HP Data Entry and Forms Management System (VPLUS) Reference Manual (32209-90024)

Chapter 6 309
USING VPLUS INTRINSICS
INTRINSIC DESCRIPTIONS
VMERGE
VMERGE is a new VPlus utility that allows you to combine two or more separately-compiled
VPlus forms files into a single forms file, which may then be used with an application
program to manage the entry and/or retrieval of data.
Combining multiple forms files with VMERGE provides the following advantages:
• Some file size limitations can be overcome. Since there are limitations on how many
physical records can be placed in a VFORM file, VPlus users sometimes find that they
cannot use a single forms file to hold all the forms their application requires. With
VMERGE, it is possible to add more forms (from a second forms file) to the ones in the
initial forms file, even if the first is at or near the maximum size.
• It is sometimes easier to maintain a large forms file as several separately compiled
“modules” that can then be combined with VMERGE rather than to maintain one large
forms file.
Overview
VMERGE usually resides in PUB.SYS. It may be run on either MPE/iX or MPE V.
Before VMERGE is invoked, you must specify two input forms files and one output file. The
input files are specified with file equations for the formal designators VMASTER and VAUX.
The output file is specified with a file equation for the formal designator VOUTPUT. VMASTER
and VAUX must exist, and each may be of type VFORM (slow forms file) or VFAST (fast forms
file). VOUTPUT is created by the VMERGE utility and is of type VFAST.
As VMERGE runs, informative messages are presented on $STDLIST. If any problems are
encountered, appropriate error messages are displayed. These message are described in
the “VMERGE Messages” section in this article.
Forms File Handling by FORMSPEC and VMERGE
VPlus forms files exist in files with two different file codes: VFORM (slow forms file) and
VFAST (fast forms file). VFORM files are created and modified with FORMSPEC. VFORM files
contain the “source” for each form in the file, coded in a way that FORMSPEC can
understand. When a forms file is compiled by FORMSPEC, “object” forms are added to the
VFORM file. The object forms are accessed when the forms file is used with ENTRY or another
application program that invokes the VPlus intrinsic functions.
When you use FORMSPEC to compile a VFORM file, you may request the creation of a fast
forms file. This file contains only the object forms for the forms in the specified VFORM file.
Processing the VFAST file is fast because the file is smaller than its corresponding VFORM
file. That is, the fast forms file does not contain source forms and, therefore, can be
accessed faster. Since a fast forms file does not contain source forms, it cannot be modified
by FORMSPEC.
Both VFORM and VFAST files are limited in the number of records they can hold. However,
the problem is more severe with VFORM files since they contain both source and object
forms.
Previously, the only way to create a fast forms file was by compiling a VFORM file with
FORMSPEC. Consequently, you might have been unable to include forms that theoretically
could have fit into a VFAST file, since the source and object forms might have been too large