HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0

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Product

Description

PRODUCT NAME: HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0 SPD

29.90.14

DESCRIPTION

This document addresses HP DECforms Version 4.0 for

OpenVMS Alpha Systems and HP DECforms Version

4.0 for OpenVMS Industry Standard 64 (I64) for Integrity

Servers.

HP DECforms for OpenVMS (DECforms) is a software

product for the development and deployment of forms-

based user interfaces for interactive applications run-

ning on OpenVMS systems. DECforms is a complete

User Interface Management System (UIMS), providing

applications with not only the look and feel of a forms

interface, but also a robust set of dialog management

and validation functions to control the user interface at

application execution time.

DECforms offers application programmers a set of form

development tools for creating forms-based user inter-

faces for the following end-user environments:

• VT-based character-cell terminals

• PostScript printers

DECforms embodies the following fundamental princi-

ples:

• True separation of form and function

•Efﬁcient distribution of forms processing

• Ease of use

• Flexibility of user interface control

• Programming language independence

One of the most powerful principles reﬂected in the

DECforms architecture is complete separation of form

and function. User interface processing is completely

removed from the application program and totally iso-

lated within the form itself. In DECforms, a form is not

simply a collection of ﬁelds and background text describ-

ing the form’s appearance. A DECforms form includes

not just elements related to appearance, but also data

and procedural elements that control the processing of

the user’s interaction with the form. The application pro-

gram is only concerned with the processing of data, not

with the gathering and display of data at the user inter-

face. This makes application programs much simpler to

develop and easier to maintain.

Forms comprise one or more panels that can be of any

width and height (for VTs, panels must be no larger than

the size of the physical display device). If the data re-

quired to satisfy an application program’s request can-

not be physically or aesthetically ﬁt onto a single screen,

multiple panels can be deﬁned within a single form to

contain all the necessary ﬁelds and background text.

Thus, a form can be as large as needed.

When panels are displayed on the screen, they are dis-

played in viewports (windows) that can be located on

any place on the screen. DECforms provides a com-

plete windowing system to manage these viewports.

The viewports are static—they cannot be moved by the

user. DECforms automatically displays and removes

viewports with their associated panels to gather and dis-

play all the data required by the application program.

A form is described by the Independent Form Descrip-

tion Language (IFDL). The IFDL, although primarily dec-

larational, includes procedural constructs as well. Field

level control, screen navigation, panel management,

and cross ﬁeld and relational validations are among the

August 2006

Summary of content (6 pages)

PAGE 1
Software Product Description PRODUCT NAME: 29.90.14 HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0 DESCRIPTION This document addresses HP DECforms Version 4.0 for OpenVMS Alpha Systems and HP DECforms Version 4.0 for OpenVMS Industry Standard 64 (I64) for Integrity Servers. HP DECforms for OpenVMS (DECforms) is a software product for the development and deployment of formsbased user interfaces for interactive applications running on OpenVMS systems.
PAGE 2
HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0 SPD 29.90.14 many form processing activities that can be performed by the IFDL without the need to return to the application program. — List check • Context validations: — Against a general expression DECforms allows a single application to support multiple types of users with interfaces tailored to their particular end-user environments, where those environments are differentiated by such factors as desktop device and natural language.
PAGE 3
HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0 SPD 29.90.14 specified directly with IFDL statements. An IFDL source file is a text file that can be created or modified with any text editor. Printing Support Through the use of the printing layout, DECforms provides the capability for rendering high-quality, bitmap hardcopy forms for printing on PostScript printers. LSE templates are available for the IFDL language to aid in the creation and maintenance of IFDL source code.
PAGE 4
HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0 SPD 29.90.14 • Produces an object module that contains pointers, or vectors, to procedural escape routines named in the form file. Escape routines are calls from the form to user-supplied subroutines created to do additional processing outside the form. SNA Domain Gateway.
PAGE 5
HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0 SPD 29.90.14 4. DECforms panels of up to 72 lines may be defined for VT420 and VT500 series terminals. These terminals can display 24, 36, or 48 lines on a single screen. Panels consisting of a number of lines greater than the screen size can be panned under local hardware control by the terminal. DECforms does not support access to the F1-F5 function keys or to the ALTERNATE key. The COMPOSE key is supported when configured for LOCAL COMPOSE. • HP C Compiler V7.
PAGE 6
HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0 SPD 29.90.14 CLUSTER ENVIRONMENT • HP DECforms Documentation Kit: BA356MN This layered product is fully supported when installed on any valid and licensed VMScluster configuration without restrictions. The Hardware Requirements section of this Software Product Description details any special hardware required by this product. * Include in any order where Software Updates Services are planned.