Using VPLUS: An Introduction to Forms Design (32209-90004)

1-4
Menu Sequence
The menus issued by FORMSPEC have a basic sequence that can, however, be
varied through use of the function keys PREV FORM or NEXT FORM, PREV or
NEXT, and the MAIN/RESUME key. In addition, the Main Menu provides great
flexibility in selecting what you want to do, whether it is adding a
form, modifying an existing form, or changing the characteristics of all
the forms in the file, called
globals . Figure 1-3 illustrates the basic
FORMSPEC menu sequence.
Terminate FORMSPEC
You terminate FORMSPEC and return to MPE control by pressing the func-
tion key labeled EXIT, which is f8 . The next time you run FORMSPEC
and ask for an existing forms file, you continue forms design wherever
you leftoff.
Note that you should compile the forms file before exiting from FORM-
SPEC. This insures that any additions or changes to the forms design are
translated into machine-readable form so that the file can be used by a
data entry program. A compiled forms file can still be modified since
the form definitions are kept in two versions: a "source" version for
easy modification and a "compiled" version for data entry.
When you run FORMSPEC again after terminating, the Main Menu is issued so
that you can select what you want to do. For example, if you want to
view and/or change an existing Field Menu, you select the menu by the
name of the field and the form in which it appears. FORMSPEC then
displays the selected menu. Or, if you want to continue adding forms,
simply request "Add a Form" and a blank Form Menu is displayed. Forms
are kept in alphabetical order, but this does not necessarily determine
the order in which forms are executed. The sequence in which forms are
executed is part of the forms design itself and can be varied easily.