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Codes (Drop-Down Values)

Page Location: Admin > Codes

Drop-Down Values (Codes) are used to save time and effort, ensure accuracy and consistency, and to configure information to meet your organization's needs. The majority of the drop-down values that can be configured by your organization are located in Admin > Codes. If something needs to be added to a drop-down list – start there.

Exceptions:
(1) Instructors & Training Admins – These are stored in Admin > Security > Users  
(2) Answers to Questions created in Page Builder – These are stored with the question in Page Builder
(3) Hard Coded Codes - Some codes, likes questions (Yes/No) are hard coded and cannot be changed

All code tables contain at least two elements - a Code and a Description. However, some tables allow for additional elements such as an Inactive checkbox (used to remove the code from the Users' or Student's view;) Grade Type (Grade Codes;) Capacity Limit (Class Location Codes;) Requirements & Programs (Job Codes & Organization Codes) and others.

The sort order for codes in the student/user views is generally alphabetically by description, which is why in some cases numbers may be used in the beginning of the description to help organize the sort order.

When adding codes, the character strings of "SP_" or "X_" cannot be used.  For example, X_NOT SELECTED.  Even if the system allows for the code or character string to be saved, it will cause operation problems later if these strings are used.  Instead use a dash (-) like X-NOT SELECTED. 

Each code table has a few items which are consistent:

• Printer Icon - this icon will run a report of the current code listing.  Once the report is run, the report can be printed or exported to excel.
• Show Active checkbox - if a code table has the option to inactivate codes, this box will show at the top of the page allowing the user to show all the codes or only the Active codes.
• Add New Record - click on this link add codes.
• Pencil Icon - click on this to edit description and/or attributes connected to a code (the code itself cannot be changed).
• X Icon - click on this to remove a code. NOTE: if the code is removed it does not remove the raw data from the student, course or class. The code will remain but there will be no reference back to the setup to determine what the code represented. Also, if the student, course or class information is edited and the changes saved after the code is deleted, this could leave a hole in the data.
• Copy Link - If a code table allow for this, click on this link to copy codes from another code table into this code table. 

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Creating Codes

Important Considerations:  Cyber Train codes cannot contain certain symbols such as commas, quotes, periods, apostrophes or ampersands and the user will get an error message when trying to enter or import codes containing them. There are also certain character combinations that must be avoided because Cyber Train is programmed to strip them (even if they are in the middle of a code or description) as they can be used by others to reference potentially dangerous procedures or scripts that could cause harm to your Cyber Train system.  These combinations include: SP_ or sp_ and  XP_ or xp_.   Also a double dash will be converted to a single dash.  There are a few other combinations not listed here that could be stripped, but it is extremely unlikely that they would be used in codes or descriptions.

After clicking "Add new record." enter in the necessary information to create a new code.

Inactivating Codes

Some codes can be inactivated. When the code is inactivated it will no longer be an option to select when updating the system or displayed in grouping/search options on the website. Inactive codes in search lists and reports inside Cyber Train will be segmented so all active codes appear first and then inactive codes appear under a header ---Inactive---

To inactivate a code, edit the code and checkmark the option for 'Inactive'.

NOTE: If a code cannot be inactivated, it is not recommended to delete the code as this could cause "holes" in your data. Instead, consider adding a "z" to the beginning of the Description field as this will move the code to the bottom of the list as the lists are generally alphabetized and then to train the users/students that anything that starts with a "z" is no longer in use.