A grid is a visual representation of a data table. Each row represents a record in the table, and each column is a field, with the field name shown at the top of each column. A grid has a physical top and bottom, which represents the first and last record in the data table, respectively.

Although a grid displays a group of records at once only one of these records is the current record. This is the record that is affected by any functions or editing that is done by the user. A grid has a cursor column to indicate to the user the current record. Note the column at the leftmost of the grid. The current record has an arrow in this column.

To move the cursor to a different record you can do either of the following;

• Press the up arrow key to move the cursor up, and press the down arrow key to move the cursor down. Note that you cannot move beyond the top or bottom of the grid.
• Use the grid’s movement buttons. There is a button for each of the following moves; go to the top, go up one record, go down one record, and go to the bottom.

Selecting Records

A user can select a subset of records in the grid to reserve for special processing. To select the current record make sure that the grid is in select row mode; in this mode you cannot click on a certain cell and edit the value in that cell. The arrow keys will only move you up and down, not from column to column. The purpose of this mode is to allow you to select groups of records. To select a record do any of the following:

• Hold shift key down while arrowing up or down (repeat to undo the select).
• Hold ctrl key down and click with on a record to select it (selected records do not have to be in sequence).
• Use the select record and unselect record bit buttons together with the grid’s move up and down buttons.

Once a record is selected it changes to the selected color. Selected records can have certain operations performed on all of them at the same time.