HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Appendix A STACKING RESPONSES TO PROMPTS
Experienced users can save time by stacking their input to options on the
Main and other menus. You may stack responses for the interactions that
begin with the first four options on the Main Menu. These options are:
1. DEFINE A REPORT - - Data Organization Menu through Data
Names Menu
2. DISPLAY REPORT CATALOG - - account and group name
through display or print
3. SELECT A REPORT DEFINITION - - report name through
produce report
4. PREVIEW REPORT LAYOUT - - display/print through number
of lines
To stack responses, you enter input to consecutive prompts, beginning on
the current menu, as a series of numbers, separated by commas. For
example, suppose you have the Main Menu on your screen and want to define
a report using the fifth data set in the first database. You would
respond to the prompt as follows:
TYPE AN OPTION NUMBER> 1,3,1,5
The numbers in this response have the following effect:
1 = Main Menu option 1, Define a Report, which goes to the Data
Organization Menu.
3 = Data Organization Menu option 3, Display Data Base Menu, where you
would be prompted for a database number.
1= On the Data Base Menu, database number 1 is selected.
5 = On the Data Set Menu, data set number 5 is selected.
Instead of reading and responding to three intermediate menus, you go
directly to the one needed. Stacking responses reduces screen display
considerably.
You are not restricted to stacking responses starting with the Main Menu
and you may stop at any prompt that allows stacked responses. In the
example above, you might not begin to stack until you were in the Data
Orgainzation Menu. If you entered 3, 1, 5 at the prompt on that menu,
the results would be the same.
Frequent use of INFORM/V is the best preparation for using the stacking
feature. You must know your menus and data to make stacking an efficient
and useful shortcut. Also, changes to the data dictionary, such as
adding or deleting databases, or changes within databases, may make
selection numbers invalid.
Default Values in Stacked Responses. The default value is always the
first displayed when there are two in parenthesis. Display (D)is the
default value in the following instance: DISPLAY OR PRINT (D/P). When
you wish to use a default value, type a comma for the associated prompt.
If, for example, you are in the Main Menu and want to display the
cataloged report definitions under your logon group, you could respond to
the prompt for an option in the following way:
TYPE AN OPTION NUMBER> 2,,D
Any extra input, beyond the last prompt for which stacking is allowed,
will be ignored. Suppose you were in the Main Menu and responded to the
option prompt in the following way:
TYPE AN OPTION NUMBER> 1,3,1,5,7
Since stacking is not allowed beyond the Data Names Menu, the last
number, 7, would be ignored.