With this session parameter, you assign a helproutine or a help map to a field.
Possible settings | See HE Parameter Syntax below. | ||
---|---|---|---|
Default setting | none | ||
Specification within session | yes | ||
Applicable statements | INPUT |
||
Applicable command | none |
Helproutines can be created with the Natural program editor, help maps with the Natural map editor.
The helproutine or help map may then be invoked during processing of an INPUT
statement or a map by choosing either
of the following methods:
In the field for which to invoke the help request, enter the help character in the leftmost position of the field and press ENTER. The default help character is a question mark (?).
If you enter the help character at a different position of the field or if you enter more than one character, the string is taken as user input and no help is invoked. If the field contains hexadecimal zeroes, it depends on the terminal emulation whether Natural can interpret the values as a help request.
Or:
Place the cursor in the field for which to invoke the help request and press the PF key
defined as help function key with the SET
KEY
statement.
The following topics are covered below:
The syntax of this parameter is:
HE =operand1 |
, | operand2 | ...20 | ||||
= | |||||||
nX |
Operand Definition Table:
Operand | Possible Structure | Possible Formats | Referencing Permitted | Dynamic Definition | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
operand1 | C | S | A | no | no | ||||||||||||||||
operand2 | C | S | A | A | U | N | P | I | F | B | D | T | L | C | O | no | no |
Syntax Element Description:
Syntax Element | Description |
---|---|
operand1 |
operand1 is the name of the helproutine or
help map to be invoked. The name may be a 1 to 8 character alphanumeric constant
or user-defined variable. If a variable is used, it must have been previously
defined. The case of the specified name is not translated.
The name may contain an ampersand (&); at execution time, this
character will be replaced by the one-character code corresponding to the current
value of the Natural system variable *LANGUAGE . This feature allows the
use of multi-lingual helproutines or help maps.
For additional
information on using |
operand2 |
You may specify 1 to 20 parameters
(operand2 ) which are passed to the
helproutine or help map. They may be specified as constants or as user-defined
variables which contain the values of the parameters.
For additional information on using operand2 within a map, see the HE helproutine option described in Extended Field Editing in Map Editor in the Editors documentation. |
= |
The equals sign (= ) is used to pass an object or a field name
to a helproutine or help map:
If the equals sign is used as a parameter, the corresponding parameter in the helproutine or help map must be specified with format/length A65. |
n X
|
The notation nX can be used to
specify parameters to be omitted, that is, for which no values are to be passed.
The corresponding receiving parameters in the called helproutine's DEFINE DATA PARAMETER
statement must be defined as OPTIONAL .
|
Notes:
ID
) or by a comma. However, a comma must not be
used for this purpose if the comma is defined as decimal character (with the session
parameter DC
).
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER
statement
which defines fields that correspond with the parameters in format and length.
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER
statement
which corresponds in format and length with the original field. In the block of fields
defined within the DEFINE DATA PARAMETER
statement, this field must always
be defined behind the parameters, if present.
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER
statement.
You may specify up to three index parameters according to array dimensions.
If a helproutine or help map is requested - by entering a question mark (?) in the field,
or by pressing the help key (as defined with a SET KEY
statement), or via a
REINPUT
USING HELP
statement - all other data that may have been entered into fields
are not assigned to the program variables until all help requests have been processed.
Note:
Only one help request per INPUT
statement is possible; that is, if help is requested for
more than one field (for example, by entering question marks in multiple fields), only the
first help request will be executed.
/* MAIN PROGRAM DEFINE DATA 1 #A(A20/1:3) END-DEFINE ... SET KEY PF1=HELP ... INPUT #A (2) (HE='HELPA',=) ... END
/* HELP-ROUTINE 'HELPA' DEFINE DATA PARAMETER 1 #VARNAME (A65) 1 #PARM1 (A20) 1 #VARINDEX (I2) END-DEFINE ...
* Program 'PROGRAM1' * DEFINE DATA LOCAL 1 #PARM1 (A65) INIT <'valueparm1'> END-DEFINE SET KEY PF1 = HELP FORMAT KD=ON * INPUT (AD=M HE='HELP1',=) 'Enter ? for name of executed object:' / #PARM1 * INPUT (AD=M) 'Enter ? for field name:' / #PARM1 (HE='HELP1',=) * END
Parameter Data Area in Example Helproutine HELP1
:
* Helproutine 'HELP1' * DEFINE DATA PARAMETER 1 #FLD1 (A65) END-DEFINE ...