Option A Getting Started Guide
Option D with Control Center User Guide
Options D and O Spreadsheets User Guide
Overview
The Option B Excel eForm is an application designed to assist you in electronically recording Pesticide Reporting Law (PRL) information and reporting it to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Each time you run the program you are asked to enter or verify some basic contact information. You can then view and fill out electronic forms that are similar to the four paper forms used to report pesticide usage and sales. The forms are customized Microsoft Excel workbooks.
Option B runs under Microsoft Windows® and requires Microsoft Excel®.
After you download the Option B installation file, see the PRL Software Installation Guide to help you install the software on your computer.
After you install Option B, you must change the macro security setting in Excel. If you do not change the security setting and enable macros, many of the features in the spreadsheets will not operate or will not function correctly. Depending on your macro security setting and version of Excel, Excel may ask if you want to enable Macros when you open these forms. ALWAYS enable macros when using this software.
If Macros have not been enabled, the spreadsheets should show a prominent warning in the header area. (Note: the “Macros Disabled” warning may be briefly visible when you open a form and while you are saving a form; this is normal.)
The instructions for enabling macros are also available from the Help menu (Macro Security Setting item) on the Registration form.
If you need further assistance, contact the Pesticide Reporting Service Bureau.
Getting Started
A message box saying something like “Data directory created called 'C:\PRL2011'.” may appear. This is normal. The data directory is the location to which your data files will be written. The Registration form then opens.
Registration Form
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More Registration Form Functions
There are several buttons and menu items available on the Registration form that can help you prepare and submit your PRL report.
Report Forms
The PRL report forms are where you will enter the data that you need to report to the NYSDEC. Each form is used to report a particular type of pesticide-related activity.
IMPORTANT
The Excel eForms rely on the use of VBA Macros. ALWAYS enable macros when using this software.
Identity Fields
The identity fields in the header area of each form are filled with the values you entered on the Registration form. Changing the identity fields here does not update the corresponding fields on the Registration form. While the certification number and applicator name are editable, there are preferred methods for reporting for multiple applicators. The commercial permit number field is editable so that you can report for multiple commercial permittees in one report submission.
Form 26A also includes a business registration number column. If your pesticide business has more than one business registration number, you may but are not required to include all of your business’s registration numbers on the Form 26A.
Reporting No Activity
On each of the forms you can indicate that there was no reportable activity for the report year.
Excel eForms
If you have applications or sales to report, enter each pesticide application or sales record in its own row in the spreadsheet below the header area. The header area is “frozen” — i.e., it will remain visible at the top of the spreadsheet as you scroll down through the data entry rows. Please ensure that you have scrolled up to the rows that contain data if you are editing an existing workbook.
For your convenience, the column headers show a “tool tip” describing the contents of that column if you hover over the header cell with your mouse. In addition, most of the data entry cells show a descriptive prompt when the cell is selected. Additional information about the fields in each form is available from the Data Dictionary.
You can use standard Excel methods for moving around the spreadsheet from one cell to another.
Excel has a few surprising behaviors. If you use arrow keys or Tab to move more than two rows past the part of the spreadsheet containing data, the input focus will automatically move back to the top of the worksheet instead of to the next row.
Many of the standard editing features of an Excel spreadsheet are available for your use during data entry. For example, Copy, Cut, Paste, and Clear Contents can be used to edit individual cells. Since the eForms do not have selectable row numbers, we have provided two buttons for copying or deleting an entire row.
Values entered into cells are checked against a simple set of validation rules. See Validation for more information.
Ditto marks or use of the words "ditto", "same", or similar entries are not accepted by the Pesticide Reporting Service Bureau. Instead, you can use the EPA Reg Number List. or copy and paste as a convenient way to enter the same information repeatedly.
The columns on each form and their descriptions are
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eForm Menus and Controls
The eForms have a set of menus and controls designed to assist you in creating your PRL report.
Overview
Content Tools