Select this function after Initialize has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to specify default settings for the form’s video attributes. You can override these default settings for an individual item later using the Form Design menu, if needed.
You can set default attributes for the following:
| Text | Captions and messages. |
| Fields | Data entry and display areas for fields from Data Sets. |
| Selected Fields | Attributes of the data field on which the cursor is positioned. |
| Page | Attributes for the page background. |
| Page Borders | Attributes for the border and border text of the page. The border text can be specified through the Modify Page function (Page menu on the Form Design window). |
| Help | Attributes for help windows. |
For each of the items listed above, you can specify the attributes shown below. Any combination of attributes may be set for an item.
| Blink | Highlight the item in blinking video. |
| Bold | Highlight the item in bold (bright) video. |
| Reverse | Highlight the item in reverse video. |
| Underline | Underline the item. This attribute is only effective for text and data fields. |
After entering the video attribute settings, move the cursor to one of the three fields at the bottom of the window and press the Return key:
|
Change all settings to DataPaint's standard defaults. After selecting the Default menu item, select the Return menu item to save the settings. |
|
|
Exit without changing. You will go back to the Initialize menu. Any changes you made on the screen are not saved and settings will remain as they were previously. |
|
|
Saves the new settings if you made changes to individual settings or had selected Default. You go back to the Initialize menu. Select the Return menu item to go back to the main menu. |
Select this function after Initialize has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to convert a form created by DataPaint I to a DataPaint form. The Convert function takes the .FD System File created by DataPaint I and builds a new .FD System File that DataPaint can understand.
Enter the name of the DataPaint I .FD System File when you are prompted. When the Convert function completes, you go back to the Initialize menu. Select the Return menu item to go back to the main menu. You can then select the Design function to display the form.
Select this function on the DataPaint main menu to generate a form with all data fields from all the Data Sets you specified in the Data function.
After selecting the function, DataPaint will add the data fields to the form. The fields will be listed vertically against the left side of the page. The field names in the Schema Definition are used as captions. If a field has a TITLE clause, that name is used as the caption.
If the fields will not fit on one page, DataPaint will use additional pages. Use the Page menu (Next function) on the Form Design menu to look at the other pages.
Select Design on the DataPaint main menu to display this menu.
|
Add text, a line, a box, or a data field to the current page. |
|
|
Change the display attributes of text, a line, a box, or a data field. The characters in text may also be changed as well as help text for a field. |
|
|
Delete text, a box, a line, or a data field on the current page. |
|
|
Move text, a box, a line, or a data field. You can cut an item in one page and paste it in another page in the same form. |
|
|
Pastes text, a box, a line, or a data field that was acted upon by a previous Cut. |
|
|
Defines the area of the screen that displays the text, boxes, lines, and data fields. The following characteristics of the page may be changed:
|
|
|
Go back to the DataPaint main menu. |
In the upper right-hand corner of the screen, the page number is displayed. Also, the row and column coordinates of the current cursor position are shown. The row and column coordinates are relative to the upper left-hand position of the current page.
Select Add after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to display this menu.
|
Text |
Add a caption, prompt, or message to the current page. |
|
Add a vertical or horizontal line to the current page, or add a box to the current page. |
|
|
Add a data field to the current page. |
|
|
Go back to the Form Design menu. |
Select this function on the Add menu after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to add a caption, prompt, or message to the page.
Select the Text function on the Add menu. The message "Use arrow key to position cursor, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the position on the screen where you want the text to start and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, The message "Enter your text, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen. Enter the text and press the Return key. You will go back to the Form Design menu.
Select this function on the Add menu after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to add a line or box to the form.
Select Lines on the Add menu. The message "Position cursor at upper left, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the position on the screen where you want the line to start and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, the message "Position cursor at lower right, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
For a horizontal line, move the cursor to a different column in the same row. For a vertical line, move the cursor to a different row in the same column. After moving the cursor to the appropriate location, press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, the screen is rewritten with the line and you go back to the Form Design menu.
Select Lines on the Add menu. The message "Position cursor at upper left, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the position on the screen where you want the upper left corner of the box and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, the message "Position cursor at lower right, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the position on the screen where you want the lower right corner of the box and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, the screen is rewritten with the box and you go back to the Form Design menu.
Select this function on the Add menu after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to add a data entry and display area for a field in a Data Set.
Select the Fields function on the Add menu. The window Add Field appears.
Enter the source designator. If you press the Slash (/) key, you can select the source designator (MAIN, AUX1 through AUX9) from a list. The list shows the source designators of the Data Sets that you specified in the Data function on the Initialize menu. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the source designator you want to select and press the Return key.
Enter the field name. If the press the Slash (/) key, you can select the field name from a list. The window Select a Field shows the names of the fields in the Data Set that you selected in the previous step. Use the arrow keys to move to the name of the field and press the Return key.
Position the cursor on the Return menu item and press the Return key. The message "Use arrow keys to position cursor, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to where you want the field and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor. After you press the Return key, you go back to the Form Design menu.
Select this function after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to modify attributes of an item (text, line, box, or data field).
Select the Modify function on the Form Design menu. The message "Position cursor at beginning of item, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the beginning of the data field you want to modify. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
Before you press the Return key, you can stop at the first position of any data field and press the Question Mark (?) key to see the field name, size, and type. Help text for the field, if defined, will be displayed in its specified location.
When you are finally positioned on the data field you want to modify, press the Return key. The window called Field Definition Attributes appears.
The window shows this information which cannot be changed:
source (designator of the Data Set)
name of the field, data type of the field
the size of the field
You can change the following:
|
Enter a valid ACCENT R print picture in this field if you want a display format that is different from that specified in the Schema Definition. See chapter 16 of the ACCENT R Reference Manual (Volume II) for a complete discussion of print pictures.If you want to have a character field appear on the form, but you do not have enough space where you want to place it, you can specify a print picture that truncates the field so that it is small enough to fit.Be careful when entering a print picture because it is not checked until you execute the form. If the print picture is incorrect, you will get a non-fatal error message at run-time. |
|
|
For date fields (data types "D" and "F"), you can enter a date format that converts the date value to a character string. There are two formats for dates that can be used: MM/DD/YY MM/DD/YYYYFor example, if @DATE = 2/1/88, then MM/DD/YY displays 2/1/88 and MM/DD/YYYY displays 2/1/1988. |
|
|
If needed, specify the name of a validation routine that will be executed when this field is entered or changed. You will need to code the routine and add it to the System File ###ACCPNT2_FDF.TMP after you exit DataPaint.Sometimes it is necessary to use verification routines for value-checking that cannot be done through VALID IF clauses in a Schema Definition. For example, if a specific part number must exist in the PARTS Data Set before it can be added to the ORDERS Data Set, a verification routine could do the cross-check. |
|
|
Display the item in blinking video. |
|
|
Display the item in bold (bright) video. |
|
|
Display the item in reverse video. |
|
|
Underline the item. |
|
|
Retain the field value from the previous record. Refer to the DUPLICATE option for the ENTER command in the ACCENT R Reference Manual. |
|
|
Makes a data field "read-only" so that its value can be displayed, but not entered or changed. |
|
|
A value for the field must be entered when adding or changing a record. |
|
|
Right-justifies values that are normally left-justified (such as character fields). |
|
|
Forces all character field values to be uppercase. |
If you enter "Y" after "Modify default help text attributes", the window called Help Text and Attributes will appear and you will be able to enter help text for the field and set the help text attributes and location.
| Blink | Display the help text in blinking video. |
| Bold | Display the help text in bold (bright) video. |
| Reverse | Display the help text in reverse video. |
| Underline | Underline the help text. |
| Location | The row and column number where you want the help text displayed. The row and column number are relative to the upper-left position of the screen, and not relative to the upper-left position of the current page. |
| Help Text | Enter the text that you want to be displayed when the cursor is positioned on the first character of a data field and the user presses the Question Mark (?) key. The maximum length of the help text is 68 characters. The help text cannot contain quote characters. Note that help text can only be displayed for a modifiable data field from the MAIN Data Set. |
After filling in the above information, enter Control-Z to go back to the Field Definition Attributes window.
Enter Control-Z. You will go back to the Form Design menu.
Select the Modify function on the Form Design menu. The message "Position cursor at beginning of item, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the first position of the line or box you want to modify and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor. After you press the Return key, the window Modify Line Attributes appears.
|
Display the line or box in blinking video. |
|
|
Display the line or box in bold (bright) video. |
|
|
Display the line or box in reverse video. |
|
| Underline the line or box. |
Change the attributes as needed. When you are through, enter Control-Z. You will return to the Form Design menu.
Select Modify on the Form Design menu. The message "Position cursor at beginning of item, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the first position of the text that you want to modify and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor. After you press the Return key, the window Modify Text Attributes appears:
|
Display the text in blinking video. |
|
|
Display the text in bold (bright) video. |
|
|
Display the text in reverse video. |
|
|
Underline the text. |
Change the attributes as needed. When you are through, enter Control-Z. You will go back to the Form Design menu.
Select this function after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to delete an item on the screen.
Select the Delete function on the Form Design menu. The message "Position cursor at beginning of item, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the first position of the item you want to delete and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, the screen will be rewritten without the item.
Select this function after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to move an item in the current page.
Select the Cut function on the Form Design menu. The message "Move cursor to beginning of CUT item, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the first position of the item you want to move and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, the message "Move cursor to PASTE position, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to the position where you want the item moved and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, the screen is rewritten with the item in its new location and you go back to the Form Design menu.
The item is still stored in the "paste buffer" after you have moved it. The paste buffer is a temporary holding area that stores items that have been Cut during your DataPaint session.
If you want to copy the last item that was moved with the Cut function, select the Paste function.
If you want to copy an item to a different page, select the Cut function. At step number 4 above, do not move the cursor to a new position. Press the Return key and the item will be removed from the screen, but will be copied to the paste buffer. Select the page to which you want to move the item and then select the Paste function.
Select this function after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to copy the item currently in the paste buffer to the page. The paste buffer is a temporary holding area that stores items that have been Cut during your DataPaint session.
Select Paste on the Form Design menu. The message "Use arrow keys to position cursor, <CR> when done" appears at the top of the screen.
Move the cursor to where you want the item pasted and press the Return key. You can enter a number and press the appropriate arrow key to move the cursor.
After you press the Return key, the screen will be rewritten with the item in the new location.
An item is still stored in the "paste buffer" after a Cut function. You can use this feature to do the things listed below.
If you want to copy the last item that was moved with the Cut function, select the Paste function.
If you want to copy an item to a different page, select the Cut function. At step number 4 above, do not move the cursor to a new position. Press the Return key and the item will be removed from the screen, but will be copied to the paste buffer. Select the page to which you want to move the item and then select the Paste function.
Select Page after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to display this menu. All pages are numbered sequentially from 1 to 99.
|
Display page number 1. |
|
|
Display the last page defined. |
|
|
Display the page numbered one greater than the current page. |
|
|
Display the page numbered one less than the current page. |
|
|
Display a requested page. You will be prompted for the page number. |
|
|
Add a new page to the form. The number of the new page is one greater than the last page added. |
|
|
Change the size, location, attributes, and border text of the current page. You cannot modify a page if there are items defined in it. |
|
|
Delete the current page. Any pages after the deleted page are renumbered. |
|
|
Go back to the Form Design menu. |
Select this function on the Page menu after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to add a new page to the form. All pages are automatically numbered from 1 to 99.
Select the Add function on the Page menu. The new page will appear on the screen. The new page will have the next available sequential number.
Select the Return menu item on the Page menu. You go back to the Form Design menu.
If you want to change the page attributes (with the Modify function on the Page menu), do so after adding the new page before you have put any items on it.
Select this function on the Page menu after Design has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to change page attributes.
Select the Modify function on the Page menu. The window Modify Page Attributes appears.
|
The number of this page. All pages are automatically numbered from 1 to 99. |
|
|
The row number of the terminal screen that will contain row 1 of this page. |
|
|
The column number of the terminal screen that will contain column 1 of this page. |
|
|
The number of rows in the page. This number does not include the 2 rows for the border. |
|
|
This is the number of columns in the page. This number does not include the 2 columns for the border. |
You can set attributes for each of the following:
| Page | The attributes selected will be used for all items in the page. |
| Page Border | The attributes selected will be used for the border and border text of the page. You can specify the border text on the lower portion of this window. |
| Selected Fields | The attributes selected are used for the field on which the cursor is positioned. |
You can set these attributes for the items above:
| Blink | Display the item in blinking video. |
| Bold | Display the item in bold (bright) video. |
| Reverse | Display the item in reverse video. |
| Underline | Underline the item. |
| Border Text | If you want the page to have a centered title, enter a "Y" in this field and specify the text below. |
Note: The size and location of the page cannot be changed after items have been added to the page. Always use the Modify Page function to set the page attributes when you first create the page.
After filling in the screen, enter Control-Z. You will go back to the Page menu. Select the Return menu item to go back to the Form Design menu.
Select this function on the DataPaint main menu to see the following information:
Select Save on the DataPaint main menu to display this menu.
|
Save only the form layout as SMF statements in a System File. |
|
|
Compile a Process Module for this form. |
|
|
Hold the form definition. |
|
|
Go back to the DataPaint main menu. |
Select this function after Save has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to create a System File that contains SMF statements for the form (LAYOUT). The System File can then be USEd to save a System Information (SI). You can copy the System File into a Code Segment, Command Module, Process Module, or Global Storage.
The name of the System File will be the form name with the extension ".LYT". The System File is catalogued in the current DBL.
If you do not change the SMF statements in the LAYOUT you can later use DataPaint to change the form.
DataPaint deletes the existing .LYT file (if any) when you execute the Layout function.
Select this function after Save has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to create an executable Process Module in the current DBL with the form you have created. After the Process Module is successfully saved by DataPaint, it can be executed.
The name of the Process Module is the same as the name that you entered in the Form function. If the Process Module saves successfully, the message will display.
If the Process Module does not save successfully, an error message will display. The compiler error messages will be written to the System File ###ACCPNT2_LOG.TMP (where ### is the VAX/VMS process id). After analyzing the error messages, you can make the appropriate changes to the form through DataPaint.
If a Process Module already exists with the same name as your form, DataPaint asks you if you want to overwrite the existing Process Module or assign a different name to the new Process Module. If you select to overwrite, the existing Process Module is removed even if DataPaint is unable to save the new Process Module. If the Process Module does not save, the text will be held.
The Process Module can be changed as needed outside of DataPaint. However, if you do this you will not be able to use DataPaint to make subsequent changes to the form without superseding your special modifications.
Note: That DataPaint creates the Process Module by building a System File called ###ACCPNT2_FDF.TMP. This System File contains the Process Module statements that are submitted to the ACCENT R compiler.
Select this function after Save has been chosen on the DataPaint main menu to retain the form information that you have entered so far. You can then quit DataPaint and come back later, enter the form name and the work you have completed will be available. The Hold function is useful when you will not be able to complete the form in the current DataPaint session and you are not ready to do a Create or Layout function.
After the Hold function is complete, you go back to the Save menu. Select the Return menu item to go back to the main menu.
The form information will be stored in a System File with the name form_name.FD.