Request forms, code tables, and the data dictionary

Request forms are used to collect information about questions. The New screen, and the Quick screen in the staff interface, and the Ask new question forms in the client interface, are all defined by Request forms. The associated Request forms define what data will be collected and the instructions that will be provided to clients/staff about how to enter that data. Your system administrator designs the layout of these Request forms using the System>Request forms function.

The Request forms function allows your System administrator to decide which RefTracker fields and code tables will be included in each Request form.

Fields provide the ability to enter text into single or multi-line text entry boxes. They are defined in, and controlled by the RefTracker Data dictionary (accessible at System>Data dictionary).

Code tables provide drop down boxes from which library defined values can be selected. They are defined in, and controlled by RefTracker Code tables (accessible at System>Code tables). Code tables are just another type of field for which data is collected, but they need more setup, so the Code tables function provides that additional setup. For code tables, a Summary of the information set up for each code table is shown in the Data dictionary, but it can only be changed in the higher level function, Code tables, that can be accessed directly from the hyperlink to the code table in the Data dictionary screen.

There is a hierarchical relationship between all these elements in that the setting that you choose for your Code table feeds into the Data dictionary, and the Data dictionary including the information from the Code tables provides the information that is used by the Request forms design function and other RefTracker functionality. You need to take into account that a change that you make to the enable/disable status of a Code table will automatically cascade down to the Data dictionary and Request forms. For this reason, a confirmation screen reminds the System Administrator of this cascading effect whenever they make a change to the enable/disable status of a code table.

More information is provided about each of the code tables, parameters, and fields mentioned here, in the following sections of this training.