Specifications

User Interface Tools for OpenVMS Applications
4.2 Command Definition Utility
You can modify your process command table, the system command table in
SYS$LIBRARY, or create a new command table to be used with user-written
applications.
For more information about creating your own commands with CDU, refer to the
OpenVMS Command Definition, Librarian, and Message Utilities Manual.
4.3 Message Utility
The Message utility (MESSAGE) allows you to supplement OpenVMS system
messages with your own messages to signal any condition—error or success. Use
an editor to create a message source file, which consists of message definition
statements and directives that define the message text, the message code values,
and the message symbol. With these directives, you can assign severity levels,
specify message text, and define the facility to which the message relates.
After compiling your message source file using the Message utility, you link
the message object module with the program object module. By using message
pointers, you can use different text for the same message. This option is
particularly useful for multilingual applications. To use pointers, you create a
nonexecutable message file that contains the message text and a pointer file that
contains the symbols and pointer to the nonexecutable file.
For complete information about creating your own messages, refer to the
OpenVMS Command Definition, Librarian, and Message Utilities Manual.
You can also make descriptions of your messages available from the DCL prompt
($) by including message descriptions in the Help Message database. For
information about linking your messages into the system and adding them to
the Help Message database, see OpenVMS System Messages: Companion Guide
for Help Message Users. This manual provides complete information about using
the Help Message utility to create and access online message descriptions; it also
includes basic information about message formats, severity levels, and recovery
procedures.
4.4 DECforms
DECforms is a set of development tools and services for developing user
interfaces. DECforms lets programmers create forms and menus quickly and
efficiently. With DECforms, the form remains independent of both the application
program and the display device. This permits either to be changed without
affecting the other.
DECforms also permits a single application to support multiple devices as well as
multiple users who speak different languages. At run-time, DECforms manages
communication among the form, the display device, and the application program.
It selects the appropriate form and language independent of the application.
DECforms is the industry’s first implementation of the ANSI/ISO standard for
a Forms Interface Management System (FIMS). When other vendors implement
the FIMS standard, DECforms will be considered a tool for creating a portable
interface.
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