HP DECforms for OpenVMS, Version 4.0

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.
DECforms allows a single application to support multi-
ple types of users with interfaces tailored to their partic-
ular end-user environments, where those environments
are differentiated by such factors as desktop device and
natural language. This tailoring is accomplished by uti-
lizing another DECforms structure called a layout. Sets
of panels tailored for a particular environment can be
grouped together in a layout. A form can consist of mul-
tiple layouts. At run-time, DECforms chooses the one
layout from within the form appropriate for the end-user
environment.
Features
The application program interacts with DECforms
through a very simple, six-call record-level interface. Ei-
ther single or multiple records can be transferred in a
single request.
All field-level processing is performed by the DECforms
Run-Time System, not by the application program. The
DECforms Run-Time System provides a wide variety of
form, panel, and field-level control and processing ca-
pabilities, including:
• Multiline text fields
• Simple arithmetic operations within the form
• Scrolled regions with the following characteristics:
— Vertical or horizontal scrolling
— Containing one- or two-dimensional arrays
— Partial or full-line scrolling
— Multiple lines per scrolled entry
• Conditionally protecting, highlighting, and concealing
fields
• Changing video attributes dynamically based on real-
time events
• Highlighting fields when the cursor is present
• Color support on VT241 and VT340 terminals via
mapping to video attributes
• Format validations:
— Character type
— Entry required
— Minimum length
— Full field
— No data input
• Content validations:
— Range check
— List check
• Context validations:
— Against a general expression
— Cross-field validations
• Calling a user-defined routine (procedural escape
routine) to perform more complex validations, includ-
ing file lookups
• Built-in flexible field navigation capabilities on VTs
allowing the operator to move among fields in any
manner desired
• Timeouts on field entries on character-cell terminals
• Toggling between insert/overstrike mode on character-
cell terminals
DECforms also provides an extremely flexible mecha-
nism for defining functions and redefining keyboards to
suit the operator environment. This includes support for
multikey function definitions.
DECforms supports most OpenVMS data types, which
means that data type conversion does NOT have to be
performed by the application program in most cases.
DECforms can be used with HP DATATRIEVE to provide
powerful, window-like forms interfaces for queries and
reports on data stored in RMS, Oracle Rdb, and Oracle
CODASYL DBMS files.
Internationalization Features
DECforms includes numerous internationalization fea-
tures, allowing applications to support user interfaces in
multilingual environments. These features include:
• Multiple natural language layouts per form
• International date formats
• Numeric data formatting, including replacing decimal
point with comma
• Multiple character currency signs
• Multiple character sets
• Flexible positioning of fields and literals to allow for
translation
• OpenVMS Message Files to allow for translation
• Integrated support for Hebrew language form de-
velopment and processing, including right-to-left text
path on character-cell terminals
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