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

Chapter 6 227
USING VPLUS INTRINSICS
Multipurpose
6 USING VPLUS INTRINSICS
A set of callable intrinsics is provided by VPLUS. Table 6-1. lists the VPLUS intrinsics in
alphabetic order and summarizes their functions. A full description of each intrinsic
appears later in this section. They can be used by any application, either for data entry or
for other terminal related applications. The VPLUS intrinsics manage the interface
between an application, the terminal, a forms file, the entered data, and, optionally, the
batch file to which entered data may be written. These intrinsics are used by the VPLUS
Data Entry Program (ENTRY) to control data entry.
Appendix A contains listings in different programming languages of sample applications.
These listings provide useful examples of how to use the VPLUS intrinsics.
Multipurpose
The VPLUS intrinsics can be called by any application that displays forms on a terminal
supported by VPLUS. With the exception of the batch file management intrinsics used
specifically for data entry, the VPLUS intrinsics can be used in conjunction with
FORMSPEC to allow for data base inquiries and updates via the application, as well as
any other operation that results in the display or collection of data through a terminal
form. Such applications can also make use of the capabilities that VPLUS provides for
validating input data.
Multilanguage
The VPLUS intrinsics can be called from programs written in any of the supported
programming languages listed in Appendix A. Additionally, some languages (also listed in
Appendix A) provide the programmer with a special interface with terminals and forms, as
described in their respective reference manuals. With these languages, the programmer
does not call the VPLUS intrinsics directly. Instead, the programmer specifies the
statements appropriate to the special interface. Each of the supported programming
languages calls the VPLUS intrinsics with the same parameters, and these parameters
are essentially the same type and size. So that the intrinsics can adjust to any peculiarities
of the calling programming language, one input sub-parameter specifies the language of
the calling program.