Getting Started - Tutorials

Use this Getting Started tutorial to get acquainted with the general operation of Product Scope 7 and general use of the major features.

Using the example data that was installed with the program, you'll start with the 3 step process and continue to use Queries, Searches, Tagging, Views, Reports and more. This is a brief approach to covering the features and you can refer to each Feature help topic area for a more in depth look at how to use a particular feature.

While there are some step by step instructions included in this tutorial, most of it is designed for you to see some of the major features in operation.

Step 1 - Select Data Folder - at the first window (Product Scope 7 - Select Data Folder), click on Product Scope 7 - Example Data to highlight it and then click on the Select Data Folder button.

Step 2 - Select Browse Products - Memo | Images and follow these steps so your browse list looks like the one illustrated here.

a. type the letter - i - this narrows the list to product descriptions beginning with i

b. click on the Zoom to fit button - this makes the product image fit in the image viewer.

Note: You can also substitute some of the numeric keypad keys for 4 of the image viewer sizing buttons:

c. click on the Modify button -

d. Instead of actually modifying the product record during this tutorial, we'll examine the various areas of a product update form - the update form is where product information is stored.

Step 3 - Modify product information (Update Form)

b. click on the Zoom to fit button - this makes the product image fit in the image viewer.

You can navigate through the tabs by primary mouse clicking (usually left mouse click), or using the Control + Tab key method.

General TAB

- Click on the Image View button. You can resize the Image Viewer window or use the Window maximize button to immediately resize the Image Viewer.

Close the Image Viewer.

Clicking on the Internet, Order and Support buttons will load your browser with the corresponding page IF the URLs are filled in with the appropriate web site links. In this sample record, all three web site URLs are filled in. The last button - Product - clicking on it will copy the Product Name to the clipboard.

- Click on this button in the update form. It copies the Data Folder location + the product name to the clipboard.

For this product, the result will be - C:\Users\Public\Documents\PS7\Example Data\iMac 24 Inch -

Click on the notepad button - and paste (Control + v) or drop-down menu - Edit - Paste to see the result of clicking on the button in the update form. Close notepad.

Practical example of using this button - this is handy for a number of purposes - For example, you see an image on a web site you would like to copy to your computer -

In your browser, when you secondary mouse click (usually right mouse click) hovering over an image, choose the Save Image As (or Save Picture As) selection - by using the Copy Data Location + Product Name button - you can easily save that image to data folder you are using, and use it to display in Product Scope 7.

When using a word processor or spreadsheet, you can use this same method, to easily save a document or spreadsheet to a data folder.

Click on the various TABS to see more information you can store for a product.

Pricing TAB - Store up to three price quotes including where to buy, current prices, date of quote, shipping, etc.

General 2 - Download Files - One of the most important fields in a product update form is the Category field. This will help you group similar products together for a report.

Order Links TAB - Store Order link URLs on this TAB and also an email address - Some products have specific support email addresses - also, when you order a product online, often you give an email address, this field would be a good place to store that email address for future reference.

Memo TAB - You can enter information in paragraph format for a description of the product.

There are other very helpful fields in the product update form you can use as well.

Click the OK button to save and exit the product record.

Back at the Browse Products - Memo | Images window, click on the Tagged Tab, then the Product Name Tab, to reset the browse list. We continue with some practical examples of using some of the major features - Search, Tagging, Queries, Views, Spreadsheet reports...

Search - Click on the Search button. Let's start by using a Search example - tag all product records with hdmi in one of the text fields. An hdmi connector is an audio/video connector interface for transmitting uncompressed, encrypted digital streams.

Simply put, it's the latest connector technology in the home theater world. Instead of video and multiple audio cables of all sorts, a single cable carries video and audio information. Your next home theater purchase might be to select only home theater equipment that offer an hdmi connection.

Type in - hdmi - into the text to search for field:

Be sure the Display the data checkbox is Unchecked. Click the OK button.

Click on the Finish button.

We can click on the Tagged Tab and see the results. Or we could use a Query - Tagged to narrow the list as well.

Let's clear the tags for the next view of some major features. Click on the highlighted button - Untag All Records - to clear the tags. Click on the Product Name Tab.

Click on the close button, and let's look at another Product Browse window.

Click on the Browse Products button on the main toolbar. We'll combine a Query with a Views list.

First, let's narrow the list with the Query. Click on the Query button - type the letter - u - USB Flash Drives should be highlighted - click on the Select button.

This is the show all records AND navigate to the next match look. That method works well

when you have a very large number of records, but we are going to narrow the list. Click on the Query Filter button (highlighted).

This results in and the list view only shows the product records that match the query.

Now, let's use the predefined View - (Click on the V button), highlight Comparative - Note information and click on the Select button. That results in this view - when comparing USB Flash Drives, the Read and Write information is important in comparing drives.

We can click on the Query Reset button and the R (View reset button) to return this product browse to an unfiltered list and the product fields are displayed in the original default view.

Let's examine the Record Edit buttons.

Click on the Add button - you can put in any data for this example, we are using some data from another example record to illustrate four important fields to fill - but only one field is necessary for any product record - the Description field. You can delete this test record after saving it.

We suggest you minimally fill in these four fields - Description - MFG - Extended Description - Internet Link and click on the OK button to save. A Product Category (General 2 - Download Files Tab) is helpful when you run queries for reports and to narrow the lists in your browses as well.

When you click on the empty MFG field, it will display a Lookup Browse - this makes it easier to fill in the product record when you have a number of products from the same MFG (Manufacturer).

If the MFG name is not in the list, click on the Add button. You can simply type in the Vendor name or Vendor Name + Internet Link and click on the OK button to save. Then, click on the Select button (upper right) on the Select MFG list to fill in the MFG name.

At this prompt, click on the No button.

Click on the It pastes the MFG name to your Product MFG field.

Paste from clipboard to Internet link

To make it easier to enter an internet link, if you have copied the internet link address for a product in your browser (Control + c) - click on the highlighted button to paste the internet address to your product internet link button.

Click on the OK button to save - Click on the No button (Do you want to add another record)

When adding or modifying a product record, and you decide NOT to save the record or save the changes to an existing record, you can click on the button and then click on the No button.

To delete a record, highlight the product record you want to delete, click on the Delete button -

- then click on the Yes button - Confirm Delete window.

Copy Records - - To copy a record and edit it immediately, click on the copy button (record edits)

Or to copy a record without editing it immediately, secondary mouse click (usually right mouse click) over a list and select Copy. Other choices are available with a secondary mouse click such as Search, Print, View selections and Query.

Internet - Print - Spreadsheet

Internet Link

Clicking on the Internet link button will launch your browser (if not already running) and connect to the Internet link in the product (or vendor) record IF the Internet link information is filled in.

Print a single Product (or vendor) record

Clicking on the Print button for the highlighted record will display a print preview of the product's information.

You can print a single page, multiple pages or exit without printing.

You can use your primary mouse button to resize the report (larger) or secondary mouse button to resize the report (smaller).

Click on the Exit without printing button to close the report.

Spreadsheet

Probably one of the most useful features in Product Scope 7 is sending product or vendor records to a spreadsheet.

Note: To use the Spreadsheet reports feature - you must have Microsoft Excel on your computer, or any registered spreadsheet software capable of editing Microsoft Excel XLS files.

Click on the Spreadsheet button For this example, we will use a predefined spreadsheet layout. Click on the No button.

Highlight Product - Comparative - Note and click on the Select button.

At the Query Options window, click on the Select a Previously Saved Query button.

At the Saved Queries window, type the letter - u - and with the USB Flash Drives highlighted - click on the Select button.

At the Select a Spreadsheet Destination Option window, choose the default (Edit or View the Results) and click on the OK button.

Hopefully, this Getting Started Tutorial will help you to see just some of the potential of using Product Scope 7 in your daily computer use.

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