HP FMS for OpenVMS, Version 2.5 (Forms Management System)

HP FMS for OpenVMS, Version 2.5 SPD 45.06.02
(Forms Management System)
— /DISPLAY_IMAGE - A printable image of a form
in either terminal image format (with escape se-
quences) or line printer format (without escape se-
quences).
• FMS/DIRECTORY - To obtain a directory list of forms
in a library or in form files.
• FMS/OBJECT - To generate an object module con-
taining one or more form data structures that, when
linked with the application program, will allow access
to the forms through virtual memory.
• FMS/VECTOR - To generate an object module con-
taining a vector table of addresses that point to the
user action routines that are linked with the applica-
tion program.
• FMS/TEST - To invoke the form testing facility, which
allows the application developer to display a form as
an application program would, to type data into fields,
and to display field Help.
Form Driver
The Form Driver is the run-time component of FMS. It
consists of AST reentrant, shareable subroutines that
are called by application programs to control the inter-
action of the terminal, the user, and the application pro-
gram. The Form Driver provides facilities for managing
multiple work areas (each of which contains a single
form data structure). Multiple forms can be displayed
on a single terminal screen.
Form Driver subroutines provide for terminal input and
output, display of forms, manipulation of the screen, ba-
sic input validation and formatting, calling user action
routines, and responding to the terminal operator’s re-
quests for help. Input and output can be specified one
field at a time or on a whole form basis.
The Form Driver has a number of features to facilitate
fine tuning of the application human interface. A timeout
facility allows the application program to continue exe-
cution after waiting a specified period of time for the op-
erator to enter the next character. Field video attributes,
cursor position, and Insert/Overstrike mode can be dy-
namically altered by Form Driver calls in the applica-
tion program. Field highlighting, controlled by the Form
Driver, causes the video attributes of each field to be
altered as the cursor enters the field and to be restored
to their original state when the operator exits the field.
The Form Driver may be purchased separately for sys-
tems that require only run-time support for applications
using FMS.
Named Data
The Form Driver supports the creation of parameter-
driven applications by providing Named Data.
Named Data are form constants that can be stored as
part of the form data structure and retrieved at execution
time by calls in the application program. Named Data
allows information needed by the application program
(such as form linkage, operator messages and other
human language information, and data validation criteria
for user subroutines) to be defined, stored, and modified
independently of the application program.
User Action Routines
User action routines (UARs) are procedures written by
the user in any supported OpenVMS programming lan-
guage. UARs are associated with forms and fields dur-
ing the creation of form data structures and are auto-
matically called by the Form Driver under the following
conditions:
• When processing for a field is finished
• Before and after processing the terminal operator’s
Help request
• When the terminal operator presses a function key
• When a screen refresh operation is requested
The Form Driver transfers program control to the user
action routine under the circumstances defined. The
user action routine has available to it (through Form
Driver calls) a parameter string of 80 characters (defined
as part of the form) which can be used to give process-
ing information and the current Form Driver context.
Sample Application Program
The Sample Application Program (SAMP) is a supported
FMS demonstration program, included in the distribution
kit, and is used to certify proper installation of FMS. The
documentation for FMS gives examples from the Sam-
ple Application Program. The sample programs (in each
of the documented programming languages) and form
descriptions are included in the documentation and in
the distribution kit. The Sample Application Program
can be installed on the target system at the user’s dis-
cretion.
Printing Forms
Form images can be created and written to a file
for subsequent printing by either an application pro-
gram using a Form Driver call, FDV$PRINT_SCREEN,
or by a terminal operator using an FMS DCL com-
mand, FMS/DESCRIPTION/DISPLAY_IMAGE. The fol-
lowing screen images can be created:
Line Printer Image - Line drawing graphic characters
are converted to standard printable ASCII characters
and all other characters from alternate character sets
are ignored.
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