How to Create a User Variable

This feature allows users to add fields for data that is not standard in CollectMax.  These fields can be used in documents and in Simple Data Extraction Reports.

 Tabbing will take you sequentially through data entry.

1.  Click from the menu bar.

2.  Select User Variables from Definitions drop down menu.

3.  Select whether the User Variable will be Account, Debtor, Claim or Client level:

.

• Account: Account level User Variables will represent data fields relating to the account as a whole.
• Debtor: Debtor level User Variables will represent data fields specific to the selected debtor. If an account has more than one debtor, then debtor level User Variables will be unique for each debtor.
• Claim: Claim level User Variables are unique to a specific claim. If an account has more than one claim, then claim level User Variables will be unique for each claim.
• Client:  Client level User Variables are unique to each client.   This is a Version  Feature.

4.  Select Account and the Account Variable Definition window will open:

.

5.   Click the button.

6.   In the Properties box, Enter the variable name in the Name field:

.

7.   In the field, enter a phrase or title that will remind operators of the intended use of the new data field.

8.   If you have a default value to fill into this field, enter this value in the default value field.

9.   In the Characteristics box, select the Type of variable data from the list:

.

• Character: Contains information to be expressed as words or codes.
• Numeric: Contains information to be expressed in numbers such as an amount of money or an interest rate.
• Date: Contains information in date format and will have a calendar button for users to enter the date.

10.  In the field, enter the length of your field. For character fields, the maximum length is 132 characters.

11.  If your User Variable is a numeric field, you can select how many decimal places you would like by entering this value in the field. For example, for an amount of money you would enter "2" in this field, leaving you with two decimal places for money value in cents.

12.  Select the format you would like your data to be output to documents and reports from the Output Format the list.

13.  In the Location box, enter the Page, Column and Line number you wish to have your variable displayed in the User Variable window:

14.  Click the button.

15.  If you have only a few User Variables, place them all on page 1 to simply access to data fields. In other practices however, it may be useful to group variables on screen pages. The tabs of these pages can be defined by placing labels for each table. To complete that step click on the Page Labels tab.

16.  Click the button to enter the information for a new page label.

17.  Enter the page number that you would like to label in the page number field.

18.  Enter the title that describes the information that this page contains. This title will show as the label on the tab of the page.

19.  This information will show on the user fields screen. This screen is located on the debtor screen and will look similar to the following: