Chapter 1: Introduction

Quick guide to using TourTools™ Version 3

This manual is intended to explain the basic functionality of TourTools™ and the “how to” of specific tasks. Because the software can accommodate diverse business models, the manual should be supplemented by specific notes taken during your on-site training.

To begin, the Master Menu appears when you open the TourTools™ software solution.

The large icons allow you quick access to the most-often-used parts of the system. Clicking on the smaller buttons to the right will take you to the same files, but will put you in immediate “find” mode.

At the bottom of the screen, you find icons that, when clicked, open “Support Files” where a variety of value lists and other supplementary data files are maintained.

At the top of the screen, you will be welcomed by name (if your name is assigned as the “owner” of the FileMaker software that TourTools™ is running in) and a date range will be specified by the Action Date Start and End fields. Any “To Do” items (explained in Chapter 9) assigned to you and due within that date range will appear in the To Do List. To change the date range, use the small calendars that appear when you click in the right hand side of either or both date fields.

To close the program, click on the Quit button at the bottom of the screen or on File and then Exit. Do not use the Windows close feature (the “X” in the upper right corner of the screen) to close the program.

About FileMaker Pro®

TourTools™ is written in FileMaker Pro®, the number one selling database software, that offers easy organization and sharing of data.

You should be aware of two somewhat unique features of FileMaker Pro. Generally speaking, there is no “save” command. A record is created as soon as you click on the “new” button. If you overtype data already present in a record, the original text is immediately obliterated. In most cases, you will not be asked if you want to save or not the record or the changes.

Second, there is no “un-delete” command. Once you delete a record, it’s gone forever, so be very certain that you know where you are in the system before you invoke the “delete” command.

About Relational Databases

TourTools™ is what’s known as a “relational” database. What this means is, the different “sections” of TourTools™ are inter-related, so that when you enter data in one, the information is “shared” with other parts of the program that may need it. For instance, when you enter a name in a Client record, you will never have to type that name again to enter a reservation, print a piece of correspondence, or record a payment.

General “Tips and Hints”

Screen Layout and Moving Around the System
Once you are in the program, the name of the database you are accessing will appear in the program bar at the top of your screen. You will also see what “mode” (Browse, Find, Layout and Preview) you are in if you look to the bottom left. Clicking on the label or on “View” from the FileMaker menu will present a list of the other modes you can work in. If some modes are grayed out, that means they are not accessible using your password.

Right next to the mode indicator, you will see what looks like a small window. Clicking on that will expose or collapse what is called the “status area” that runs along the top of your screen. Note that this is part of the FileMaker software; what appears below is part of the TourTools® program. Next to the window are what look like small and large “mountains”. If you click on the larger, you will enlarge your screen view; clicking on the smaller will diminish it. The number at the far left tells you the percentage of magnification.

On the left in the “status area”, you will see a set of double arrows, adjacent to which is one of several places that references the number of the record you are in. Clicking the arrows will advance you forward or back, one record at a time; clicking and dragging the small lever will move you rapidly through them. Slightly below, also at the top left of the screen you see a set of smaller double and single arrow buttons. These can also be used to navigate your records. One click on a single arrow moves you one record forward or backward, and clicking the double arrows brings you to the very first or last record in your “Found Set” (explained in more detail below).

Just below the larger arrows is a field that displays the name of the layout you are on. Clicking on the arrow will expose a “pop up menu” of other layouts to choose from.

Throughout the system you will see what are called “Tablets”; usually they appear when you are viewing a list of items. Clicking on the tablet will open the record referenced in the list.

At the top of most screens in each of the databases you will find a bank of buttons that you can use to move to related databases or to perform certain functions (explained in detail in Chapter 2). Clicking on the Master Menu button will take you back to the main menu.

Using “Find”
Throughout the system, you will see “Find” as well as “Find All” buttons. The purpose of these is to isolate a specific record or set of records within your database or to present them all. Clicking on the “Find” button usually prompts display of a layout with limited search fields. If you use find mode (bottom left of your screen or accessible from the FileMaker menu “View” or by clicking the “Perform Find” magnifying glass in the FileMaker status bar) you can use fields on virtually any layout in the system for your search.

Example
In your Client database, you want to find all clients with the last name of Nelson. Once having clicked on “Find”, you will be asked if you want to stay on the current screen or use a “Find layout”. Click on “Use Find” and in the field designated Last Name, type “Nelson”. When you click “Continue”, you will be presented with a list of records that match the criteria. The limited number of records representing clients with the last name Nelson is called a “Found Set”.

It is possible to do a “layered” Find by using one and then another criteria for your lookup.

Example
You want to do a mailing to all clients living in Michigan and Indiana. Using the “Use Find” layout, type MI in the “State/Prov” field, then click on the “Another” button. This time, type IN in the same field and click on the “Continue” button.

You can also use the “omit” function to find “everything but” a select group of records.

Example
In your Client database, you want to find all customers except those living in California. Click on “Find”, select “omit” (above, in the status bar), then type CA in the State field and then “Continue”.

Important: Whenever you run documents, labels, etc., be aware of whether you have all records available or if you are within a “Found Set”. If you want to compile a report to include all clients, by example, but start the report within a “Found Set”, your output will be incorrect and you may not even realize it.

Scripts
Scripts are sets of programmed instructions that basically drive the software. Most are working unbeknownst to the user and many are attached to the various “buttons” visible on the layouts. A good example: The icons that comprise the “Reports” menu in each database. Clicking on any one of them runs a script that results in the generation of a document or report.

In some databases, there are scripts that are not attached to any graphic but rather can be accessed by clicking on “Scripts” from the FileMaker menu. An example of this is the script that makes it possible to create an “Info Record” in Ops (explained in detail in that chapter).

Value Lists
Many fields have what are called “value lists” attached to them. The choices that you see to denote Smoking or Non-Smoking, by example, on the front page in Client are part of a “value list. The lists are maintained in one of several ways. At the end of some lists you will see the word “edit”. Clicking on it will take you directly to the place where you can do your editing, basically as you would a word processed document. Many are maintained in the support file called “Value Lists”, accessed from the Master Menu. Most can be accessed by going to “File” from the FileMaker menu, then Manage and then Value List. From the list of lists, pick the one you want to edit by clicking on it and then click on the Edit button. When you finish, click on “OK” and “OK” once again.

Fields
The majority of data fields used on layouts in TourTools™ are white or gray. The white invite input and most of the gray are inaccessible. Clicking on them usually generates a message that they are “non-modifiable”. This is usually because some sort of calculation or lookup is taking place in that field. By example, in Client you can load two addresses—one a home and the other a business—and then tell the system which one you want to use for mailing. The (gray) fields labeled “Mailing Address” on the main entry screen are “look ups” on the address you selected.

The “look” of FileMaker Pro® and TourTools™
The first part of Chapter 2 gives an overview of many of the “buttons” and graphics you will find repeated throughout the program, and reiterates some of what has been touched on above. It is suggested you read through that before going any further.

If you have any questions that are not answered here Contact TourTools Support for assistance.