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

34 Chapter1
VPLUS Overview
Product Overview
Entering Data with ENTRY
VPLUS features a standalone data entry program, called ENTRY. Forms and data
specifications are created using FORMSPEC. This program does the following:
• Displays forms at the terminal
• Accepts and validates data entered on the forms
• Writes the data to a batch file
ENTRY operates in two modes: data collection and browse/modify. Data collection mode
collects data from the terminal, and browse/modify enables you to look at the collected
data and modify it if necessary. When the user first runs ENTRY, the initial mode is
always data collection. The user must request browse/modify by pressing a terminal
function key.
Chapter 2 provides complete information about using ENTRY. The following sections
discuss principles of data collection and browse/modify.
Data Collection
ENTRY displays forms on the terminal screen in the order that FORMSPEC determines.
Each form is displayed with any initial values specified for the form. As each form is
displayed, the user types data into the "unprotected" fields on the form. (These are the
fields that permit data entry; they include all fields defined on a form except "display only"
fields.)
After typing in the data, the user presses
Enter. ENTRY then tests the entered data for
errors and, if errors are found, it enhances each field in error. The particular enhancement
is determined by the forms designer. The default error enhancement is inverse video
underline. ENTRY also displays a message associated with the first field with an error.
The user can then correct the error (or errors) and press
Enter again. ENTRY continues to
check the entered data until no errors are detected. It then writes the data entered on the
form as a single record to the batch file, and displays the next form in form sequence.
Note that the forms designer determines the form sequence. However, the terminal
function keys provide the user some control over this sequence. These keys enable the user
to:
• Request the first (or head) form in execution sequence.
• Terminate a repeating form and display the next different form.
• Reset the current form to its initial values.
• Print the current form with its initial values on the line printer.
• Request browse/modify mode to view and/or change data already written to the batch
file.
• Terminate ENTRY.