• The record displays useful information 
  • File name
  • Key size
  • Record size
  • Number of records
  • Record types
• At the top of the record information area, the Key line shows the key of the current record
• The vertical column of numbers along the left side is the variable index
  • Each number in this index corresponds to a specific data field within the record 
  • Data fields exceeding 74 characters wrap on to any subsequent lines
  • The index numbers corresponding to these follow with a colon (:)
• Use the numbered grid at the top to count how many bytes are in the data field
  
  • Each character constitutes one byte. For example
    If bracket (1) sits under section ---6---, the field size equals 60 bytes

• Click the right-arrow navigation button to view records with the first record in the file
• Click the left arrow button to go back through each record
• Display information for records starting with a specific key value
  • Enter an alphanumeric value in the Key field and press Enter. This field is case-sensitive
    For example, type A to show the information for the first record beginning with the letter A
• Click the Key Scan button to display a list of records
  • Click the Search button to enter a starting key
  • Enter the alphanumeric value corresponding to the record
  • For details review How to display record information above
• Click the Edit button to modify the data content
• Click the Delete button to remove the on-screen record from the file
  • You can't click the Delete button when viewing an Index-type data file
• In the Print Option list, click Print Records or Print Keys
• De-select the All check box to define the range of records or keys to print

1. Click the Folder button to select a file.
   • The first two characters of the path represent the application code
   • The final three characters represent the company code. For example
     • Enter GLABC to display General Ledger files for company ABC
     • Enter GLOABC to display the GLO file for company ABC
   • For a list of Sage 100 data file names, see Data File Names and Keys in the TRSG
   • After you enter the file name, its specifications display
2. Click the arrow buttons to navigate through the records.
3. In the Key field, enter a key expression, then press ENTER to view.
4. Click the Key Scan button to display only key information for the selected file.
   • Quickly check the contents of a file without looking at the individual data values for each record
   • Only direct files, sort files, and MKEYED files use keys
   • The Key Scan button doesn't display indexed files

• Click the right-arrow button to display the first record.
• Click the Key Scan button.
• To search for display records starting with a specific key value, select:
  • Search and enter an alphanumeric value in the Enter Starting Key Field
  • Information entered in the Key field is case-sensitive
• Click OK.
  • The maximum number of characters is based on the defined key size for the file
    For example, enter A to display key information for the first record beginning with the letter A
• Click the Search button again to display records starting with another specific key value.
• Double-click the record in the Key Scan list you wish to view.
• Click the Select button to display the information.
• Click the Printer button to print a Data File Listing with either record information or key information.

 CAUTION: Only use the modification feature to repair records damaged by hardware or software errors. Don’t use to tamper with data processed using standard procedures. The system records no audit trail when modifying data in this manner. 

• Modify the content of numeric or string data records
• Increase or decrease the field length
• Delete the contents of fields
• Change alpha fields to numeric fields and change numeric fields to alpha fields

1. In the DFDM window, click the Edit button.
2. Enter the variable index (01–99) in the Field Number box. It matches the data field you want to change.
   • The first variable (index=1) is the string variable for the record. Followed by several numeric variables (index=2...99)
3. Enter a variable index for a string field or a numeric field, and press ENTER.
   • When entering a variable for a numeric field, the contents of that field displays
   • When entering a variable index for a string variable, the Starting Position and Length fields are activated

• The File Layout section of the Appendix lists the field positions of all files associated with Sage 100
  • This allows you to modify the exact data field position
• In the Starting Position field, enter a one-, two-, or three-digit number
  • The number represents the first string position for the field you’re modifying
• In the Length field, enter a one or two-digit number representing the string length of the field 

1. Click the Match Field button to open the Edit window with different controls available.
   • The Match String button label toggles with the Position button
   • Enter the variable index (01–99) in the Field Number box. It matches the data field to maintain
   • You can't enter match string data in a numeric field
   • In the Match String field, type the characters matching the data you wish to replace
   • The specific string of characters entered will duplicate in the Old Data field
   • Information entered in the Match String field is case-sensitive
   • Enter a match string or position. The Change field shows the string or number value
2. Click the OK button to retain the current data.
3. To modify the existing match string, simply type the replacement data in the already highlighted change field. Press ENTER, and then click OK.
   • Make certain the match string entered is at least as long as the replacement string
4. See the File Layout section of the Appendix to determine which fields are part of the record key. Whenever you modify a record key, the message "Remove the Old Key?" occurs.
   • Click Yes to remove the old record key
   • Click No to keep a backup under the original key and create a new record. It duplicates records easily
5. To display or edit more data, repeat the above steps as necessary.
   • Click anywhere within the File Name field to clear the data and reset the window
6. Click OK in the Edit window to save all changes automatically after making modifications, additions, or deletions.

 

Modifying the content of a data field necessitates increasing or decreasing the length of the data field itself. After selecting the variable index corresponding to the string data field, begin the data field expansion process from the Starting Position field.

 

1. Click the Edit button in the DFDM utility to open the Edit window.
2. Enter the index variable in the Field Number field for the numeric field.
3. Enter the alphanumeric data in the Change field, and click OK.
4. Select Yes when the message "Do You Wish To Change This To An Alpha Field?" occurs.
5. Select No to cancel this operation and return to the DFDM Edit window.
6. Convert alpha fields to numeric fields.
   • This process begins by shrinking the field to the size of the numeric replacement data
   • Following the data modification procedure, enter the numeric replacement data; the field will convert automatically

1. Click the Edit button in the DFDM window.
2. In the Edit window, enter the index variable for the string field to convert.
   • Type 0 in the Starting Position field
   • Type 1 in the Length field
3. Select Yes when the message Shrink Field Length" occurs.
4. Enter 0 in the Change field.
5. 4.Click OK.

1. Click Match String in the Edit window if you know the data but not its exact string position.
2. In the Field Number field, enter the variable index (usually 1) for the string field.
3. In the Match String field, enter the exact data string. For example, 01AVNET 0000102IN).
4. If the string isn’t exact, you’ll see "Match String Not Found." Reenter the data to continue.

• Data records become damaged by power interruptions, defective disks, and so on
• Remove these records from the database

 CAUTION: Removing records from a file can result in an out of balance condition in your accounting data. File removal will also leave detail records in subsidiary files without corresponding masterfile records. For example, invoices in the Open Invoice file with no corresponding customer in the Customer Masterfile. 

1. With the record displayed in the DFDM window.
2. Click the Delete button to begin deleting the record.
3. The confirmation message displays.
   • Click Yes to delete the record
   • Click No to retain the record

1. DFDM’s most important function is identifying damaged records within a data file.
2. After you identify a damaged record, selecting the appropriate corrective action becomes straight forward.
3. 1.For direct files, verify that the key information displayed matches the data information displayed.
   • The information labeled KEY= and enclosed by brackets ([ ]) must match the information displayed on the first data line
   • A mismatch indicates
     • The directory of the file is damaged
     • or the key portion of the data record is damaged
   • If the key doesn’t match the data record, use Rebuild Key Files to fix the file directory
   • If the key looks damaged, click Edit in the DFDM window to enter the correct key information
   • For details on the data fields that constitute the key, see File Names and Keys in the Appendix
   • If numeric variables differ from the file layout, you can’t delete or add variable indexes
   • Delete the entire record and then reenter
     
4. Check for invalid characters appearing in the data fields.
   • Non-standard ASCII characters will appear as question marks
   • If any question marks display within a data record, this usually indicates that the record is damaged
   • Correct a damaged data field in the Edit window
   • You can also delete the entire record. See step 3 for instructions to correct damaged data fields
   •  A single question mark doesn’t necessarily constitute damaged data
     • Date fields contain legitimate question marks as part of the year data
     • A question mark in a date or binary field means a damaged record unless it's unprintable. For an explanation of how the system stores dates, see step 4
5. Review each data field within a record to ensure that the data is appropriate to the field displays. Refer to File Layouts in the Appendix to determine the starting position and length of each data field.
   • Make sure all numeric fields displays as numbers
   • Numeric fields must not contain strings
   • Numeric fields display a separate variable with a mask showing two or more decimal places
   • Click the Edit button in the DFDM utility to enter the proper data for the damaged field
6. Date fields are hard to verify because the system stores the year in a compacted format.
   
   • The format of the date fields is YYMMDD. For example, the date 05/31/99 stores as ?&0531 where ?& represents 1999
   • When modifying a date field, see the Compacted Date Table for character values of commonly used years