The Alternative Product Entry Screen provides you with another way of entering catalog numbers and other product information.  It is accessed in two ways:  click on the small, light blue "Toggle" button found on the Main Purchase Order Screen just above the Item Area.  Or it can be reached by selecting WINDOW and ALTERNATIVE PRODUCT ENTRY SCREEN from the Menu Bar on top of the Main Purchase Order Screen.  Here's what it looks like:

General Information.  The advantage of the Alternative Product Entry Screen is that it allows you to concentrate on one product at a time.  It's a particularly expedient way of entering products that are not found on the Stock Pop-up list.  It also includes one piece of information not available with the Main Purchase Order Screen:  the "other identifier" found in the Stock Ordering Database.  This can be color, size, etc.  If you purchase books, this often will be the ISBN number.

Information on the Alternative Product Entry Screen can be entered directly by typing in the quantity, item's description, discount, price, etc.  Or you can access two types of pop-up lists:  Stock Pop-up list and S-Code pop-up list.  The S-Code pop-up is activated by clicking on "List" beside the S-Code field.

Note that as you type in the "Item blank," the number of characters that you have typed appear to the right.  The number will turn red when you reach 37 characters or greater.  That's quite all right if you have a one-line description of the product you are ordering.  If you have a multi-line description, however, you'll want to pay attention to this number.  (See "Multi-line Descriptions," below, for details).

Stock Pop-up List.  The Stock Pop-up list is activated by clicking on the "List" button beside the Catalog Number field or by clicking on "Add Blank and Show List."  In the first case (the "List" button), after you select from the list, the selected product will overwrite the product currently showing in the Alternative Entry Screen.  It works exactly the same way as the "Place" button on the Main Purchase Order Screen.  (To prevent unwanted overwrites, AnyPO will always ask before pasting a new product over an existing one.)  You can also activate the Stock List by placing your cursor in the Quantity, Catalog Number or Item blanks and double click.

In the second case ("Add Blank and Show List" button), a blank new record will be added to the item list and then the Stock Pop-up list will be activated.  After selecting a product from the list, the information will be pasted in the new blank record.

If you'd like to add a blank record, click on "Add a Blank."  After adding a blank, you can use the "List" button beside the Catalog Number to enter a product.  To conserve file space, AnyPO will add only one blank record to the end of the Item list.  Once one blank record has been added, clicking "Add a Blank" again will not have an effect.

Moving Through the Products.  If you have more than one product on the item list you can use the navigation arrows to move forward or backwards through the records.  You can also use Page-up and Page-down keys on your keyboard to move through the records.

Paging through the records on the Alternative Product Entry Screen is the same as moving from row to row on the Item Area on the main Purchase Order Screen.

If you have multi-line descriptions for one or more items, you'll see each descriptive line on a different record. If need to make adjustments in price, etc., make sure you are on the item's first line.  You can also tell the first line because that's where you'll find the price.  Note that when dealing with multi-line descriptions, prices and catalog numbers should only appear on the first record.  Subsequent records connected with a multi-line descriptions should only use the "Item" field.  That's it.  All other fields should be left blank.  (More about multi-line descriptions is found immediately below.)

Multi-line Descriptions.  Some products that you order may require more than one-line to describe the product.  If you have included the product in the Stock Ordering Database, AnyPO will automatically enter the product on Alternative Product Entry Screen for you (when you select from the pop-up).  It enters each line of the description in a separate record.  After it enters the information, you'll find yourself at the last record which contains the last line of the description.  To get the first record, which contains the first line of the description and the price and other information, you'll need to page up.

You may not always have the product included in the Stock Ordering Database, and the following information will help if you manually enter multi-line descriptions.  Note: you don't have to do it exactly as shown below.  AnyPO allows plenty of leeway, but it does keep the arrangement of products in a more organized manner and that's helpful when you later export data and create reports.

If you need more than one line to describe a product, you need to create a new record for each separate line.  The description is typed in the "Item" blank.  You should keep the description on the first line at 36 characters or less.  (This allows room for the price and total on the printed Purchase Order).

As you type into the Item column, the number of characters you've typed appears as a small number to the right.  As soon as you go over 36 characters, the number will turn red on yellow.  It's important to keep track of the number of characters if you have multi-line descriptions.  You don't want to exceed the 36 character limit for the first line.  (For descriptions which occupy only one line, however, you do not need to keep track of the number of characters).  You also do not have to keep track of the number of characters on subsequent lines of multi-line descriptions.  Any additional lines after the first line can exceed 36 characters.   See below for an illustration:

(Note that the character count feature is only activated when you actually type into the Item column.  If you move out of the Item column and back into it, you'll need type a character or two to activate the counter.)

What's the reason for the 36 character limit on the first line of multi-line descriptions?  AnyPO needs enough room to include the price and total on the printed purchase order.  By keeping the length at or under 36, AnyPO will have the necessary room to include this information.

Let's summarize multi-line descriptions with an example.  Let's say you need two lines to describe a product that you wish to order.  Create a new record by clicking on "Add a Blank."  A blank record will appear.  Type in your catalog number (if you have one for it).  Type in the manufacture's catalog number (if there is one.)  Indicate the quantity and price each.  Then type in the first line of the description of the product in the "Item" blank.  Make sure that you don't exceed 36 characters.

Now you're ready to move on to the second line of the description.  First, you need to create a new record.  Do that by clicking on "Add a Blank."  A blank record will appear.  In this record, you type in only the second line of the description in the Item blank.  The 36 character limit doesn't apply and you can type in as much as the field will allow.

Do not enter anything else.  In other words, do not indicate the price or catalog number.

When you need more than a one line description, the first record is the only one that you should use to indicate catalog numbers, quantity and price.  On all subsequent records, you should only use the "Item" blank, and all other fields should be left blank.

Now, having said all this.  What if you don't keep the first line to 36 and what if you end up entering the quantity and price on the last line of a multi-line description?  Well, to tell you the truth, it works fine.  It won't cause any problems with the program.  It is helpful from the perspective of creating reports, so if you can, place the quantity and price on the first line, but the world won't fall apart if you forget.  

Price Each Field.  The price of the item is entered in the "Price Each" column.  The total will automatically be calculated by taking the quantity times the price.  Normally, the "Price Each" column is configured with two decimal places.  If you order specialized products which are sold in a tenth of penny (i.e. 2.345 per meter), you can re-configure the column so that it includes an extra decimal place.  See Basic Set-up for more details.

Other Buttons.  To update the calculations on the Alternative Product Entry Screen, click on "Calculate."  To delete a product, click on "Delete."  To exit from the Alternative Product Entry Screen, click on "Toggle (Close)."

Products Sold by Measurement.  This portion of the Alternative Product Entry Screen is used if you are ordering products which are sold by weight (pounds, ounces, grams, kilograms, etc.) or length (meters, inches, feet, etc.) or other forms of measurement.

Measured Quantity.  This is where you enter the measured amount of the product.  Let's say you are selling fabric.  If you sold 3.75 yards of fabric, you would enter "3.75" in this field.

Price Per Unit.  This is the amount that the vendor charges per unit of the product.  This value will come from the Stock Ordering Database.  Or, if you don't have the product in the Stock Ordering Database, you can type in the amount.  If you charge $10 per yard, "10" will show up in this field.

Unit.  This comes from the "unit of measurement" field in Stock Ordering Database.  (Note in the stock ordering database there's also field for the number of products per unit.  It's not that field.  Rather, this is the unit field that deals with measured products.) Or, if you don't have the product in the Stock Ordering Database, you can type in the unit.  This is the unit by which the product is sold.  Units can be: lb, oz, ft, yd, kg, g, m, etc.  The unit will appear on the printed PO.

Re-set Button.  This re-sets the "Measured Quantity" to zero.  If you have a catalog number for the product, the "Price Each" field returns to its original value that's found in the Product Database.  

Measured Quantity Calculations.  After you've entered an amount in "Measured Quantity" and moved to another field (or clicked on "Calculate"), AnyPO will multiply "Measured Quantity" times "Price Per Unit."  The result is placed in the "Price Each" field.  When the PO is printed, the measure quantity calculation will appear just under the product's name.  Here's an example: 3.75 YD @10.00/YD.
    You may wonder why the total of this calculation is placed in the "Price Each" field.  The reason is that it provides for a greater range of applications.  Let's say that you are purchasing packages of paper by weight.  Some packages have 3.5 lbs in them.  Some have 4.2 lbs, etc.  This method allows you to use the same catalog number for the paper packages, yet obtain the proper price for each package.  To indicate it on your PO, you would list each on a separate row in the Item Area.  One row would be for the 3.5 lb package and another row for the 4.2 lb package.
    Moreover, if you have 3 packages with 3.5 lbs in them, you can indicate a quantity of 3 instead of entering each package individually.  The total of the 3 packages will be automatically calculated for you and appear in the "Total" column.

Removing Measurement Notations from a Printed PO

Let's say you print a Purchase Order and a measurement notation such as 1.5 YD @ 5.00/YD appears under a product name. If you do not want this information to appear on the printed PO, you can remove it by bringing up the Alternative Product Entry Screen.  Go to the appropriate product, and set "Measured Quantity" to zero (0).  "Measured Quantity" can be set to zero by typing in a zero or by using the "Re-set" button.

More Information on Products Sold by Measurement

When you need to indicate a fractional quantity for products sold by weight, length, etc., you must use the Alternative Product Entry Screen.  You can not indicate fractions in the Item Area on the Main PO Screen.

Let's run through the process.  Let's say that you are ordering 1.5 yards of fabric.  If this is a product that you order frequently, you'll want to include it in the Stock Ordering Database.  Indicate the manufacturer's catalog number and give it a descriptive name.  You also need to indicate that the "Unit of Measure" is YD (for yard), and fabric costs, say, for $5.00/per yard.

If it's a product that you don't order frequently, then it's not necessary to include it in the Stock Ordering Database.

First, let's see how you would enter the 1.5 yards on the PO Screen if you have included the product in the Stock Ordering database.  To do this, start at the Main PO Screen and click on the "Add" button.  Select the desired fabric from the list.  The catalog number and item description will be pasted to the Item Area.  At this point, click on the "Toggle" button to activate the Alternative Product Entry Screen.  (Note that it is not necessary to start at the Main Purchase Order Screen.  You can activate the Alternative Product Entry Screen right off and select "Add a Blank and Show List.")

Once at the Alternative Product Entry Screen, you can indicate the fractional measurement by entering 1.5 in the "Measured Quan" blank.  Click on "Calculate."  You'll see 7.50 appear in the "Price Each" field.  You'll also see 7.50 in the "Total" field.

If you dealing with more than one quantity.  In other words you are ordering 5 pieces of fabric and each piece is 1.5 yards in length, type in a "5" in the "Quantity" field.  The "Price Each" remains 7.50, but the "Total" field will show 32.50 (5 x 7.50).

When you print the PO, the calculation will appear under the product's name: 1.5 YD @ 5.00/YD.

If you don't have the product in the Stock Ordering Database, the procedure starts with clicking on the "Toggle" button to activate the Alternative Product Entry Screen.  Type in the product's name, its "Price per Unit,"  the name of the unit, and the "Measured Quan."  AnyPO will remember these values.  When you print the PO, the calculation will appear (as indicated above) just below the product's name.

One last thing.  If you are indicating a measured quantity with a product that requires a multi-line description, be sure to do so only on the first record.  You can tell the first record since that is where the price is found.  More information on multi-line descriptions is found above.