Template Editor: The Check Box

Labels | Edit Fields | Check Box | Data Sheet | Radio Buttons | Active Text | Active Images | Note Fields

Check Box

To add a Check Box to your template, select the Check Box button from the Fields toolbar and drag it onto the template design area where you wish it to be placed. Then from there you are given the Insert Check Box dialog pop up.

The first thing you want to do when adding a check box to your template, is to determine whether this check box has been used on another template or not. If it has been used before, choose the template from the Table drop-down list then select the field. If this is a new custom check box given a new field name, and use the prefix of chk_ at the beginning of all your check box field names. This is this is good development practice to get yourself in the habit of doing.

Select the data type that your check box is going to be.

Text:	Allows Yes (Y/1 value) or no(N/0 value) type of entry.
Numeric:	Allows you to check (1 value) or uncheck (0 value) to the field.

Below you can see that I am setting up a check box to find out of the user in involved in Scuba Diving activities. In the caption I have "Scuba Diving" and if the check box is selected the value recorded in the database will be "1", and if left uncheck the value will be "0".

Another way to achieve this would be to change the value type to "Text" and add the values of "Yes" and "No". Both method do the same thing, but as a developer I always prefer to see a consistant development method of 1's and 0's. Which ever method your pick - stick with it through out all your development.

I highly recommend to always use the numeric value as the standard selection for all your Check Box. It will make life much easier when going back and looking at the customized work you have done.

Then enter the X. and Y. positioning (if needed), the size of the Check Box, the style and alignment. Enter the caption you wish to be displayed on the template for the Check Box.
From the font and color tab you can change the appearance of the text that is entered into this field. On the Advanced tab, you have a Check Box to Copy Data Forward. The Copy Data Forward feature will only be used when you want them die you off this field to be copied from encounter to encounter. This is used in the OB office visit template under Initial EDD. When there are fields that don't need to be filled out for every counter such as the LMP, initial exam, ultrasound etc. you can click on the copy data forward to Check Box in this data will be copied from a counter to encounter.

Over the past five years of template development I have never used the Check Box for no zero decimals, or the action button drop-down, so I will not be going over these features.