Procedure 1: Design the Format

The first step in defining or modifying a format is to design it. Design is perhaps the most important of the eight procedures because it provides the blueprint that you will use to create a new format or change an existing format.

Questions

The following is a list of some of the questions that you should ask when designing a format:

• For which database are you creating or changing a format?
• Which fields from that database do your patrons want to see?
• In what order do your patrons expect to see fields displayed?
• How should the actual data look when it is formatted?
• Are patrons going to view data in brief or full format?
• Are patrons going to use the frames or no-frames interface when viewing data?

See Also

Formatting Your Display