1.4 - Windows - Custom Column View Window
A Custom Column View Window (CCVW or "view" for short) is a MindModel window that presents information in easy-to-read columns.
How do I open a Custom Column View Window?
If you want to open a CCVW, follow these steps:
1) Open a sample model.
You can use the "File Menu: Open Model" command to open:
C:\Program Files\MindModel\Sample Models\AcmeTech.min
2) Choose "Open Custom Column View of Model Window" from the Windows Menu in MindModel.
Shortcut: A shortcut for this command is to shift-click on any blank area of the Model Window.
MindModel will display a dialog that allows you to choose a view template.
3) Choose "organization names and addresses" and click OK.
MindModel will open a Custom Column View Window.
The Custom Column View Window (CCVW)
This view shows the names and addresses of organizations in the AcmeTech sample model.
NOTE: The sample models are located at: C:\Program Files\MindModel\Sample Models. You can use the "Open Model" command in the File menu to open any of the sample models.
The Custom Column View Window (CCVW) gets its name from the following facts:
1) Custom = You can customize the CCVW
You, the MindModel user, can customize the CCVW to display the information you choose to see in the window.
For example, you could create a CCVW that displays people's names and addresses.
You could create another CCVW that displays people's names, email addresses, and phone numbers.
2) Column = The information in the CCVW is displayed in columns
The word "column" in the name of the CCVW is there to remind you that the CCVW displays information in columns.
Each column contains one type of information.
In the picture above, the CCVW shows six columns: Organization, Address 1, Address 2, City, State and Zip.
3) View = The CCVW displays an alternative view of your model
The word "view" in the name of the CCVW is there to remind you that the CCVW presents an alternative view of your model.
When you want to examine your data in a different way, you don't have to create another model to do so. You just create another view.
Many beginning database designers create separate databases when they should be creating multiple views of the same data. Then they are faced with the problem of keeping multiple versions of the data up-to-date.
4) Window = You get the idea
You know what a window is.
We added the word "window" to the name of the CCVW to distinguish CCVW's from CCVT's.
CCVW = Custom Column View Window
CCVT = Custom Column View Template
CCVW's are based on CCVT's. CCVT's tell CCVW's which information to display, and in what order.
For more information on CCVT's, refer to the section: Key Concepts: custom column view template (CCVT).
Why are views important? What do they allow me to do?
1) View information in columns.
When there is a lot of variety in the format of your data, the Model Window is an effective way to view your information.
For example, if each person in your model has different statement types describing them, then the Statements List is very helpful.
You might double-click on one person in the Nouns List, and find out where they went to school. You might double-click on a different person in the Nouns List, and find out where they work.
However, if when you want to see similar information about a group of people, views are more helpful than the Model Window.
For example, you could create a view with three columns: Name, Company, and School.
The "Name" column would show the person's name. The "Company" column would show where they work. The "School" column would show where they go to school.
Views allow you to choose how many columns you want to display, how you want to label the columns, and which information to display in each column.
2) Use custom forms to enter and modify data.
As we discussed in #1 (above), views allow you to display information in columns that you can customize.
Views also allow you to enter and modify data using custom forms.
To make it even easier for you, once you create a view template (CCVT), you've already created a custom data-entry form.
Let's take a look at an example.
The picture at the top of this section shows a view of the AcmeTech.min sample model.
If you click the "Add" button in the upper left-hand corner of the CCVW, MindModel displays the following form:
You'll notice that the six fields on the form (Organization, Address 1, Address 2, City, State, Zip) match the six columns in the CCVW.
So if you're entering or editing a large amount of information, this type of custom entry form can make your job much easier.
Power-User Tip: If you're entering a large number of records, you may find the "File Menu: Import Statements from Excel by Column" command saves you more time than entering records one at a time using a custom entry form.
3) Search by column.
You can use the find area in the upper right-hand corner of the CCVW to search by column.
For example, you can choose "State" from the drop-down menu, then enter "CA" (without the quotes) in the find area.
Click OK, and MindModel will find all the organizations in California.
4) Print the view.
Choose "Print" from the File Menu to print the view.
5) Export the view.
Choose "Export Custom Column View Items to Excel" from the File Menu to export the view.
You can use this feature to create tab-delimited exports for import into other databases.
How do I define my own views?
Use the "File Menu: Import Custom Column View Template from a Text File" or "File Menu: Import Custom Column View Template from Excel" command to define a view template.
Then, when you choose "Open Custom Column View of Model Window" from the Windows Menu in MindModel, you will see the view template you created in the list that MindModel displays.
Choose your view and click OK to open the view you've defined.
Is there anything else views can do?
Yes. This section presents an overview of some of the most important features of the CCVW.
The following sections provide detailed information on all the features of the CCVW.
Feature Guide: Windows: Custom Column View Window: View Item Commands
Feature Guide: Windows: Custom Column View Window: Find View Items Area
Feature Guide: Windows: Custom Column View Window: View Items List