Difference between revisions of "Dropdown options (formerly constants)"

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Constants basics
[[Dropdown options (formerly constants)#Dropdown basics|Dropdown options basics]]


Editing constants
[[Dropdown options (formerly constants)#Add a dropdown option|Add a dropdown option]]


A warning about changing constants[[File:Constants.PNG|550px|thumb|right|Utilities Menu]]
[[Dropdown options (formerly constants)#Edit dropdown options|Edit dropdown options]]


[[Dropdown options (formerly constants)#A warning about changing dropdown options|A warning about changing dropdown options]]


[[Dropdown options (formerly constants)#Merging dropdown options|Merging dropdown options]]


There are 13 major sets of "constants" used through out CIMS.  These are options that appear in the dropdowns (select boxes) used when entering customer, ownership, burial, deed, etc. information.  The options are editable and customization to your cemetery by you.  To access the 'Constants' click on the "Utilities" menu item in the top navigation bar. then click on the Constants you want to edit.  The constants that are available are:
<br><br>
*Burial Types
*: Used when adding a burial on the Burial Tab. The usual types are:
** Standard
** Adult
** Child
** Cremation
** etc.
*Branch of Service Types
*: Used when adding veteran information of a customer. usually:
**Army
**Navy
**Air Force
**Marines
**Cost Guard
*Care Funds
*: These are the options chosen on the Car Fund Tab. These are complete custom to each cemetery and there are no usual types, but they mostly involve items such as upkeep and flowers.
*Funeral Homes
*: When entering/editing a burial you can select the Funeral Home form this list.  Each Cemetery's list will be unique.
*Map Feature Types
*: Chosen when entering/editing a feature on your map.
*Marker Types
*: Chosen when entering/editing a marker for space.  The list will be unique to each Cemetery
*Marker Vendors
*: The list of Marker Vendors also chosen on the Markers tab for a space.
*Relationship Types
*: Relationship types are used when entering a burial for the relationship of the interred to the Owner, and also on the Contacts tab of the Customer Information screen to show the relationship of the contact to the customer.  Standard lists includes:
** Self
** Mother
** Father
**Brother
**Sister
**Aunt
**Uncle
**Grand parent
** etc.; add as many relationship types as your cemetery needs
*Restricted Types
*: On the ownership tab for a space whose status is set to "Restricted" there will be a drop down with this constants options.  Typical options are:
**Tree in space
**Waterline
**Insufficient Space
**etc.
*Space Types
*: A required field for each space is the "Space Type", This is used in several reports and therefore very important that it have a value.  The typical options for this constant are:
** Ground Space
** Crypt
** Mausoleum
** Cremation
*Vault types
*: While not required it is useful to have for reporting, accounting and organization.  These types usually include but are not limited to:
**Concrete
**wood
**metal
**green
**etc.
*Vault Vendors
*: and if you are listing the vault types might as well have the vendor for those types as well. These will be unique to each Cemetery
*War Types
*: This is the list of options to choose from when entering Veteran Information.  This can be very useful for Memorial Days and help veteran groups determine what type of decoration should be used.


<br clear=all>
==Dropdown options basics==
[[File:ConstantsEditing.PNG|200px|thumb|left|Editing Constants]]
[[File:Examples of constants buttons.png|thumb|300x300px|Highlighted in red: two examples of constant buttons next to dropdowns.]]
== Editing ==
A dropdown option (formerly known as a "constant") is an option that appears in a dropdown box. These are found throughout CIMS, you use them all the time - think burial types, names of funeral homes, wars and military ranks (used by veterans), and more.<br><br>
To add/edit/delete a Constant, click on the Constant you want to edit form the Utilities menu and you will be brought to the "Constants Editing Page".


To add a new constant:  
==Add a dropdown option==
#fill out the "Name"(required)
First, you will need to open the dropdown options popup. There are two ways to do this:
#fill out the "Remark"(not required)
*In the top navigation bar, click your cemetery's name. A dropdown menu will appear; click on "Dropdown options" or select an option from the dropdown list next to "Dropdown options".
#click the green "Add Item" button.
*Any place in CIMS you see a customizable dropdown, there will be a navy blue circular button with a white plus inside. Click this button to see the options for this particular dropdown.
In the dropdown options popup, there will be a field at the top with the placeholder text "New option". Type in the name of the new option you would like to add and any remarks (optional). Click "Save". The new option will appear in the list of options below.
[[File:Add a new constant.png|center|thumb|550x550px|Need to add a new dropdown option to your cemetery? Use the dropdown option popup.]]


To edit an existing constant
==Edit dropdown options==
#click the blue "Edit" button to the right of the constant you want to edit
Follow the steps above to open the dropdown options popup. To change an option's name, simply click on it, type, and click "Update". Remarks are optional; follow the same procedure to edit them.
#update the Name and Remarks Field
#click the green "Save" button


To delete a constant: ('''WARNING''': when deleting a constant you need to make sure that it is not in use/or set anywhere in your cemetery)
To delete an option, click the red trash can icon to the right of the "Update" button. CIMS will not allow you to delete a dropdown option that is in use.
#click the blue "Edit" button to the right of the constant you want to edit
#click the red "Remove" button


To merge constants
<span style="border:2px solid #c2dce9;padding:10px;border-radius:5px;background-color:#f2fbff;margin:15px 0px;display:inline-block;">Use caution when changing an option's name! It will change all records in your database using that option. See below, [[Dropdown options (formerly constants)#A warning about changing dropdown options|a warning about changing dropdown options]]</span>
#Check the constants you want to merge and click the green "Merge" button on the bottom of the screen.  
 
#Select the constant you want to keep
<br><br>
 
==A warning about changing dropdown options==
Be careful when changing the name of a dropdown option, it could have unintended consequences! For example, if you change an option for a burial type from "Cremation" to "Adult full-body burial", any burials in your cemetery that were using the option "Cremation" will now have a burial type of full-body adult burials! We recommend only changing the names of dropdown options if you need to fix a spelling or minor grammatical error.<br><br>
 
==Merging dropdown options==
Use the dropdown options popup to merge dropdowns. Click the checkboxes on the right side of the options you want to merge; you are not limited to merging two options at a time, you can select however many you need. Next, click the green "Merge" button in the lower-right corner of the popup. You will be asked which of the options you want to keep, choose one and click "Save".<gallery widths="450" heights="220">
File:Merge dropdowns 1.png|To merge dropdown options, click on the checkboxes to the right of the options you want to merge, then click "Merge".
File:Merge dropdowns 2.png|Choose the option you want to keep and click "Save".
</gallery><br><br>

Latest revision as of 15:05, 7 July 2026

Dropdown options basics

Add a dropdown option

Edit dropdown options

A warning about changing dropdown options

Merging dropdown options



Dropdown options basics

Highlighted in red: two examples of constant buttons next to dropdowns.

A dropdown option (formerly known as a "constant") is an option that appears in a dropdown box. These are found throughout CIMS, you use them all the time - think burial types, names of funeral homes, wars and military ranks (used by veterans), and more.

Add a dropdown option

First, you will need to open the dropdown options popup. There are two ways to do this:

  • In the top navigation bar, click your cemetery's name. A dropdown menu will appear; click on "Dropdown options" or select an option from the dropdown list next to "Dropdown options".
  • Any place in CIMS you see a customizable dropdown, there will be a navy blue circular button with a white plus inside. Click this button to see the options for this particular dropdown.

In the dropdown options popup, there will be a field at the top with the placeholder text "New option". Type in the name of the new option you would like to add and any remarks (optional). Click "Save". The new option will appear in the list of options below.

Need to add a new dropdown option to your cemetery? Use the dropdown option popup.

Edit dropdown options

Follow the steps above to open the dropdown options popup. To change an option's name, simply click on it, type, and click "Update". Remarks are optional; follow the same procedure to edit them.

To delete an option, click the red trash can icon to the right of the "Update" button. CIMS will not allow you to delete a dropdown option that is in use.

Use caution when changing an option's name! It will change all records in your database using that option. See below, a warning about changing dropdown options



A warning about changing dropdown options

Be careful when changing the name of a dropdown option, it could have unintended consequences! For example, if you change an option for a burial type from "Cremation" to "Adult full-body burial", any burials in your cemetery that were using the option "Cremation" will now have a burial type of full-body adult burials! We recommend only changing the names of dropdown options if you need to fix a spelling or minor grammatical error.

Merging dropdown options

Use the dropdown options popup to merge dropdowns. Click the checkboxes on the right side of the options you want to merge; you are not limited to merging two options at a time, you can select however many you need. Next, click the green "Merge" button in the lower-right corner of the popup. You will be asked which of the options you want to keep, choose one and click "Save".

  • To merge dropdown options, click on the checkboxes to the right of the options you want to merge, then click "Merge".

  • Choose the option you want to keep and click "Save".



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