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

Chapter 7 381
USING FORMSPEC IN BATCH MODE
BATCH MODE COMMANDS
FORMS
Prints a summary listing for the forms in the current forms file.
Syntax
[FORMS [ form ]
[@ ]]
Parameters
form The name of an existing form within the current forms file for which
summary information is to be printed. If omitted, a summary of the
current forms file is printed.
@ The commercial at sign (@) specifies that summary information for all
forms, as well as the current forms file, is printed.
Discussion
The FORMS command prints the name of each form, the number of fields in the form, the
number of bytes in the screen image, the number of children that the form has, and the
name of the form's parent form, if any. If a form name (
form ) is included with the FORMS
command, an extended summary is generated for the form. The extended summary
includes all of the form information listed above. In addition, for each field in the form, the
FORMSPEC assigned field number, data buffer offset (in bytes, one relative), and field
length (in bytes) is printed. If the commercial at sign (@) is used for
form , an extended
summary is generated for each form in the forms file. See the examples below for samples
of the three types of summary listings available.
Although all FORMSPEC output is normally directed to $STDLIST, you may want to
redirect this output separately to the line printer. To do so, use the MPE :FILE command
to redefine the formal file designator, FORMOUT, as follows:
:FILE FORMOUT;DEV=LP
The FORMS command prints a maximum of 60 lines per page. This maximum can be
changed by setting the JCW.
FORMSPECLINESPERPAGE
See Appendix E for more information.
The FORMS command is a very useful bath mode command. When FORMS is used after
the forms file has been updated, the listing can be used to quickly check that the resulting
forms in the file are the correct ones.
This command also provides useful reference information when coding (or modifying) an
application data buffer that has to match the layout of the fields in a form.