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Client List Options

Nina Tchistiakova Updated by Nina Tchistiakova

The Client List Options dialog can be accessed from the main screen Utilities menu. This dialog allows the user to select which client fields to display on the Client List. The user can also set filters so only certain clients are displayed. In addition, a client status color scheme can be established to help the user track each client's progress with regards to common quarterly or annual filing requirements. A description of the various options is provided below

Saved Option Files

A dropdown list of saved Client List option files allows the user to select from several program provided layouts. These layouts may be edited and saved by clicking the Save button, either overwriting the original by using the same name, or saved as a new file by changing the file name when prompted. CFS recommends that users change the file name when editing the program provided option files. If a program provided file is overwritten, the original file may be restored by clicking the Delete button to delete the edited file displayed in the Saved Option Files list. Click the Close button to exit the dialog. When the dialog is reloaded, the original file will be restored.

Field Layout

A large field grid is used to specify which fields are displayed on the Client List and the order in which they appear from left to right. The user may select any of the fields from the dropdown list in the Field column. The next sequential number will be added automatically to Order column. To modify the order of a field, simply change the Order number to the desired number. All other numbers will be automatically renumbered. For example, if you want the client ID to be displayed in the first column of the Client List, then type 1 in the Order column next to the ID field. To delete a field, put the cursor in the field and press the Delete key.

Display Options

Checkboxes above the field layout grid may be checked to display column headings, show grid lines, and keep the first column on the screen when scrolling. Typically the first column would be the "Employer name" field.

Filters

A filter allows the user to restrict which clients are displayed in the Client List. To set up a filter, choose an operator from the Filter By column next to the desired field. Then enter comparison text in the Filter Text column. For example, if you only want to display clients from New York, you must add the "State" field. In the Filter By column next to the State field, select "Equals" from the operator list. In the Filter Text column enter "NY". Click the Save button to save any field changes and filters in the option file. Now only clients with "NY" as the state on the Client screen will be displayed in the Client List when using this option file. See below to quickly change option files or temporarily turn off filters to display all clients.

Note that the filtered field does NOT have to be displayed in the Client List in order to apply a filter. Simply delete the number in the Order column next to the field. The filter will still be used to restrict the Client List but the field with the filter will not be displayed.

Multiple filters may be set next to different fields. When multiple filter are set, the user must decide whether ALL filters must be true, or Only ANY ONE filter must be true. This choice is made using the dropdown list directly above the field grid.

Quickly Changing Options Directly From the Client List

Right-clicking the Client List pops up a menu allowing the user to quickly change the Client List display. The Options are:

  • Show Only the Current Client - This option hides all clients except the currently selected client. Right-click again to return to the original setting.
  • Show All Clients (no filter) - This option is useful if the user has a filter set which restricts the displayed clients, but wants to temporarily display all clients. Right-click the option again to return to the original filter setting.
  • Select Client List Options File - The submenu displays all the saved Options Files allowing the user to change layouts without loading the Client List Options dialog.
  • Set Status for Clients Selected in the List - The submenu allows the user to select any of the status fields and quickly set the status for that field for all selected clients. Before right-clicking the Client List, the user can select multiple clients by holding down the SHIFT or CTRL key while clicking clients in the list. All selected clients will have the desired status field on the Edit Client screen updated with the entered text (first 8 characters).
  • A quick method for resetting a status for all clients that already have a certain status value is by clicking the column heading for the status column to sort it. All status values will now be grouped and the desired group of clients can easily be selected by clicking the first client in the group, holding the SHIFT key and selecting the last client in the group. This menu item will then change the status value for the selected clients.

Status Highlighting

This lets the user devise a scheme to highlight clients in the Client List based on the value in the various status fields. While some users may find that simply displaying status field values in the Client List is adequate for tracking client status, others will find color highlighting to be extremely beneficial.

First determine the status field to which the highlight scheme will apply. Select the status field from the dropdown list. (None) is the first entry in the list and can be used to turn off the highlighting without actually deleting the highlight scheme. (All) is the last entry in the list and can be selected to highlight all status fields using the scheme.

Choose whether highlighting will apply to the "Text Color" or the "Background Color". Then choose whether to highlight "Only Status Field", or the "Entire Client Row". If (All) was chosen as the status field, then the choice is restricted to "Only Status Field" and each field will be highlighted separately.

Finally, establish a highlight scheme. In the Value column, enter the text that will be used to represent a particular client status. In the Color column, click the button and select the highlight color to use. Click OK on the Color selection dialog when finished. The color will be displayed in the Color column. Continue to select a color for each value entered in the Value column. Click the Save button to save all options settings, including the highlight scheme, in the Options file.

When using an Options file with a highlighting scheme, the status field (or the entire client row) will be highlighted using the color specified by the value of the status field. An example is to enter "Need" in the "941" status field for all clients for which you need to prepare Form 941. If you begin the form but do not finish, enter "Begun" in the status field. When finished enter "Done" in the status field. A highlight scheme can be set up to display the status "Need" without color, "Begun" in green, and "Done" in red. Alternatively, you may use a single "X" to indicate that filing for the client is complete, or multiple single letter codes to track intermediate steps in the filing process, or the numbers 1 through 4 to indicate when a quarterly form is completed. The values of status codes are completely up to the user.

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