HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
The JOINFORM Editor
The JOINFORM Editor is a utility program used to work with HP 260 forms
on an MPE XL computer. The JOINFORM Editor includes the following
capabilities:
* Creating HP 260-type forms.
* Modifying HP 260-type forms.
* Copying and moving forms between files.
* Deleting HP 260-type forms.
* Displaying forms on a workstation screen.
* Printing forms.
To run the JOINFORM Editor, type
RUN JOINEDIT.PUB.SYS
at the MPE XL prompt. The Main Menu screen will be displayed.
Each of the capabilities of the JOINFORM Editor is described in the
following sections. The first section, "Creating New Forms" describes
the procedure for several JOINFORM Editor capabilities. Most of these
actions are the same for other capabilities, such as modifying existing
forms. The procedure is described in detail for new forms. Later
sections that use these procedures refer to the "Creating New Forms"
section.
Creating New Forms
New forms can be created from a blank screen or from an existing form.
Creating New Forms From a Blank Screen. There are four operations
involved in creating a form:
1. Creating the input, output, and input/output fields and defining
their sizes, locations, and types.
2. Creating the form frame using the line drawing character set of
the specific terminal you are using. (The terminal or workstation
operating manual contains information about which line drawing
characters correspond to the keys on the terminal or workstation
keyboard.)
3. Defining the text you want to be displayed on the form.
4. Setting field order and individual field enhancements.
To start form creation, enter the JOINFORM Editor and press the CREATE
FORM softkey. A menu containing a selection for each of the four
operations is displayed. The operations can be done in any order. Each
is described here.
Creating Fields. Use the cursor keys to move the cursor to the position
on the screen where you want to create a field. Press the softkey that
indicates a field type (Input, Output, Input/Output) to create the field.
Each time you press the softkey, the field is extended by one character.
The field is highlighted in inverse video with the currently defined
default filler character for that field type.
Creating the Form Image. Use the line drawing character set to draw the
frame of the form. The frame is optional, and can be anything that your
line drawing set allows.
Defining Text. Use the cursor keys and the alphanumeric keys to input
the text that will appear on the form each time it is displayed. The
text can be anywhere on the screen, except inside fields.
Setting Field Order and Individual Field Enhancements. After creating
the fields, the frame, and the text, press the ENTER FORM softkey to
display the softkeys that control field order and enhancements. Your
screen will be displayed. The softkeys at the bottom control
enhancements and order. You can make changes to the form layout (frame,
fields and text) by pressing the CHANGE LAYOUT softkey.
The cursor will be positioned at the bottom of the screen in the only
active line on the screen. The input order, output order and current
enhancement of the first field will be displayed on the bottom line of
the screen. That first field blinks and displays the currently defined
fill character for its type.
The following procedures change the order in which the fields are
accessed:
Field Type Procedure
Input Type the input order number the field will have next to
the "INPUT NO:" prompt on the bottom line.
Output Type the output order number the field will have next to
the "OUTPUT NO:" prompt on the bottom line.
Input/Output Use both of the above procedures for input and output
fields.
Table F-1 lists the available enhancements, and the character string that
represents them.
Table F-1. Enhancements
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| Character String | Enhancement |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| H | Field appears half as bright as normal text. |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| I | Field appears in inverse video. (Dark characters on a light |
| | background). |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| U | Field appears underlined. |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| B | Field blinks. |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| None | Field appears like ordinary text. |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To use any of these enhancements, enter the character string for that
enhancement in the inverse video field next to the "ENHANCEMENT:" prompt
on the bottom line.
Any combination of the character strings can be entered in any order in
the "ENHANCEMENT:" field to give the current field that combination of
enhancements. Press the SAVE VALUES softkey to store the new values.
Use the NEXT FIELD and PREVIOUS FIELD softkeys to select different fields
for enhancements and ordering.
The DEFAULT ENHANCEM and DEFAULT IO ORDER softkeys reset the display
enhancements and access order respectively. Pressing either of these
keys destroys any changes you have made to the enhancements or access
order.
Storing the Form to Disk. When you are satisfied with the appearance of
the form, press the EXIT softkey. The screen that is displayed prompts
you for the name for the new form. After naming it, press the SAVE FORM
softkey to store the form to disk. If you are not satisfied with the
form, you can press the BACK TO EDITING softkey to return to the previous
screen to further edit the form.
Creating a New Form From an Existing Form
To create a form from an existing form, enter the JOINFORM Editor, and
fill in the name of the existing form in the inverse video field next to
f1 CREATE A NEW FOR, COPY FORM FROM. In the field below that (the FILE IS
field), type the name of the file that contains the existing form. Press
the CREATE FORM softkey. The existing form will be displayed. You can
then make changes to the enhancements and access order, using the same
procedure explained for new forms in the previous section. If you want
to change the frame, fields, or text, press the CHANGE LAYOUT softkey.
Changing Fields. You can add or delete fields, or alter the field length
on after pressing the CHANGE LAYOUT softkey. Add a field using the same
procedure used to create a field in a new form. (Refer to "Creating
Fields" in this appendix for details). To delete a field, press the
DELETE key on your keyboard until all the characters in that field have
been deleted. To alter the length of a field, position the cursor one
character beyond that field. Use the cursor keys to move the cursor.
Press the softkeys that control field type to add characters to the
field, or press the DELETE key to reduce the length of the field.
Changing the Form Image and Text. Modify the form frame by adding and
deleting line drawing characters.
Modify text by moving the cursor to the text you want to modify. Input,
delete or alter the text. Use the cursor keys to move the cursor.
Storing the New Form to Disk. After you have finished changing the form,
press the ENTER FORM softkey to return to the previous screen. Once you
are satisfied with the new form, press the EXIT softkey to store your
form to disk. Follow the procedure described for new forms in the
previous section to save your form.
If, while saving the form, you decide you don't want to store it, press
the EXIT softkey. The JOINFORM Editor asks if you really want to return
to the main menu without storing the form. Press the EXIT softkey again
to delete the form and return to the main menu. Press the SAVE FORM
softkey if the EXIT softkey was pressed by mistake. If you return to the
main menu without storing the form, you cannot retrieve it.
Modifying Forms
You can modify existing forms with the JOINFORM Editor. You can make the
following modifications:
* Create fields.
* Delete fields.
* Alter field lengths.
* Change the frame.
* Change text.
* Set field input and output order.
* Alter individual display enhancement.
To modify a form, enter the JOINFORM Editor. Type the name of the form
in the field directly after f2 MODIFY FORM on the screen. Type the name
of the file that contains the form in the field directly after FILE IS.
Press the MODIFY FORM softkey to display your form. On that screen, you
can change the field access order and field enhancements. Refer to
"Creating New Forms" for details.
To modify the form frame, length or number of fields, or text in the
form, press the CHANGE LAYOUT softkey, and refer to "Creating New Forms
from Existing Forms" in the previous section.
When you are adding, deleting, or moving fields while modifying forms,
the JOINFORM Editor does not reorder them. The effect of these changes
is as follows:
* The previous field order remains valid for each field that has not
been moved from its original location.
* Order number of deleted fields become vacant (Other fields are not
given that number).
* New fields are given the lowest unoccupied numbers. Numbers are
occupied even if you've deleted the field assigned to that number.
* Fields that are moved to new locations are treated like new fields.
After modifying the form, press the ENTER FORM softkey. This allows you
to store the form. You can then press the EXIT softkey, and follow the
procedure explained in "Creating New Forms" to save the form.
Merging Forms
The JOINFORM Editor includes a form merging facility that allows you to
copy forms from one file to another without changing the form in the
original file and to move forms from one file to another.
Enter the JOINFORM Editor and press the MERGE FORMS softkey. This
displays the Merge Facility screen. You can move the cursor while in the
Merge Facility by using the TAB key and the SHIFT TAB key combination.
You can exit the Merge Facility by pressing the EXIT softkey.
Use the following procedure to merge forms:
1. Type the name of the source file (the file that contains the forms
that will be copied or moved) in the field labeled FILE IS: on the
FROM side of the screen. You can specify multiple FROM files by
using MPE wildcard characters (@,?, and #).
2. Type the name of the destination file (the file that the form will
be moved or copied into) in the field labeled FILE IS: on the TO
side of the screen.
3. Type the name of the first form to copied or moved in the field
labeled 1: on the FROM side of the screen.
4. Specify whether the form is to be copied or moved by entering M
(for move) in the field labeled C/M. You do not need to enter
anything to copy the form, C (for copy) is the default.
5. Specify the name you want the copied or moved form to have by
typing the new name in the field labeled 1: on the TO side of the
screen. This field can be left blank if you are using the same
name in the TO file. If the new form name is the same as an
existing form, the Merge Facility will ask if you want to
overwrite the existing form. Press the f1 key to overwrite the
form, or f8 to cancel the current merge. If you cancel the merge,
forms that have not yet been processed will be displayed, and you
can change the names of any that will overwrite existing forms.
6. Up to six forms can be moved or copied using the above method.
7. Press the START MERGE softkey when you have finished specifying
the forms to merge.
Once the merge has begin, the name of each form is removed from the
display after it has been successfully merged.
Deleting Forms
Forms can be deleted one at a time or in groups, from a list. To start
deleting forms, enter the JOINFORM Editor.
Use the following steps to delete forms:
1. To delete a single form, use the TAB key to position the cursor at
the field just past f5 DELETE FORMS, FORM IS.
2. Type the name of the form to be deleted.
3. Move the cursor to the field labeled FILE IS directly below the
FORM IS field. Type the name of the file that contains the form
to be deleted.
4. Press the DELETE FORMS softkey.
5. To delete forms from a list, specify the file name, but not the
form name. Press the DELETE FORMS softkey. The DELETE FORMS
screen is then displayed. The screen has spaces for up to 24
forms to be deleted.
6. Type the name of each form you want to delete in the
multicharacter fields, and type an x in the single character field
next to the field for the name. If you need a list of the forms
in the file, press the DISPLAY FORMS softkey. Type an x next to
each form you want to delete.
7. After you have indicated all the forms that you want to delete,
press the DELETE FORMS softkey. This deletes the forms. If you
have more than 24 forms, you can use the NEXT FORMS and PREVIOUS
FORMS softkeys to see all the forms. Select which forms to delete
from these additional screens.
8. When you are finished deleting forms, press the EXIT softkey to
leave the DELETE FORMS screen.
Printing and Showing Forms
The JOINFORM Editor has a printing and showing facility that prints
either forms or a list of forms on your screen or on your printer.
To use the printing and showing facility, press the SHOW FORMS softkey
from the main menu. Type the name of the form in the field labeled FORM
NAME: and the name of the file containing that form in the field labeled
FILE NAME:. Press the SHOW FORM softkey to display the form on the
screen. Use the NEXT FORM NAME and PREVIOUS FORM NAME softkeys to
display other forms in the file. You can also type the name of other
forms over the current name in the FORM NAME: field.
You can print a form by pressing the PRINT FORM softkey instead of the
DISPLAY FORM softkey.
The default option of the PRINT FORM facility includes a table that
contains the following information about each field.
* Field number.
* Enhancement.
* Length.
* Input order.
* Output order.
* Row of screen in which field appears.
* Position of field in that row.
You can display a list of the forms in a particular file. Type the name
of the file in the FILE NAME: field, but leave the FORM NAME: field
blank. Press the SHOW DIRECTORY softkey. 90 forms are displayed at one
time. Use the PREV PAGE and NEXT page softkeys to see more forms.
To print a list of forms to your printer, press the PRINT DIRECTORY
softkey instead of the SHOW DIRECTORY softkey. The JOINFORM Editor uses
the LP printer as the default printer on the HP 3000. Use a file
equation to specify another device as the printer. Equate that device to
the formal file designator JFOUT.
Selecting Default Enhancements and Fillers
You can change the default enhancement and fill characters for the fields
of your form. From the JOINFORM Editor press the CHANGE DEFAULTS
softkey.
Field enhancement is used to show clear differences between each of the
three field types. The original default enhancements for each type is
shown in the table below.
Table F-2. Field Enhancement Defaults
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| | |
| Field Type | Default Value |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| Input | Half-bright, inverse video. |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| Output | Underlined. |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| Input/Output | Half-bright, inverse video, underlined. |
| | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fill characters for each field indicates the field while you are creating
it. The default fill characters are shown in the table below.
Table F-3. Fill Character Defaults (by field type)
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| | |
| Field Type | Default Value |
| | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| Input | I |
| | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| Output | O |
| | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
| Input/Output | C |
| | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To change these values, use the TAB key to move the cursor to the
parameter you are changing. To change fill characters, type the
alphanumeric character that will become the fill character in the to
field for that parameter. To change the enhancements, type in any of the
enhancement symbols at the bottom of the screen in the to field for that
parameter. Press the SAVE NEW VALUES softkey when you have completed
changing the default parameters. If you press the EXIT softkey before
saving the new values, those changed values will be lost.