Assigning and Customizing Symbols for List Items
You can assign symbols to list items. In the
List Library file, you assign small image files (16 pixels by 16 pixels) to use as symbols to items in a list. When you click in
Symbol for an item in the
List Choices window, a symbol control displays 20 predefined symbols. Additionally, this control provides commands for creating custom symbols. For more information, see
Symbol Commands.
1. If the List Library file is not already open, then open it. You open this file in the same way as any other file.
2. In the List Definition pane, select the list.
3. To select a predefined symbol for an item, in the List Choices pane, do the following:
a. Click in Symbol. The symbol control appears.
b. Click the predefined symbol. The symbol control closes and the selected symbol appears for Symbol.
To create a custom symbol for an item, you can either modify a predefined symbol or design one from scratch.
4. To create a custom symbol, in the List Choices pane, do the following:
a. Click in Symbol. The symbol control appears.
b. If the custom symbol is a modification of a predefined symbol, select this symbol. If it is a new design, select any symbol as your selection is irrelevant.
c. Click Edit Symbol. The Edit Symbol window opens.
d. Using the controls in this window, either modify the predefined symbol or create the new design. For more information, see
Edit Symbol Window.
e. When finished, click OK. Your custom symbol appears for Symbol.
5. To display symbols for list items, do the following:
a. Open the Project’s Data Definition file. You open this file in the same way as any other file.
b. In the Data Definition pane, select the field to which the list is attached.
c. In the Field Definition pane, locate List choices text and select either Show Symbol and Display Text or Show Symbol Only, depending on your preference.
When Show Symbol and Display Text is selected, both the symbol and display text for items are shown in the list. The symbol is first, followed by the display text.
When Show Symbol Only is selected, only the symbol for items are shown in the list. In the drop-down list, each symbol is centered in the allocated space.
d. Close the Data Definition file.
When symbols are shown for list items, the auto-complete function is inoperable. You must select an item from the drop-down list. To remove a symbol selection, you press
Delete. To add an item to the list, you must open the
List Library file and insert it there. For more information, see
Inserting an Item in a List.Symbols are supported in hierarchical trees, tables, forms, dependent lists, and in most filtering and reporting scenarios. However, symbols are not supported in the Specify Filter Criterion window or the Find and Replace window. Symbols are not supported when importing, exporting, or graphing data. Additionally, symbols are not shown in reports printed to Word 2007 (*.docx) or Excel 2007 (*.xls) files. Finally, selecting a symbol as a default value is not supported in the Data Definition file or the Edit a Field Wizard.