EXTRA SCREENS BASICS

INTRODUCTION

LegalSuite has the ability to store additional data in Extra Screens.  The user can create an unlimited range of screens which can contain complex fields with default values, calculations, help text and numerous different formats such as string, date, numeric, radio buttons and drop down lists. These variables can be used for purposes of documents and reports or merely for extra information on a matter that can be useful to the user.

Extra Screens are accessed via the Setup menu.

Figure 1: Extra Screens are created in the Setup menu

TYPES OF EXTRA SCREENS

There are five different ‘types’ of Extra Screens:

Type

Location

Multiple?

Table

Access contents via

Matter Take On

Matter Take On Screen

No

MatField (MEF:)

MEF:Field1  . . . MEF:Field20

Desktop

List of Matters

Yes

MatDocSc (MDS:)

GetDocumentField() or GDF()

Party Role

Parties for this Matter (F4)

Yes

ParRolSc (PRS:)

GetPartyRoleField() or GPRS()

Address Book

Address Book

Yes

ParField (PEF:)

GetPartyField or GPF()

Safekeeping

Items in Safekeeping

No

SafeLog (SAL:)

SAL:Field1 . . . SAL:Field20

 

Each screen operates in a similar manner – it is their location within the program and the method of accessing the data stored therein that differs.

DESIGNING AN EXTRA SCREEN

Using an Extra Screen within the Matter Take On screen in LegalSuite will allow you to record basic details e.g. in a collections matter, where your client is perhaps FNB Credit Card Division, you may want to add information of the credit card of the defendant (the card number, type of card and expiry date etc).  An Extra Screen within ‘Matter take on’ would be ideal for storing this type of information on a matter.

The ‘Desktop’ Extra Screens, however, have a lot more flexibility and options when it comes to Document Assembly. For example, you can link the Extra Screen to a specific document, you can prevent certain documents from being merged if the screen is not filled in and you can get the program to add them to every Matter automatically (based on a Condition).  You will also have to use the GetDocumentField(screen, field number) function to extract the data from these screens, however this forms part of the advanced training in another white paper entitled “USING EXTRA SCREENS IN LEGALSUITE”.

At the List of Extra Screens (under the Setup menu) press INSERT to add an Extra Screen.

Figure 2: Adding an Extra Screen

Give the screen a description and title. The title will be the wording displayed to the user as the heading of the screen. Make sure the Desktop option is selected in the ‘Program Location’ field.

Figure 3: Adding Fields to the Extra Screen

A True condition can be added to that screen so that the Extra Screen only displays when it meets a matter condition that is specified here (display criteria which is matter specific).

Press INSERT to add a Field to the screen.

Figure 4: Defining a Field

1.         The ‘Prompt’ is the actual prompt for the information to be contained in the field ie. Name, or Address, or a question to be answered.

2.         If the ‘Type’ of Field is a:

·                ‘String’ field, it can accept any combination of letters, spaces and numbers (up to 255 characters);

·                ‘Numeric’ field, only numeric symbols are allowed;

·                ‘Date’ field, then it must be in date format (e.g. dd/mm/yy) and is based on the short date setup in Windows’ Control Panel;

·                ‘Yes/No’ field, creates an option for the user to answer a “Yes or No” Question eg, Is the client under debt review?

·                ‘Drop down’ field, it creates a preset number of options in a drop down list for the user to choose from, hence the next field:  the ‘From:’ field to specify the drop down list in the form of option|#value…option|#value (option is the text displayed to the user and the value is the contents of the actual field.

3.         The ‘calculation’ can be used to calculate formulas using other fields within this screen e.g. it can calculate the difference between two of your fields already created within this extra screen.  The amount will then automatically be calculated when the user fills the other two , and the user cannot enter data into this field, nor can the field be altered by the user.

4.         The ‘Help Text’ can be added to assist the user  - it is a tooltip that will be displayed when the user hovers over the field with the mouse.

5.         ‘Required?’ is to be ticked if you want to that field to be compulsory and the condition can be added in the blank space provided.

6.         The ‘Default Value:’ is the default value or text of the field.

7.         The background of the field can be changed colour to draw the user’s attention to it.  The colour can also be conditional.

This information can be saved by clicking on  and a new field can be added.

USING AN EXTRA SCREEN

Desktop Extra Screens are accessed via the Extra Screen icon on the Desktop (Figure 5).

Figure 5: The Extra Screen icon

When the user clicks on this button, they will be go to the Extra Screen screen (Figure 11).

Figure 6: Adding an Extra Screen – manually

Figure 7: Filling in an Extra Screen

The user can add an unlimited amount of additional screens and each extra screen can be modified and removed, depending on the user’s access rights in security settings.

Extra Screens can be linked to documents and management reports, however, this is covered in more advanced training and can be found in the whitepaper entitled “USING EXTRA SCREENS IN LEGALSUITE”.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Extra Screens are a very powerful feature of the LegalSuite program as they basically extend the data storage capabilities of the program ad infinitum. The ability to add an unlimited number of screens and then insert the data into documents and management reports allows the user to easily customise the program to suit their particular needs.