You may test drive ActionDb right now if you like. The walkthrough below will help to get you aquainted with the use of ActionDb

  1. Read these instructions and then select the Launch ActionDb link in the menu to the left. You may wish to open these instructions in their own window so that you can have them handy as you get oriented in ActionDb.
  2. Log on using the user name "Guest" with no password as shown in the figure below.
  3. Once logged on you will be taken to the main menu. This menu has several buttons that allow you to navigate within ActionDb.
    • My Contact Info - Allows you to specify your mailing address, e-mail address and phone number allowing us to reach you if needed.
    • Change My Password - Allows you to manage your password (note you cannot change the Guest user password).
    • Create New Action Register - Provides a simple form for creating new databases. Go ahead try it out!
    • Logout - Closes your session with ActionDb
    • Open Action Register - Allows you to open the action register that is displayed in the pull-down box to the right. This pull-down will display all action registers that you have created or for which you are an authorized user. Click on this button to begin exploring the demo database.

    You will notice some new buttons available on the main menu when you have opened a database. these are:

    • Browse - Click here to browse through the database
    • Search - Click here to set the search filter that will be used when browsing the database or generating reports
    • Sort - Click here to set the sort order that is used when browsing the database or generating reports
    • Add - Click here to add new actions to the database
    • Reports - Click here to get printable reports
  4. From the browse view you can select any action to be edited by clicking on the action number. The form shown in the figure below will be displayed to allow action editing.


    Fields and buttons of note on this form include:
    • Task ID - The task ID provides a convenient way to group actions within a project database. Select a task ID from the pull down list. The list is built from the existing task ID's that are in your database. If you need to add a new task ID, just type it into the field to the right of the task ID pull down. There is a special task ID that you may use to hide actions from the browse screen and reports. To hide an action, just use the special task ID "DELETED". You can still access these actions using the "Prev/Next" buttons or the "Jump to num" button on the edit screen. If you want to unhide an action, just change the task ID to something other than DELETED.
    • Date Due - The due date is automatically set to two weeks from the date the action was created. You can change this to any date but you must use the format YYYY-MM-DD.
    • Jump to Num - Fill in the action number that you want to jump to in the blank to the right of this button and then click the button to jump to that action. This button ignores the currently set search filter.
    • Prev - Takes you to the previous (lower) action number in the database. This button ignores the currently set search filter.
    • Next - Takes you to the next (higher) action number in the database. This button ignores the currently set search filter.
    • Save Edits - You must press this button to save any changes that you have made to any of the fields on the screen. If you use your browser back button or click one of the navigation buttons without first pressing the Save Edits button, your work will not be saved to the database.
    • Close - Press this button to close the action or submit it for closure if you are not the owner of the action.
    • Reopen - Press this button to reopen a previously closed action.