!Groups!

  The !Group! function works with *Aliases* and <<*Options*>>. (As explained elsewhere, a !Group! allows a user to select an element from one member of the group that results in the automatic selection of the proper entry from other members of the same group.)

   Consider the following. Type (or copy and paste) the following into a document:

The capital of [!St!*States*] is [!St!*Capitals*].

Press <Alt-D> to call up the Instant Database. <Scan> the document to display the variables. Select a state (or a capital) from the drop down lists at the right of the Instant Database screen. You should see how the grouping enables the selection of one item to automatically set to the other.

OTHER EXAMPLES:

In a law office setting: You might have a list of cities in which you practice. You might also have a list of Clerks, and a separate listing of their addresses, with whom you file pleadings. You could also have a list of Sheriffs from whom you request service of process. Let's further assume that you have created individual *Aliases* for each element (*city*, *clerk*, *sheriff*, *clerkaddress*, *sheriffaddress*, etc.)

In a non-law office setting: You might have a list of corporations with whom you conduct business, and a list of contact points within each business to whom you send the request for proposals, etc. Let's further assume that you have created individual *Aliases* for each element (*customer*, *contact person*, *contactaddress*, etc.)

Let's now assume that you have created a form document that contains these variables. Note that each variable that you want to change 'in tandem' is preceded by a !Group! name:

Jurisdiction: [!city!*SampleCity*]

 

                                [Date of Letter]

[!city!*SampleClerk*]

[!city!*SampleClerkAddress*]

         Re: [Client Name] vs. [Defendant Name]

               Case Number: [Case Number]

   Please file the enclosed documents among the other papers:

         [List of Documents]

   Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.

        Sincerely,

 

        [AttorneySignatureBlock]

informationIn the above example, the !groupname! we chose to link the various variables is '!city!'.  Please understand that the term you select for a !groupname! is not important. It could have been a non-sense word like !grzb! or a number like !123!. The !groupname! is in no way related to the variables it modifies. It is only an identifier used to tie the 'grouped' variables together.

   When you run the Instant Database routine against the above text, all bracketed variables will appear in the left side of the Instant Database screen. The potential values for each variable will be displayed in a dropdown list at the right. Select any one of the !city! variables and the parallel selection of the others in the group will be automatically selected for you.

information You can use *Aliases* not only with variables (as shown above) but with robust <<*Options*>> and {Simplified Options} blocks as well. Here is the structure:

Robust Options: <<*Options*!GroupName!**Alias*>>

 redarrowThe double asterisks between the GroupName and the Alias are mandatory. The first asterisk closes the administrative section of the Options 'call to action'. The second one (and the one following) identifies the *Alias*. The double asterisks are not required in the below two examples.

Simplified Options: {!GroupName!*Alias*}

 Variables: [!GroupName!*Alias*]

See Also: Groups