This section describes the various features of the Help Text editor, as well as how to use the editor to create or edit your help text.
This section covers the following topics:
To create or edit a help member:
Type "E" in the Function field.
Type the Type component in the Type field.
Type the Major and Minor components in their respective fields.
To select from a list of Major and Minor components, use the List function (see List Help Text Function).
Type the code for the language in which the help member will be set up in the Language field.
To select from a list of language codes, use the List function.
Type the name of the default profile you are using in the Profile field.
To select from a list of default profiles, remove the value from the Profile field and press Enter. The Select Profile window is displayed. This window is described in List Help Text Function.
Press Enter.
The Help Text editor is displayed.
The following example shows the Help Text editor when creating a new help member:
Header 1 . Profile
Header 2 . SYSTEM
Hotlink .
> > + ABS X X-Y _ S 0 L 0
....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+... AD
> <
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
F/#/CSHMPP/1 does not exist; new member started |
The following example shows the editor when editing a new help member:
Header 1 . *0224.1 Profile Header 2 . *0222.1 NCSTHEL Hotlink . > > + ABS X X-Y _ S 71 L 1 TOP ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+... AD > You use this editor to create new help text members or modify < | existing help text members. | | | | Note: Before creating a new member, clear the editor by entering | | CLEAR on the command line. | | | | Tip: To create a help text member that is similar to an existing | | member, you can read the similar member into the editor and | | use it as a starting point for the new member. You can also | | use the .IH line command to insert text from another member. | | | | The Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink fields are protected; to access | | these fields: | | 1 Move the cursor over one of these field names | | 2 Press Enter (the cursor moves to the Header 1 field) | > *0210.1 < | <<f/+/header1>> | | <<f/+/header2>> | P/CS/CSHEDIT0/1 read successfully |
Note:
For more information, see
Use the Help Text
Editor.
This section describes how to use the Help Text editor. The following topics are covered:
The following example shows the Help Text editor when creating a new help member:
Header 1 . Profile
Header 2 . SYSTEM
Hotlink .
> > + ABS X X-Y _ S 0 L 0
....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+... AD
> <
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
F/#/CSHMPP/1 does not exist; new member started |
The first three fields (Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink) are protected. To enter a value, move the cursor to any of these fields and press Enter.
The fields in the Help Text editor are:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Header 1 | First heading for the help window. This heading
is centered at the top of the window and intensified (bolded).
You can either type the header name or use message numbers. Message numbers are linked to text strings. At runtime, the message number is replaced with its associated text. If you are using message numbers, ensure that the library containing your messages is specified on the Maintain Default Profiles panel. The system uses this value to locate and retrieve message text. Use the following format for message numbers: *NNNN.A where:
|
| Header 2 | Second heading for the help window. This heading
is centered below the first heading and intensified.
You can either type the second heading or use message numbers. The second header should be descriptive, as this value is used as the description for the help member in several selection windows. |
| Hotlink | Name that identifies this help member when it
appears as a hotlink in a help window. You can either type a value in this
field or use message numbers.
Note: |
| Profile | Name of the help profile (for example,
NCSTHELP) for the current help member. The profile name is displayed below the
Profile field heading.
You can modify the help profile for the current help member through the Maintain Current Profile panel. To access this panel, either enter HPROF on the command line or place your cursor on the profile name and press Enter. |
| > (command line) | Command line; enter edit commands on this line. The command line is located below the Hotlink field and is identified by an angle bracket (>). |
| + or - (direction indicators) | Indicate a forward (top-to-bottom) or backward
(bottom-to-top) direction. This field is displayed to the left of the ABS
field. By default, a plus sign (+), meaning forward, is displayed in this
field. To indicate a backward direction, enter a minus sign (-) in this field.
The MOVE, COPY, and INSERT line commands use the direction indicator to determine whether to place lines before or after the line command. Some edit commands also use the direction indicator. For example, the ADD edit command with a + indicator adds lines after the line command and with a - indicator adds lines before the line command. The SCAN edit command uses this indicator to determine the scan direction. |
| ABS (Absolute) | Used in conjunction with the SCAN and CHANGE edit commands. If this field is selected, Natural Construct scans for or changes all occurrences of the specified characters, including those embedded within words. If you enter a blank in this field, the system scans for or changes the specified characters only if they are a separate entity (delimited by blanks or special characters). By default, this field is selected. |
| X-Y | If this field is marked, SCAN and CHANGE edit commands are confined to the text within the X-Y delimiter range. Text outside the X-Y range is not affected. |
| S | Total number of text lines in the help member. |
| L | Number of the first line of text displayed in the editor (in relation to the entire help member). For example, if you scroll down so that the fifth line of text is displayed at the top of the text window, 5 is displayed in this field. |
Notes:
This section describes the features of the Help Text editor. The following topics are covered:
The ruler is located above the text area in the Help Text editor. The columns (character widths) are marked; each number on the ruler represents 10 columns. For example:
Header 1 . Profile Header 2 . NCSTHELP Hotlink . > > + ABS X X-Y _ S 26 L 1 TOP ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+... V ...+....6....+... AD > Help text is displayed when... < |
The arrow (V) pointing downward delimits the end of the line. Any text that extends beyond the delimiter is not displayed in the help window. The position of the arrow is determined by the value in the Width field for the specified help profile.
When text is displayed in the text area, one of the following values may be displayed to the left of the ruler:
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| All | Indicates that all of the help member is displayed. |
| Top | Indicates that the beginning (top) of the help member is displayed. |
| Bot | Indicates that the end (bottom) of the help member is displayed. |
Notes:
The display-only column to the left of the text area displays values applied to individual lines. For example:
Header 1 . Profile Header 2 . NCSTHELP Hotlink . > > + ABS X X-Y _ S 26 L 1 TOP ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+... V ...+....6....+... AD > Help text is displayed when... < | | X | | | | | | | | Y | | | | | | |
These values are used in conjunction with edit and line commands (described in Edit Commands and Line Commands).
The left column may contain any of the following values:
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| .X | Marks a line or the beginning of a block of text on which to perform an action. After you enter this command, the system inserts an X in the column next to the line. |
| .Y | Marks a line or the end of a block of text on which to perform an action. After you enter this command, the system inserts a Y in the column next to the line. |
| .L | Indicates that there is more text than can be displayed on a line. This occurs when you join two lines of text using the .J line command and the resulting line is too long to fit in the text area. You cannot modify the line until you use the .S command to split the line. |
The body of the Help Text editor contains the text area, which has borders on the left and right. For example:
Header 1 . *0224.1 Profile Header 2 . *0222.1 NCSTHEL Hotlink .. > > + ABS X X-Y _ S 71 L 1 TOP ....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+... AD > Use this editor to create new help text members or modify existing < | help text members. | | | | Note: Before creating a new member, clear the editor by entering | | CLEAR on the command line. | | | | Tip: To create a help text member that is similar to an existing | | member, you can read the similar member into the editor and | | use it as a starting point for the new member. You can also | | use the .IH line command to insert text from another member. | | | | The Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink fields are protected; to access | | these fields: | | 1 Move the cursor over one of these field names | | 2 Press Enter (the cursor moves to the Header 1 field) | > *0210.1 < | <<f/+/header1>> | | <<f/+/header2>> | P/CS/CSHEDIT0/1 read successfully |
If the help member cannot be displayed in its entirety, you can scroll through the text area using any of the following methods:
| Method | Action |
|---|---|
| Scroll forward or backward nnnn lines. | Enter "+nnnn" or "-nnnn" on the command line. |
| Scroll forward or backward half a panel. | Enter "+H" or "-H" on the command line. |
| Scroll forward or backward one panel. | Enter "+P" or "-P" on the command line. |
| Scroll forward one panel (when the text has not changed). | Press Enter. |
| Scroll forward to the end of the help member. | Enter "BOT", "B", or "++" on the command line. |
| Make the line on which the .N line command is entered scroll to the top of the current panel. | Enter "POINT" on the command line. |
| Scroll backward to the top of the panel. | Enter "TOP", "T", or "–" on the command line. |
| Scroll to the line marked X or Y. | Enter "X" or "Y" on the command line. |
| Scroll to line 10(n). | Enter "n" on the command line. |
The text area has the following features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Left/right borders | Left/right perimeter of the text area. Borders are columns one character wide to the left and right of the area in which you can type text. When you use the Tab key to move the cursor in the text area, the cursor moves to the first character position in which you can type text. Press the Tab key again and the cursor moves to the Attribute column. Press it again and it moves to the first position on the next line in which you can type text. |
| Page markers | Arrows (> and <) displayed within the
borders indicate the first line of each new page. The number of lines on a page
of help text is determined by the help profile.
To force a new page, type "P" in the Attribute column. Note: |
| Text intensifiers | Dynamic attribute characters that identify text
for bolding. When a user displays help, text marked with intensifiers appears
as bolded text. To intensify a block of text on a single line, place a left
angle bracket (<) at the beginning of the text block and a right angle
bracket (>) at the end of the block. The intensifier characters cannot be
seen when the help text is displayed; they are replaced with blank spaces. For
example, if you enter the following text in the editor:
You may<intensify any phrase>you want The text "intensify any phrase" is displayed in bold. To use a default intensify character within the text in your help window, do one of the following:
|
| Hotlink identifiers | Dynamic attribute characters that identify hotlinks in your help member and indicate that a hotlink is available in a help window. |
Notes:
The column to the right of the text area is the attribute (AD) column. You can type attribute codes in this column that apply to the line they mark. You can use the attribute codes together, in any order, and type them in upper or lower case.
The following table lists the attribute codes:
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| I | Character that intensifies a line of text. For
example:
Intensify this line. |I You can use this character in conjunction with dynamic attribute characters. In this case, the "I" reverses the effect of the dynamic attribute intensification characters; the text between the single angle brackets (< >) is not intensified, while the text outside the brackets is intensified. You can also use the "I" to reverse the intensification of a hotlink displayed in the help window so that the hotlink is not bolded and all remaining text is bolded. |
| P | Character that forces a page break at the line it marks. That line begins a new page when the help text is displayed. |
| Text intensification characters (< >) | Characters that allow you to use the intensification characters as regular text on the adjacent line. To use the intensification characters as regular text, type either of these characters in the AD column. |
The Help Text editor executes commands in the following order:
Modifications to text.
Line commands.
Line commands are entered in the text area of the editor and are preceded by a period (.). For information, see Line Commands.
Edit commands.
Edit commands are entered on the command line. For information, see Edit Commands.
Edit commands are entered on the command line in the Help Text editor. These commands allow you to perform a variety of functions while remaining in the editor. For some edit commands, you must specify the Type, Major, Minor, and Language components. This combination of components uniquely identifies a help member.
The following table describes the edit commands. The Shortcut column indicates the minimum characters required to execute the command (not all commands have a shortcut). Any part of a command within brace brackets ({ }) is optional.
| Command | Shortcut | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADD | A | Adds nine blank lines to the end of the help member. After you finish typing text in the text area and pressing Enter, any unused lines are removed. | ||
| CHANGE | CH | Scans for text in the edit buffer and replaces
it. The syntax is:
CHANGE 'scanvalue'replacevalue' Any special character may be used as a delimiter, provided the same character is not used within the command and it is not an X-Y delimiter. Note: |
||
| CLEAR | C | Clears the contents of the edit buffer. Any unsaved modifications are lost. | ||
| DX | Deletes the line marked X. | |||
| DY | Deletes the line marked Y. | |||
| DX-Y | Deletes the line marked X, the line marked Y, and all lines between the X-Y delimiters. | |||
| END | E | Ends the current edit session and displays the Help Text main menu. | ||
| EX | Deletes all lines before the X delimiter. | |||
| EY | Deletes all lines after the Y delimiter. | |||
| EX-Y | Deletes all the lines before the X delimiter and after the Y delimiter. | |||
| HPROF | HP | Invokes the Maintain Current Editor Profile panel. | ||
| LET | Restores lines to their previous state, should
you inadvertently change them. You must issue this command before pressing
Enter.
Note: |
|||
| LISTH {type{major{minor{language}}}} | LH | Displays the help text components for selection.
After you select a help member, it is read into the editor.
|
||
| POINT | Scrolls the selected line to the top of the editor. Select a line by entering .N at the beginning of the line in the editor. | |||
| PROFILE | For mainframe users, invokes a panel on which you can modify PF-key settings and autosave specifications for the duration of the edit session. | |||
| PURGEH {type{major{minor{language}}}} | PH | Purges the specified help member.
After entering this command, you are prompted to confirm the purge. Do one of the following:
|
||
| QUIT | Q | Ends the current edit session and displays the Help Text main menu. Modifications to the help member are not saved. | ||
| READH {type{major{minor{language}}}} | Reads the specified help member into the editor. If the Type, Major, Minor, and Language components are not specified, they default to the last values used. | |||
| REPLACEH {type{major{minor{language}}}} | RH | Replaces the specified help member with the
contents of the editor. If the Type, Major, Minor, and Language components are
not specified, they default to the last values used.
Note: |
||
| RESET | RES | Clears the X-Y delimiters. | ||
| SAVEH {type {major{minor {language}}}} | Saves the specified help member. If the Type,
Major, Minor, and Language components are not specified, they default to the
last values used.
Help members must be saved with a valid profile name.
|
|||
| SCAN | SC | Scans for data in the text area as follows:
The direction indicator affects the scan as follows:
You can use the X-Y delimiters to limit the range of the scan and select a range of text. To use X-Y delimiters, mark the X-Y field at the top of the Help Text editor. |
||
| SHIFT | SH | Shifts the text between the X-Y delimiters as
follows:
The default value is +3. |
||
| TEST | Displays the help member as it will appear in a help window. The TEST command is similar to the Test function on the Help Text main menu. |
Notes:
Line commands are entered in the text area of the Help Text editor and are used to modify text that is currently in the edit buffer. These commands allow you to copy, move, and delete the lines of text. Line commands must:
Be typed in the text area
Begin with a period (.)
Start in the first column of a line (use the Tab key to place the cursor in the first column of a line)
To execute a line command:
Press Enter.
Note:
Except for .L, you must press Enter before executing a line
command. Pressing Enter updates text changes to the edit buffer.
Type the line command.
Press Enter.
If the direction indicator is forward (+), copied, inserted, or moved text is placed below the line on which the command was entered.
If the direction indicator is backward (-), copied, inserted, or moved text is placed above the line on which the command was entered.
The following table describes the line commands:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| .C(nn) | Copies the same line nn times. The default is 1 time. |
| .CX(nn) | Copies the line marked X nn times. The default is 1 time. |
| .CY(nn) | Copies the line marked Y nn times. The default is 1 time. |
| .CX-Y(nn) | Copies the block marked X-Y nn times. The default is 1 time. |
| .D(nn) | Deletes nn lines. The default is 1 line. |
| .I(nn) or > | Inserts nn lines. The default is 9 lines. |
| .IH(type, major, minor, language) | Inserts the specified help member in the editor, beginning on the line following the one on which the command is entered. Use upper case for the component names. |
| .J | Joins the next line of text to the end of the current line. |
| .L | Restores the line to its previous state. To
restore a line, you must issue the command before pressing Enter.
Note: |
| .MX | Moves the line marked X as follows:
|
| .MY | Moves the line marked Y as follows:
|
| .MX-Y | Moves the block of text between the X-Y markers
as follows:
|
| .N | Scrolls the current line to the top of the
panel. This command is used with the POINT edit command. The line marked with
.N will be scrolled to the top of the panel when the POINT edit command is
issued.
Tip: |
| .P | Scrolls the current line to the top of the panel. |
| .S | Splits the current line at the cursor position.
To split the line:
|
| .W(nn) | Inserts nn blank lines in the editor. The default is 9 lines. Any unused lines are deleted. |
| .X | Marks a single line or the beginning of a block
of text. To delimit a text block:
To clear the X-Y delimiters:
|
| .Y | Marks a single line or the end of a block of
text.
Note: |
You can modify the PF-key profile for your current edit session. The changes do not affect your edit profile outside of Natural Construct.
Note:
The PF-key settings used by the Natural Construct editors are
determined in the same manner as those used by other Natural editors. If you
have a profile that corresponds to your user ID, Natural Construct
automatically uses these defaults.
To modify the PF-key profile for the current session:
Type "PROFILE" on the command line in the Help Text editor.
Press Enter.
The Maintain Current PF-Key Profile panel is displayed. For example:
CS-PROF Natural Construct CS-PRFM0
Aug 22 Maintain Current PF-Key Profile 1 of 1
PF1 = -______________ PF2 = T______________ PF3 = B______________
PF4 = -H_____________ PF5 = +H_____________ PF6 = +P_____________
PF7 = N______________ PF8 = _______________ PF9 = Q______________
PF10= _______________ PF11= _______________ PF12= _______________
PF13= _______________ PF14= _______________ PF15= _______________
PF16= _______________ PF17= _______________ PF18= _______________
PF19= _______________ PF20= _______________ PF21= _______________
PF22= _______________ PF23= _______________ PF24= _______________
PA1 = _______________ PA2 = SCAN___________ PA3 = _______________
Auto save numbers ............ In member .......... EDITWORK
Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11-
help retrn
Changes DO NOT affect your edit profile outside Construct |
You can use this panel to perform the following tasks for the current edit session:
| Task | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Change the value assigned to an existing PF-key. | Type the new value over the current value for the key. |
| Define a value for a new PF-key. | Type the value in the field corresponding to the new PF-key. |
| Specify the number of updates to allow before your work is automatically saved. | Type the number of updates in Auto
save numbers. If this field is blank, Natural Construct does not
automatically save work.
Note: |
| Provide the name of the recovery member in which your work saved. | Type over the default name displayed in
In member. If you lose your code or forget to save it,
you can restore from the last automatic save. By default, EDITWORK is displayed
in this field.
Tip: |
Modify the profile settings.
Press PF2 to return to the Help Text editor.
Your changes apply for the current edit session only.
If you specify a number in the Auto save numbers field on the Maintain Current PF-Key Profile panel, the editor automatically saves work in the edit buffer after the specified number of updates. If you lose your code or forget to save it, you can restore from the last automatic save.
Note:
If the Auto save numbers field is blank, no
automatic saving occurs.
To restore code from the last save:
Invoke the Help Text editor.
Read your recovery member into the edit buffer (EDITWORK, by default).
Re-type the Header 1, Header 2, and Hotlink values in the appropriate fields.
These values are not saved in the recovery member.
Note:
For information about these fields, see
Fields in the Help
Text Editor.
Save the recovered code.
You can override the default help profile settings for the current help member. Changes are saved with the current help member only and override any settings specified on the default help profile for the member.
To change the help profile for the current help member:
Type "HPROF" on the command line in the Help Text editor.
Press Enter.
The Maintain Current Editor Profile panel is displayed. For example:
CSHPROF N a t u r a l C o n s t r u c t CSHPROF0
Aug 22 Maintain Current Editor Profile 1 of 1
Profile ............................. NCSTHELP
New profile ......................... ________ *
Description ......................... Default CST341 Help Text profile
Lines per page ...................... _15
Message library ..................... CSTLDA__
Window Settings
Top left ............ Line .......... __1
Column......... __3
%W setting .... ____
Size ................ Width ......... _80
Height ........ ___
Frame ......... X
Dynamic Attributes
Hotlink begin ....................... <<__
Hotlink end ......................... >>__
Intensify ........................... <
Default return ...................... >
Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
help retrn |
You can use this panel to perform the following tasks for the current help profile:
| Task | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Change the name of the help profile used for the current help member. | Type the name of the profile in New profile. The name of the default help profile for the current help member is displayed in Profile (NCSTHELP in this example). |
| Change the number of lines available for help text. | Type over the number displayed in Lines per page. The default number of lines on each page of help text is 15. In addition to the lines that make up the body of the help member, each help window contains up to two header lines, an input line (that displays the Page fields), and two PF-key lines. |
| Use a different library to store message numbers and text for the current help member. | Type over the name displayed in
Message library. Natural Construct uses this name to
locate the library in which message numbers and their associated text are
stored. This field is required if you are using message numbers in the
Header 1, Header 2, and
Hotlink fields, as well as in the body of the help
member.
This field defaults to the CSTLDA library, which contains messages for Natural Construct help members. You can create a custom message library to store help members for your generated applications. |
| Modify the window settings. | Type over or specify the following window
settings:
|
| Change the dynamic attribute characters. | Type over or specify the following dynamic
attribute values. The character(s) must be unique:
Note: |
Modify the profile settings.
Press PF2 to return to the Help Text editor.
Your changes apply to the help profile settings for the current help member.
Notes:
The CD-HELPR module provides passive help for generated modules at the panel (map) level and at the field level. If CD-HELPR is enabled, a user can place the cursor on a panel or field, select help, and display a window containing help information for the panel or field. CD-HELPR acts as a link between a panel or field and its corresponding help member. When a user requests help on a panel or field, the panel or field name is passed to CD-HELPR, which determines which help member to display.
Note:
If necessary, you can override CD-HELPR’s internal logic and specify
the help member directly (for information, see
Override the Internal
Logic for CD-HELPR).
To enable passive help, the Help parameter for a panel (map) or the HE
parameter for a field must be defined with 'CD-HELPR',=. For
example:
18:45:34 Define Map Settings for MAP 2013-10-21
Delimiters Format Context
----------------- --------------------------- --------------------------
Cls Att CD Del Page Size ...... 44 Device Check .... ________
T D BLANK Line Size ...... 133 WRITE Statement _
T I ? Column Shift ... 0 (0/1) INPUT Statement X
A D _ Layout ......... CSCMODM1 Help 'CD-HELPR',=________
A I ) dynamic ....... N (Y/N) as field default N (Y/N)
A N ^ Zero Print ..... N (Y/N)
M D & Case Default ... LC (UC/LC)
M I : Manual Skip .... N (Y/N) Automatic Rule Rank 1
O D + Decimal Char ... . Profile Name .... RDNSS
O I ( Standard Keys .. Y (Y/N)
Justification .. L (L/R) Filler Characters
Print Mode ..... __ ------------------------
Optional, Partial .... _
Control Var .... ________ Required, Partial .... _
Optional, Complete ... _
Required, Complete ... _
Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
Help Exit Let |
To enable passive help using CD-HELPR’s internal logic:
Type the following entry in the HE (Help) field for the panel or field definition:
'CD-HELPR',=
When the user requests help, the panel or field name is passed to CD-HELPR, which determines the help member to display.
Create a help member for each panel and field that is to have passive help.
For information, see Create Help Text.
When typing the first three component names, adhere to the following naming guidelines so CD-HELPR can locate and display the correct help member:
If the name passed to CD-HELPR contains a period (.), the name is assumed to be that of a database field. The Type component is "D", the Major component is the value preceding the period (file name), and the Minor component is the value following the period (field name). Ensure that database fields are fully qualified.
If a help member cannot be found, CD-HELPR checks for a # or + character in the first position following the period. If neither character is found, the name is assumed to be a global or local variable. The Type component is "F", Major component is the first character (either # or +), and Minor component is the remaining characters following the period.
If a help member still cannot be found, CD-HELPR assumes that the name is a database field and attempts to find a Predict extended description. The Type component is "D", Major component is the value preceding the period, and Minor component is the value following the period. If a Predict description exists, it is displayed. For information, see Predict Field Description Help for Objects, Natural Construct Generation.
If the name begins with a # or + character, the name is assumed to be that of a global or local variable. The Type component is "F", Major component is the first character of the passed name (either # or +), and Minor component is the remaining characters.
If the name is 8 characters or less, the name is assumed to be that of a map or program. The Type component is "P", the first two characters of the name are assumed to represent a system name and are the Major component, and the entire passed name is the Minor component.
Note:
This method can only be used if program names are unique across
your installation.
If the name passed to CD-HELPR is none of the above, no help member is displayed.
The following table shows examples of which help member CD-HELPR will display based on the name of the panel or field:
| Panel or Field Name | Type Component | Major Component | Minor Component |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMPLOYEES.SEX | D | EMPLOYEES | SEX |
| #ACTION | F | # | ACTION |
| +PERSONNEL-ID | F | + | PERSONNEL-ID |
| GLMAIN | P | GL | GLMAIN |
| DIRECT-COMMAND | Invalid | ||
| MAINMAP | P | MA | MAINMAP |
| SYSCSTDE MAINMENU | Invalid |
In some cases, you may want to override CD-HELPR’s internal logic and specify which help member is displayed for a particular panel or field. For example, suppose you have two programs containing a Customer Number field with identical properties. Because the fields are identical, you want the same help member to be displayed for both fields. However, the field name in one program is #CUSTOMER-NUM and in the other is #CUSTOMER-NUMBER. The system will attempt to locate a unique help member for each field. To solve this problem, you can override CD-HELPR’s internal logic and specify which help member is displayed when help is requested. For example:
When help is requested for the #CUSTOMER-NUM field, CD-HELPR displays the F/#/CUSTOMER-NUM help member.
When help is requested for the #CUSTOMER-NUMBER field, override CD-HELPR and display the F/#/CUSTOMER-NUM help member.
To override CD-HELPR’s internal logic:
Type the following entry in the HE (Help) field on the panel or field definition:
'CD-HELPR',#HPARM
where #HPARM is a program variable.
Set up #HPARM as a non-display protected field on the map with a format of A65.
Tip:
To set up #HPARM so that it occupies
only one field, use AL=1.
Initialize the #HPARM variable so it is formatted as follows:
F#...(blanks to 32nd position).CUSTOMER-NUM...(blanks to 65th position)
You must add blanks when initializing #HPARM, otherwise CD-HELPR cannot locate the help member. When a user requests help for the #CUSTOMER-NUMBER field, the #HPARM variable is passed to CD-HELPR (F/#/CUSTOMER-NUM).
If necessary, you can set up additional variables to override CD-HELPR. To perform an additional override, complete steps 1 to 3, replacing #HPARM with a unique variable name.
