| How Do I Link Package Items? |
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STARS allows you to link package items together so that when a result is entered for a pupil in one item, a value is automatically entered into another item in the package for the pupil. This facility allows you to setup packages so that column values are adjusted depending upon the result entered in other cells. For example, one package item may be a result in the range '0-100' that is recorded after the pupils are assessed. A second column in the package may be the 'Expected Exam Result' based upon the assessment results but using grades 'E-A'. Using the item linkage facility described below, you can setup this to save time and automatically produce calculated values so that a result of 0-30 produces 'E', 31-50 'D', 51-60 'C' etc.
NOTE: This functionality is limited to 'Admin' users.
Once you have logged into STARS and are at the Home page, follow these steps to link package items together:
- First, create your package in the normal way via 'Maintenance→Achievement Package→Add New' or identify the package that you wish to link items together in. Once your basic package exists you can proceed to the item linkage stage explained below.
- From the menu bar, click 'Maintenance→Achievement Package→Change'.
- Select the package that you wish to link items in and then click 'Accept' to continue.
- The package information will be displayed and you can make any further changes as necessary including adding or removing columns and changing result sets.
- To link an item, simply click on it in the 'In Use' column so that it is highlighted. The item name and result set will now be displayed in the fields below the 'In Use' column.
- NOTE:
- You cannot link to or from items that are used to record 'Free Text'.
- At least 2 items are needed in a package to begin the linkage process.
- You cannot create circular linkage (for example, 'Item A' linked to 'Item B' then 'Item B' linked to 'Item A').
- Package items that are already linked to another item are shown in red in the 'In Use' column, hover your mouse over the item to see which other item it is linked to.
- An item can only be linked from one other item but an item may link to many items. For example, when a value is entered into 'Item A' it may update 'Item B' and 'Item C' but 'Item B' and 'Item C' can not be linked from any other items while they are linked from 'Item A'.
- Click on the 'Associate' button to begin the setup.
- The package needs to be saved to check any changes you have made prior to selecting an item to link. Click 'OK' to begin the linkage setup or 'Cancel' to make further package changes.
- After clicking 'OK' the package will be validated for changes and you may need to correct any problems before clicking the 'Associate' button once more.
- If the item you selected was not already linked to another package item:
- STARS will now show the 'Package Item Associations' screen where you will see the item you selected to link to (in the 'To Item' column) and a drop-down list of all other items in the package (in the 'From Item' column).
- Select the item to link from via the drop-down (this is the item that when a result is entered into it a value will be put into the item shown in the 'To Item').
- Click 'Accept' to continue.
- Package items can be linked together in a chain (A updates B updates C etc). If a circular linkage is detected then an error will be displayed and you need to check the item you are linking from in the drop-down.
- If the item you initially selected was already linked or after you complete the step above to select the 'From Item' you will see the screen showing how the results are linked together.
- The 'From Item' and 'To Item' are displayed. Below the 'From Item' there is a list of all the possible results and a column next to it for the result to link to in the 'To Item'. This will normally show 'NOT SET' unless linkage previously existed and you are now changing it.
- The first row in the 'From Item' column will be highlighted (the radio button to the left shows the current row).
- In the result list shown below the 'To Item', click a value that you want to be set when this first result is entered in a 'From Item' cell for a pupil. For example, if the 'From Item' is '0-5' and the 'To Item' is 'E-A', '0' will be the highlighted row and clicking on 'E' in the 'To Item' will link '0' to 'E'.
- The row will now be highlighted in blue to show that it has been set and the next 'From Item' row will automatically be selected.
- You can manually select a 'From Item' row to set by clicking on the appropriate radio button.
- You do not need to set every 'From Item' value to a 'To Item' value. If you leave a result as 'NOT SET' then no value will automatically be placed in the 'To Item' cell for a pupil when results are entered into the 'From Item' cell.
- Click 'Accept' to save the linkage. The next time results are entered into this package the linkage will automatically update the appropriate cells.
Deleting Existing Linkage Between Package Items
- To delete linkage between items, click on the 'Delete Linkage' button and then confirm the delete by clicking 'OK' at the confirmation prompt. This does not delete any pupil information or results, it only removes the linkage between package items so results are no longer automatically updated. NOTE: The 'Delete Linkage' button is only displayed when package linkage has previously been setup and saved. It will not be displayed when linkage is initially being created.
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