PracticeMaster Q&A: Increasing Alpha Field Length

April 2019    Tags: PracticeMaster

Several years ago we created a custom Alpha field in the PracticeMaster Client file to hold claim numbers for our clients. Recently, these claim numbers have increased an extra character and they can no longer fit into the field. Is there anything we can do to increase the number of characters allowed for this field?

Unlike other field types, a character limit of up to 128 characters can be specified in File Maintenance for Alpha fields. Provided your claim numbers are not longer than 128 characters, the length of your field can be increased.

To increase an Alpha field’s length

1. From the Maintenance menu, select File Maintenance.
2. Select the Client file and click OK.
3. From the Field tab:
   1. In the Field IDs section, select the desired field.
   2. In the Custom Properties section, enter the desired Length.
4. Click Done.

Note: If your claim numbers exceed 128 characters, consider creating a Memo type field for new or changed information. Memo fields can hold up to 45,000 characters.