Accessing record for any particular table is astonishingly easy (as well it should be). From the table list/grid screen (the main screen Flexile opens to) tap on the table you want to access records for. Flexile will then transition you over to the right pane, showing all the records for that table. I would make it easier, but Apple hasn’t released their ‘mind-reading’ API… yet. The record list has a lot going on so read on for all the latest gossip in Flexile record manipulation.
Pages
First, let’s talk about pages. Flexile can organize the information in your records into pages. In fact, if you haven’t set up any Views, Flexile will do just that if it can’t fit the information in a single page. Pages are powerful by letting you keep the identifying information (like a contact’s name) prominent while still making it easy to access the rest of the information without having to actually open the record.
Page Selector: If the records in your list have multiple pages, there will be a Page Selector included with the toolbars you can pull-down (more on that below). These tabs represent pages of information you can display. Obviously, the first page is displayed by default, but you can display other pages by tapping on the respective tab. When you do, all of the records in the list will switch to the page you selected. Header Dragging: If the record list has a header, you can drag that header left/right to change the page of all the records. By default, Flexile will always display a record header in the record list, but you can disable this if you create your own view. Neat Trick: All of the records will follow your finger, not just the header. Record Swiping: You don’t have to change the page for every records just to view the information of one. Instead, you can drag the record left and right to switch between that individual record’s pages. Flexile will remember the page of that record even if you scroll it out of view.
Changing Views
Views are different ways of arranging and displaying your data. They’re very cool, fun, awesome and . You may notice at the top of the navigation bar, next to the Back button is a pair of glasses. You can tap on that to change the view. Doing so will cause Flexile to resize, move and reformat all of the data on the screen to match the view you selected… it’s kinda neat. You also have the option of adding new views and editing the current view. This makes it easy to design your table and immediately see the result of changes you make.
Options Pull-Down
You may notice a pull handle at the top of the record list. You can actually pull down on that to access additional viewing options for the table. This will unfold up to three toolbars you can use to sort, search and change record pages (if there are any). I hid those options to give you the maximum amount of space for viewing your records, while still making it easy to access those options. Oh, and if you’re at the top of the record list, you can actually just pull down on the table itself to unfold the options. This will allow you to change the page of all record (if there are multiple pages) and set the sort and filter for the table.
Deleting Records
Deleting Records in Flexile is easy: Swipe Right. Well…ok, I need to add a caveat. If you’ve already swiped left so you’re viewing other pages, swiping right will bring you to the previous page. So your record needs to be on Page 1 in order for you do delete it. Once you swipe right you be given a confirmation screen asking if you want to delete. You’ll really want to spend some time here, maybe grab a Cup O’ Joe to clear your mind and make absolutely sure that you want to delete this record. Once you delete it it’s done…gone, kaput. Unless you’ve made a backup (which I highly recommend) you can’t get it back. All the connections it’s made with other records will also be deleted, leaving a small void for those records they will never get back…. just saying, you want to make sure. If you’re not sure you can always tap “Cancel” (which is green for a reason). You can also cancel by swiping left on this screen.
Of course, you can also tap on the Edit button on the top right (in the navigation bar) next to the Add button. This will place the table in Editing mode. You should notice a bunch of red minus signs appear next to the records. Tap on one and a Delete button will appear to the right of the record. Tap on that and the record will be deleted. This isn’t exactly easier than swiping, but I suppose it is more obvious.
Mass Record Deletion
You can also delete all the records in the current recordset by first tapping on the the “Edit” button and tapping on the “Trash Icon” that should appear near the bottom-left of the screen. You will be asked to confirm the deletion. Once you do confirm it, it may take a little while to delete all the records, especially if you have a lot of records with lot’s of links.
WARNING: Besides the obvious warnings associated with the great power of mass record deletion, you need to understand that Flexile will only delete the records currently being displayed. So if you’ve applied a filter to the table, only records that match that filter will be deleted. You can use this to selectively delete only the records you want, but without having to manually delete each one separately.