Standard Entry Screens

To minimize coding, make it faster and keep everything error free it's a must to build standard components. These will be parts of software that can be programmed once, tested and re-used anywhere with minimal errors and fast implementation. It's one secret in software development. The best and fastest way to develop a software is to build a library of re-usable components and use those instead of continually creating forms, controls and logic.

That's what I'll implement for our simple accounting system. I will create re-usable forms that will be standard across the entire software. For now I'm seeing the following re-usable forms.

1. Data List Form 

It will contain the list of records from any table. For example a list of users, the entire chart of accounts. It will have 5 buttons which will be used for adding new record, editing existing records, deleting records, searching, printing and an exit button to close the data list form.

2. Standard Search Form

It will contain a list of records from any table plus a check box whether users will search for code or description. Then it will allow search for either code or description. It will return the value based on what the user is searching for.

3. Standard Data Entry Form For Non-Relational data


This form will be used for reference files like chart of accounts and subsidiary codes. The standard re-usable form will intially contain an input box for Code and Description but additional fields can be added and the labels of the text boxes are editable depending on the data behind the form.

4. Standard Data Entry Form For Relational Data


This form will be used for transaction files. The upper portion of the form will be used to gather transaction header information (document number, date, description) while the detail will be used to gather the accounting entries.

I will post the screen shot of the standard entry forms when I'm done designing and coding it.