Help -- Training -- Explanations -- Hints

"Group Categories" are defined in the Groups section of the system. You can access the Groups section by clicking the [Groups & Attendance] icon on the Home screen.

You have to create the Group Categories and assign one or more groups to them before you can use them with Custom Data Fields.

When you create a Custom Data Field with a type = "Group Drop-Down Box" or type = "Group Checkboxes", the available group categories will be listed in the [Choose Group Categories] window. Select the group categories for this data field by turning on the Checkbox next to the applicable group category names in that window. Then click the [Select Groups] button to finalize the assignments.

When a user updates this Custom Data Field on a Profile screen, they will have to choose from among the groups displayed. If it is a Group Drop-Down Box data field, the user will be able to select one of the groups. If it is a Group Checkboxes data field, the user can select one or more of the groups shown by turning on the Checkbox next to each group they want to select or turning off the Checkbox next to each group they want to de-select.

What is the Purpose of Group Categories with this Data Field Type:

The advantage of using this type of Custom Data Field is that the system, via the Profile screen, automatically puts the person in the group or groups chosen. If you change a person's Profile choices, the system automatically changes the person in the groups and keeps the groups updated correctly.

To do this manually, you have to click the [Groups & Attendance] icon, find the group on the CONTROL PANEL of the Groups & Attendance screen, and click the Add Group Members hyperlink to go to another screen where you can add the person to the group, or click the View/Delete Members hyperlink to go to another screen where you can remove the person from the group.

Instead, you do not have to do all that work to manually put people in and take people out of groups -- you can let the system do it for you. Just go to the person's Profile screen and update the applicable Custom Data Field by turning the Checkboxes on or off.

"CAA Product Help" from CAA Ministries at Support@CAAsoftware.com or 404-551-4230