INPUT Syntax 1 - Dynamic Screen Layout Specification

With the option WINDOW='window-name', you indicate that the INPUT statement is to be executed for the specified window. The specified window must be defined in a DEFINE WINDOW statement. The specified window is only active for the duration of that INPUT statement, and is automatically deactivated when the INPUT statement has been executed.

See also the statements DEFINE WINDOW and SET WINDOW.

NO ERASE causes a screen map of an INPUT statement to be overlaid onto an existing screen without erasing the screen contents.

Screen as used here refers to a logical screen rather than a physical screen.

All unprotected fields that existed on the screen are converted to protected (display only) fields. The old data remain on the screen until the new layout is displayed. If a field from the new screen content partially overlays an existing field, the one character before the new field and the next character in the existing field will be replaced by a blank.

One or more parameters, enclosed within parentheses, may be specified immediately after the INPUT statement or an element being displayed.

For a list of parameters that can be specified with the INPUT statement, refer to the section Statement Parameters below.

Each parameter specified in this manner will override any previous parameter specified in a GLOBALS command, SET GLOBALS or FORMAT statement. If more than one parameter is specified, one or more blanks must be present between each entry. An entry may not be split between two statement lines.

The parameter settings applied here will only be regarded for variable fields, but they have no effect on text-constants. If you would like to set field attributes for a text-constant, they have to be set explicitly for this element.

Example:

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
1 VARI (A4)     INIT <'1234'>                  /*    Displays 
END-DEFINE                                     /*       as
FORMAT AD=M                                    /*    ---------
INPUT           'Text'           VARI          /*    Text 1234
INPUT (PM=I)    'Text'           VARI          /*    Text 4321
INPUT           'Text' (PM=I)    VARI (PM=I)   /*    txeT 4321
INPUT           'Text' (PM=I)    VARI          /*    txeT 1234
END

Examples of using parameters at the statement and element level are provided below.

operand1 represents the number of a message text that is to be retrieved from a Natural message file.

You can retrieve either user-defined messages or Natural system messages:

• If you specify a positive value of up to four digits (for example: 954), you will retrieve user-defined messages.

• If you specify a negative value of up to four digits (for example: -954), you will retrieve Natural system messages.

See also Example 4 - WITH TEXT Options in the description of the REINPUT statement.

Natural message files are created and maintained with the SYSERR utility as described in the relevant documentation.

operand2 represents the message to be placed in the message line.

See also Example 4 - WITH TEXT Options in the description of the REINPUT statement.

It is possible to assign various output attributes for operand1/2. These attributes and the syntax that may be used are described in the section Output Attributes below.

Operand3 represents a numeric or text constant or the name of a variable.

The values provided are used to replace parts of a message text that are either specified with operand1 or operand2.

The notation :n: is used within the message text as a reference to operand3 contents, where n represents the operand3 occurrence (1 - 7).

See also Example 4 - WITH TEXT Options in the description of the REINPUT statement.

Note:
Multiple specifications of operand3 must be separated from each other by a comma. If the comma is used as a decimal character (as defined with the session parameter DC) and numeric constants are specified as operand3, put blanks before and after the comma so that it cannot be misinterpreted as a decimal character. Alternatively, multiple specifications of operand3 can be separated by the input delimiter character (as defined with the session parameter ID); however, this is not possible in the case of ID=/ (slash), because the slash has a different meaning in the INPUT statement syntax.

Leading zeros or trailing blanks will be removed from the field value before it is displayed in a message.

operand1 specifies the number of the field where the cursor is to be positioned in.

Each field attribute AD=A or AD=M (that is, non-protected field) specified in an INPUT statement is assigned a field reference number, beginning with 1.

Instead of the field reference number, the field name may be used to position to a field, using the *fieldname notation.

With MARK POSITION, you can have the cursor placed at a specific position - as specified with operand4 - within a field specified with operand1 or *fieldname.

operand4 must not contain decimal digits.

Note:
This notation inserts n spaces between columns. n must not be zero.

When placed before a field, '-' suppresses the generation of a field name as prompting text.

Note:
Any text string before a field will replace the field name as prompting text.

When placed before a field, '=' results in the display of the field heading followed by the field contents.

When placed between fields or text elements, '/' causes positioning to the beginning of the next print line.

The contents of fields may be specified for input, output only, and output for modification using the attribute settings AD=A, AD=O, and AD=M respectively. The default is AD=A. All fields specified with AD=A (input only) or AD=M (output for modification) will create unprotected fields on the screen. A value for such a field may be entered by the user. For TTY devices, output for modification fields will occupy twice the size of the field (one for output, one for input) so that a new value may be entered. An input field (AD=A/M) specified as non-displayable will always start on a new line on a TTY device.

Example:

INPUT #A (AD=A) #B (AD=O) #C (AD=M)

#A is an input field which is unprotected, i.e., a value is to be entered for the field.

#B is a field which is to be displayed write-protected, i.e., no value may be entered for the field.

#C is a field whose current value is to be displayed, and the value may be modified by entering a new value for the field.

Equivalent to the attributes AD=A, AD=O, AD=M respectively.

Note:
If a non-modifiable system variable is used in an INPUT statement, the value will be displayed as an output-only field AD=O or *OUT attribute.

operand1 represents the field to be used. Database fields or user-defined variables may be specified.

Natural directly maps the content of each field from the data area to the INPUT statement, no move operation is necessary.

When the content of a database field is modified as a result of INPUT processing, only the value as contained in the data area is modified. Appropriate database UPDATE / STORE statements must be used to change the content of the database.

When the name of a group of database fields is referenced in an INPUT statement, all fields belonging to that group will be individually used as input fields.

When reference is made to a range of occurrences within an array, all occurrences are individually processed as input fields, but no prompting text will be created for each individual occurrence, only for the first one.

On mainframe computers, arrays with ranges that allow to vary the number of occurrences at execution time may not be specified.

One or more parameters, enclosed within parentheses, may be specified immediately after operand1 (see table and example below).

Each parameter specified will override any previous parameter specified in a GLOBALS command, SET GLOBALS (in Reporting Mode) or FORMAT statement. If more than one parameter is specified, they must be separated by one or more blanks from one another. Each parameter specification must not be split between two statement lines.

The parameter settings applied here will only be regarded for variable fields, but they have no effect on text-constants. If you would like to set field attributes for a text-constant, they have to be set explicitly for this element.

For information on the individual parameters, see the table in the section Statement Parameters.

Note:
The session parameter EM will be referenced dynamically in the DDM if an edit mask is defined for a database field. Edit masks may be specified for output and input fields. When an edit mask is defined for an input field, the data for the field must be entered according to the edit mask specification.