*Aliases*, and their corresponding lists of values are located in an Excel spreadsheet called 'multichoice.xlsx'. Typically, the file is located in the same folder as your Instant Database records. (Most likely, this location is 'c:\program files (x86)\Pathagoras\IDBs\'. If you are working in a network environment, you or the supervisor may have moved it to a common location on the server.)

    The 'multichoice.xlsx' spreadsheet is a standard Excel spreadsheet. You can manually edit this spreadsheet as any other spreadsheet. You can add a new *Alias* by typing any word or short phrase in row one and type a list of choices beneath it. Each choice occupies a single cell. The elements must be contiguous, i.e., no blank columns and no empty cells between entries. (Any blank column indicates the end of the *Aliases*. Any a blank cell indicates the end of the choices for that particular *Alias*.)

   Accessing the *Alias* lists (for editing the lists:

    1. If you know the physical location of multichoice.xlsx, you can navigate to it manually. (The location of the folder is as indicated in the above paragraphs.)

    2. The more classic technique to open multichoice.xlsx is by clicking Pathagoras Features | Authoring Editing Tools | *Alias* Lists). Press the Edit button.

Click the Edit button and the *Alias* spreadsheet will open in Excel.
Edit as needed from there. Very easy.

  Alias list rules:

•The first item at the top of a list is the *Alias* name.

•The second through the last items in the list are the values assigned to the *Alias* List.

•There is no limit to the number of *Aliases* (top row entries) you can have.

•There is no limit to the number of choices each *Alias* can have.

•BLANK COLUMN WARNING: There cannot be a blank column between *Aliases*. When Pathagoras sees a blank column, it assumes there 'nothing more' to find.

•BLANK CELL WARNING: There cannot be an empty cell in a listing of *Alias* values. When Pathagoras encounters a empty cell when reading down a list, it assumes there is 'nothing more' to find. If you must have a 'blank' cell, just type any character (e.g., a period, dash or hyphen) as a place-holder. In this case, you need to not leave a blank, and you never expect to use the value. BUT---

If you want Pathagoras to just delete the variable because it is often not needed and frequently blank-- e.g., 'Address Line 2' -- type in the 'delete' word as the place holder in the spreadsheet. (By default the delete word is '_delete_'.)  You can reset the 'delete' word in the Alias Menu.
 

  Creating *Aliases* from within Word:

 You can create new *Aliases* and corresponding lists of values from lists and tables in a Word document. It is immaterial how the list is created. You can type it by hand, import if from other sources. Any list of any length can be used. Highlight the list or table you intend to add as an alias. Just click the 'Tools' tab and click the 'Add prepared on-screen list'. Follow the prompts.

 

 

If you select 'Quick List', Pathagoras will ask for the name of an *Alias*
and then for a listing of up to 10 choices the *Alias* is to represent.

See 'Prepared Lists' section of this Manual for the different kinds of lists
that Pathagoras can automatically add for you.  

 

   The following bullets describe the action of the other options presented in the upper left corner of the screen:

•The 'Edit/Add' option:

   When you click Next>>, Pathagoras will open the multichoice.xlsx spreadsheet in Excel.  Edit as appropriate.

•The "Quick Add" option:  You can add a list (typically a short list, since you will be manually typing the entries) of multiple choices directly from the keyboard. When you select the Quick Add option and press Next>>, Pathagoras will ask you for the name you want to assign to the variable and then ask you to type up to 10 choices that you want the variable to represent. When done, click OK and Pathagoras will save the choices into your *Alias* collection.

•'Add prepared on-screen list option: This is discussed and illustrated in the next section.

 

Pathagoras lets you easily add a new *Alias* and List to your collection 'on the fly'. If you want to create an "Alias* that you know does not currently exist in your collection, simply type in a document a variable representing the non-existing alias. E.g, [*Attorney Name*]. When you scan the document following an Instant Database call, Pathagoras will detect the 'error' and notify you that the *Alias* does not exist. It will offer you the opportunity to create it.