Allows you to set the default display for the grid in several iMerchant Find programs. 

The grid in these programs will default to the way you set them here for every user on the system.

Individual users can then alter the display grid any way they choose.

To access the Column Designer:

1. Go to Tools > Administration > Designers > Column Designer. The Column Designer window appears.

2. Inside this window, select File > Open from Database

Choose whichever program you want to work with from the menu that appears. 

Upon selecting one of the programs, the Column Designer window is filled in with the appropriate information and the Palette appears. 

The Palette contains a list of all the headings you can choose to put into the Column Designer window. 

3. To select a heading from the Palette and move it into the Column Designer window

Click on the desired heading within the Palette, then drag the heading into the Column Designer window and drop it in the display row (the row of headings that appears inside the Column Designer window). 

The newly selected heading will appear at the end of the row, and it will have an asterisk directly to the left of it. 

The asterisk indicates that the heading is selected.  

Anytime you click on any heading in the Column Designer window, it will have an asterisk to the left of it.

4. Either leave the newly selected heading at the end of the row or drag it anywhere you want within the row.

5. Repeat this process as many times as you want. You can add as many headings to the Column Designer window as you desire.

***NOTE*** there are two kinds of options in the Palette: PD_Code and PD_Field options. There are several of these. For example, PD_Code6, PD_Code7, PD_Field6, PD_Field7, and so on. PD_Code fields are code-driven and need to be attached to a valid code, whereas PD_Field fields are free-form fields. These are user-definable options. You can drag them into the Column Designer window and then rename them to whatever you want. This gives you increased flexibility. 

6. To delete a heading from the Column Designer row of headings

Click on the heading you wish to delete. 

An asterisk will appear to the left of it, signaling that it has been selected. 

With the heading selected, click on the Delete button.

7. To view or alter the properties of any individual heading 

Select the heading for which you wish to view properties by clicking on it (the asterisk will appear) and then right click on it. 

A submenu appears with just "Properties" listed. 

Select Properties from this submenu. 

The Properties window opens for the selected heading.

The Caption field dictates how the heading will display. 

For example, if the caption reads "Retail Price," the heading will display as "Retail Price."

The Short Caption field is optional--though it is recommended that you fill it in. 

You can key in an abbreviated version of the Caption here. For example, for the Caption "Retail Price," the Short Caption might be "Retails." 

Please note that both the Caption and Short Caption fields are system-wide throughout iMerchant, extending beyond the programs listed in the submenu upon first entering the Column Designer.

The Use Short Caption box can be checked or unchecked. 

If unchecked, the heading will display as set in the Caption line. 

If checked, the heading will display in its Short Caption form. Choose whichever version you want.

The Display Code Only option only displays in the Properties window for code-driven headings. 

Checking the Display Code Only box causes the grid to display the code, rather than the description, for the code-driven heading. 

For example, if you set Store Number to Display Code Only, just the code will display. In the grid, under Store Number, the code (probably "1" if it is Store Number 1) displays. 

If you leave the Display Code Only box unchecked, the description ("Store Number 1" or, more likely, the name of the store--"Merchandise Heaven," for example) will display.

The Display Width field tells you the displayed width of the field. 

Generally, you will never need to adjust this.

9. Once you are finished setting the Column Designer window to your liking, save the settings.