HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Modifying System Message Catalogs System message catalogs are files that contain user interface messages, such as error messages, HELP messages and other displays. System message catalogs are provided with the operating system. Application message catalogs can be created by programmers to output messages to users from applications programs. Both system and application message catalogs can be customized to reflect on-site needs and preferences, or translated into new native languages.
NOTE System message catalogs may have already been translated into some foreign languages; contact a Hewlett-Packard Sales Office for further assistance.
System messages on MPE XL are contained in three catalogs: CATALOG, SYSCAT, and CICAT. These catalogs reside in the PUB.SYS group. Modification of CICAT is described below, in the section on the HELP Subsystem. To modify system message catalogs, System Manager status is required. Modifying CATALOG.PUB.SYS To modify CATALOG.PUB.SYS, use the following steps: 1. Enter an editor and text in the catalog. 2. Make the necessary changes. 3. Keep the file under a new name and leave the editor. 4. Enter the file equation :FILE INPUT=newname 5. Now run the MAKECAT program to build the new catalog. Enter: :RUN MAKECAT.PUB.SYS,BUILD 6. If no errors are encountered, you will see this message: NEW CATALOG INSTALLED 7. Purge old catalog CAT nn, where nn is an archival number. For example, CAT1.
NOTE The System Manager can make modifications to existing error messages, but if new messages are added, the programmer must make these messages available to the system by writing error trapping routines.
Modifying SYSCAT.PUB.SYS To modify SYSCAT.PUB.SYS, use the following steps: 1. Run the GENCAT message catalog utility program by entering :GENCAT 2. Enter 4 (This option expands the formatted SYSCAT catalog back into an ASCII file.) 3. Enter SYSCAT.PUB.SYS as the name of the formatted catalog to expand. 4. Enter any file name not currently used for a permanent file as the name of the new source file. 5. If no errors are encountered, you will see this message: EXPANSION SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 6. Enter an editor and text in the file name of the new source file. 7. Make the necessary changes. 8. Keep the file and leave the editor. 9. Rerun GENCAT 10. Choose 3 to reformat the source file into a new formatted catalog. 11. Enter the name of the source file and a new name for the formatted catalog. 12. If no errors are encountered, you will see this message: FORMATTING SUCCESSFUL 13. Purge the unmodified catalog, SYSCAT. 14. Rename the new formatted catalog SYSCAT. Creating a New System Message Catalog To completely rewrite a system message catalog, as might be required to translate a catalog into a different language, follow the above steps for CATALOG or SYSCAT with the exception that you will write the message catalog from scratch rather than modifying the old file. Creating and Modifying an Application Message Catalog GENCAT utility is also used to create a new application message catalog. When messages are needed for users with a different native language or languages from the program itself, separate message catalogs for each user language can be written. This allows for localizing without changing the program code. Data manipulation can be done according to the rules of the particular language or local customs. Application message catalogs are most often used for language localization, as described in this chapter under "Using Native Language Support." Refer to Message Catalogs Programmer's Guide (32650-90021) for further details on message catalogs and how they are built and modified.