Puget Sound VAHCS VA FileMan 1

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VA FileMan 1Introduction to VA FileMan

• Puget Sound VAHCS
• Seattle, WA
• August 2000
• Version 3

Contributors Valerie J. Harvey, Ph.D., Computer
Information Systems, Robert Morris College,
Moon Township and Pittsburgh, PA Rick Marshall,
ISS, Puget Sound VA Health Care System (VAHCS),
Seattle, WA Melissa Hughes, ISS, VA Puget Sound
VA Health Care System (VAHCS), Seattle, WA.
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Philosophy of FileMan

• Safe, reliable identification of patients,
  medications, etc., based on meaning
• Names as meaningful lookup aids
• Combinations of names and other meaningful
  identifiers to uniquely identify patients, etc.
• Integration of data through relationships
  (implemented by the pointer data type)
• Data types to enhance safety

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VA FileMan Documentation 1

• Getting Started Manual, Version 22.0
• Part I, Displaying Information
• Inquire, Print, Search, Browser
• Part II, Editing Records
• Prompts, Field Types, Adding/Deleting Records
• from Part III, ReplaceWith Edits in Section 11
• Glossary
• Index

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VA FileMan Documentation 2

• Advanced User Manual, Version 22.0
• Import and Export Tools with focus on Export
• Relational Navigation
• From Advanced Edit Techniques
• Set Field Default
• Looping (LOOP)
• Computed Expressions
• VA FileMan Functions

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VA FileMan Documentation 3

• Advanced User Manual, contd
• List File Attributes with focus on Data
  Dictionaries
• Creating Files and Fields
• File Utilities with focus on cross references,
  identifiers, editing files
• Glossary
• Index

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Getting OnlineTest Account ? select

• ? PROGRAMS ? APPLICATIONS ? SMART TERM
  VISTA-DHCP
• ? FILE ? OPEN ? TEST.STW

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Using the Test Account

• ACCESS CODE fileman1
• VERIFY CODE fileman2
• Enter EX IN LIST GEM GLOBAL
  LISTER MOD PR SE or UTILto carry out
  activities in coursethe particular entries for
  the menu may vary

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Establishing FilesTo Learn About FileMan
MODIFY FILE to create 4 filesSKILL,BUILDING,DE
PARTMENT,EMPLOYEE (Just enter your system to
invoke MODIFY FILE)
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Using MODIFYto Create a New File

• Select Coordinator's Fileman Option TEST m
  Modify File Attributes
• DO YOU WANT TO USE THE SCREEN-MODE VERSION? Yes//
  n (No)
• MODIFY WHAT FILE ABC SKILL// xyzz
• Are you adding 'xyzz' as a new FILE? No// y
  (Yes)
• FILE NUMBER 2.1// 505050 verify current to
  use

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Naming Your Files Uniquely

• Please prefix the name of each file you create
  with unique initials. Suppose your initials are
  abc - then prefix BUILDING with ABC like ABC
  BUILDING
• Other examples ABC DEPARTMENT, ABC SKILL, ABC
  EMPLOYEE

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Responding to FileManPrompts - You May Enter...

• entire word or phrase - Smith,Jane ?
• ? - gets single line of help ?
• ?? - gets more detailed help ?
• selection from choices offered ?

• incorrect responses - gets beep and ?? ?
• partial response - first 1 or 2 letters (attempt
  to be unique) ?
• default response // - if you press you will
  get what is in front of // ?

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Documenting the Design
After creating the designLIST ATTRIBUTES to
obtain a data dictionary listing for each file
created (Just enter L)
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Entering Data andRetrieving Data
ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES to enter data into the
files (Just enter E) PRINT FILE ENTRIES to print
the contents of the files (Just enter P specify
ALL for fields) INQUIRE TO FILE ENTRIES or SEARCH
FILE ENTRIES to retrieve data (Enter I or S)
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Utilities to Edit Fileor Add Identifiers
UTILITY FUNCTIONS option EDIT FILE can be used to
delete a file if necessary (Enter U, then E)
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Sample Database
EMPLOYEE - fieldsNAMENUMBERSALARYSEXMARITAL
STATUSDEPTSKILL SKILL DATE CERTIFIED
SKILL - fieldsNAME DEPARTMENT -
fieldsNAMEBUILDING BUILDING - fieldsNAME
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Identifying Records -Identifying the
Patient,Medication, etc.

• IEN Internal Entry Number - unique - however
  IEN is arbitary
• .01 field - usually NAME - not unique -intended
  for lookup

• NAME Identifiers - looking for a unique
  combination of fields - example NAME DATE OF
  BIRTH - names are meaningful - safety issues

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Order of Creating Files

• BUILDING before? DEPARTMENT
• SKILL and DEPARTMENT before? EMPLOYEE

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About Certain Fields -Multiples and Pointers

• SKILL in EMPLOYEE is multiple()
• SKILLS in EMPLOYEES points to ? SKILLS
• DEPT in EMPLOYEE points to ? DEPARTMENT

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Database Structure
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Data Types - Date/Time
Date/TimeDATE CERTIFIED DATA TYPE OF DATE
CERTIFIED DATE/TIME EARLIEST DATE
(OPTIONAL) CAN DATE BE IMPRECISE (Y/N) YES// N
NO CAN TIME OF DAY BE ENTERED (Y/N) NO// WILL
DATE CERTIFIED FIELD BE MULTIPLE? No// (No) IS
DATE CERTIFIED ENTRY MANDATORY (Y/N) NO// Y
YES
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Data Types - Numeric
NumericSALARY (Dollar) DATA TYPE OF SALARY
NUMERIC INCLUSIVE LOWER BOUND 1000 INCLUSIVE
UPPER BOUND 999999 IS THIS A DOLLAR AMOUNT
(Y/N) NO// Y YES WILL SALARY FIELD BE MULTIPLE?
No// (No) IS SALARY ENTRY MANDATORY (Y/N) NO//
Y YES .... 'HELP'-PROMPT Type a Dollar Amount
between 1000 and 999999, 2 Decimal Digits
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Data Types - Set of Codes
Set of CodesSEXMARITAL STATUS DATA TYPE OF
SEX SET OF CODES INTERNALLY-STORED CODE F WILL
STAND FOR FEMALE INTERNALLY-STORED CODE M WILL
STAND FOR MALE INTERNALLY-STORED CODE WILL SEX
FIELD BE MULTIPLE? No// (No) IS SEX ENTRY
MANDATORY (Y/N) NO// NO .... 'HELP'-PROMPT
ENTER F OR M
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Data Types - Free Text
Free TextNAME in EMPLOYEESKILL in SKILLNAME in
DEPARTMENTNAME in BUILDINGNUMBER DATA TYPE OF
NUMBER FREE TEXT MINIMUM LENGTH 4 MAXIMUM
LENGTH 4 (OPTIONAL) PATTERN MATCH (IN 'X') WILL
NUMBER FIELD BE MULTIPLE? No// (No) IS NUMBER
ENTRY MANDATORY (Y/N) NO// Y YES
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Data Types - Pointer
Pointer ?SKILL in EMPLOYEE(SKILL) (with LAYGO
option)BUILDING in DEPARTMENTDEPT in
EMPLOYEE DATA TYPE OF BUILDING POINTER TO A
FILE POINT TO WHICH FILE BUILDING SHOULD 'ADDING
A NEW BUILDING FILE ENTRY' ("LAYGO") BE ALLOWED
WHEN ANSWERING THE BUILDING' QUESTION? No//
(No) WILL BUILDING FIELD BE MULTIPLE? No//
(No) IS BUILDING ENTRY MANDATORY (Y/N) NO//
NO 'HELP'-PROMPT ENTER A BUILDING
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Establishing a Multiple
DATA TYPE OF SKILL POINTER TO A FILE POINT TO
WHICH FILE SKILL SHOULD 'ADDING A NEW SKILL FILE
ENTRY' ("LAYGO") BE ALLOWED WHEN ANSWERING THE
SKILL' QUESTION? No// Y (Yes) WILL SKILL FIELD
BE MULTIPLE? No// Y (Yes) IS SKILL ENTRY
MANDATORY (Y/N) NO// NO SHOULD USER SEE AN
"ADDING A NEW SKILL?" MESSAGE FOR NEW ENTRIES
(Y/N) YES // YES HAVING ENTERED OR
EDITED ONE SKILL, SHOULD USER BE ASKED ANOTHER
(Y/N) Y YES
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Editing Multiples
Select SKILL SUB-FIELD ? Answer with SKILL
SUB-FIELD NUMBER, or LABEL .01
SKILL You may enter a new SKILL SUB-FIELD,
if you wish Select SKILL SUB-FIELD DATE
CERTIFIED Are you adding 'DATE CERTIFIED' as a
new SKILL SUB-FIELD? No// Y (Yes)
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Documenting Your Work

• LIST ATTRIBUTES Data Dictionary for each file
• PRINT of contents of each file

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Printing

• Getting Started - Chapter 2
• Using ! Prefix for count
• CODON and AMINO ACID databasefor AMINO ACID,
  print NAME and !CODON and then !NAME AND CODON
  and note the difference