added datafiles in the Private section. When you start iData Mobile, and when you close a datafile or some other window, you will see the Datafiles window, with its list of your datafiles. (All the following functions can also be performed in landscape orientation, but the orientation cannot be changed while the keyboard is up.)


To view and/or edit a datafile, just tap its name in the list.

While the datafile is opening, you will see a message like this:



The Record View Toolbar

The toolbar at the bottom of the record view contains eight buttons, as follows:

Go to the first record.

Go to the previous record. If you are already at the first record, this will take you to the last record.

Go to the next record. If you are already at the last record, this will take you to the first record.

Go to the last record.

Add a new record following the current record.

Delete the current record. When you tap this button, you will see a confirmation dialog saying, "Are you sure you want to delete this record." At this point, you can tap either Cancel or Delete Current Record.

Because searching can take you to non-adjacent records, iData Mobile provides a way to navigate forward and backward among previously viewed records.

Go back through the viewed record list. If you are at the first record in the list, this button will be disabled.

Go forward through the viewed record list. If you are at the last record in the list, this button will be disabled.

Editing Text in Existing Records

Once the datafile is open, the window will look like this if it has no fields:


The text area can hold multiple lines of text. To edit a record in a fieldless datafile, just tap in the text area and type.

Or, if it has one or more fields, it might look something like this:



If there is more data than can be shown in the window, just swipe vertically to scroll it.

Below the last field you will see the Notes area.

Tap in the Notes area to edit it.

The Notes area can contain multiple lines of text, like the text area of a fieldless datafile, so the keyboard for the Notes area has a return key on the keyboard, and a Done button in the upper right corner of the screen.

When the Done button is tapped, the keyboard will go away.



Tap in the content area (not the field name, and not the  button) of any field to edit it. The keyboard will come up, the field to be edited will scroll to the top of the screen. The buttons will disappear during editing.

As shown below, the keyboard for fields has a Done key on the keyboard, since you cannot type returns in fields. When it is tapped, the keyboard will go away. (If you are using a Bluetooth keyboard, the return key functions as a Done key.)



Viewing Large Field Content

iData Mobile provides a way to view and edit field content in a larger area. This feature also provides a way to treat field content as Web links, email addresses, and phone numbers.

To view field content in a larger area, tap the button in a field.

You can tap in the text area and edit the text.

If you make changes and decide not to save them, you can tap the Cancel button in the upper right. Otherwise, tap the OK button to return to the normal record view.


Special Actions in the Field Content View

Here is what the field content view might look like if it contained a Web address.



If you tap the button, iData Mobile will attempt to treat the content of the field as a URL and open it in Safari. When you close Safari and reopen iData Mobile, it will return to the record that you were viewing, but not to this window.

Similarly, if you tap the button, iData Mobile will attempt to treat the field content as an email address and send it to Mail.

Needless to say, if you tap a button that is not appropriate to the field content, the button action will not succeed.


Locking the Datafile Screen

In situations where you need to guard against making changes to a datafile, but don't want to close it, you can lock the datafile screen.

The navigation bar of a datafile normally looks like this:



To lock the datafile screen, simply swipe across the screen horizonally -- either left to right, or right to left.

The Save button will change to say LOCKED, and the color will change from blue to yellow. So, it will look like this:



While it is locked, you can perform searches, close the datafile or save the datafile. (Even though the right-side button says LOCKED, it still functions as a Save button.) However, you cannot edit text, and the toolbar buttons will not work.

To unlock the datafile screen, just swipe horizontally again. the right side button will change back to a blue Save button.

Saving Changes to a Datafile

You can save changes to a datafile at any time by tapping the Save button in the record view.

Also, if you do not have the Auto-Save Changes setting turned on, when you close a datafile to which changes have been made, you will be given options to Save Changes, Discard Changes, or Cancel.
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