Display Files

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Display Files

Course Code: AS/400

Version No: 1.0

Date of Release: Jul-22-02

Author: Jincy Rose Joseph


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Objectives

To familiarize with Display Files.


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Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of RPG programming concepts.


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Course Outline

SDA

Relationship between Display files, Records and Fields

SDA Terminology

Using STRSDA command

Common functions to all SDA work screens

Creating simple displays

Creating/Editing fields

Message Identifier

Subfiles, Menu and Window


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Screen Design Aid(SDA)

Screen design aid (SDA) can be used to perform thefollowing tasks:

Design a display to help the user navigate through

an application program

Design a menu to present a list of options from

which the user makes a selection

Create online help information for displays andmenus.


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Relationship between Display Files,

Records, and Fields

A display file contains one or more records.Each record specifies all the characteristics of one display.

Each display is composed of fields that are designated as

input, output, both (input and output), or constants.


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Some of the terms that you encounter while using SDA.

Keyword

Keywords are used to define displays, fields,

records, and files. Field

A fieldis an item that you specify for defining a

display.

SDA Terminology


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Record

All the fields on a display are grouped in a record.

Member

A member stores DDS statements. File

A display file that contains compiled DDS.

SDA Terminology(contd..)


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Using the STRSDA Command

The Start SDA (STRSDA) command is the primary command

for the IBM AS/400 screen design aid (SDA) utility. You can

use this command in the System/36 and System/38

environments, as well as in the AS/400 environment.


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Common functions to all SDA work

screens

Add constants to the work screen Change constants on the work screen

Change the length of a constant

Add message constants Display attribute positions

Center fields

Delete fields


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Common functions to all SDA work

screens(contd..)

Move fields

Copy fields

Make multiple changes

Specify display attributes

Remove display attributes

Delete display attributes

Specify color Remove color from a field.


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Creating a Display file

To create a new display file:1. Select option 1 (Design screens) from the Screen Design

Aid (SDA) menu and press Enter. The Design Screens

display appears.

2. Specify the name of the source file, library, and member

on the Design Screens display

3. Indicate that you want to create a new record on the Work

with Display Records display


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Creating Simple Displays(contd..)

For creating a record :

Give a name for the record and also specify the

type of record as Record ,SFL etc.

Design the screen in that record

Save the DDS and create the display file.


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To define a field

Eg :To define a numeric/character field of size 5 :

a. Numeric field

+3(5) input field

+6(5) output field

+9(5) both input/output

b. Character field

+I(5) input field

+O(5) output field+B(5) both input/output


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Editing a field

The edit code specifies how the numeric value isdisplayed. To edit a field on the Design Image workscreen:

For naming a data field, type a question mark(?)

immediately before the data field and press enter.Type an asterisk (*) immediately before the datafield and press Enter. The Select Field Keywordsdisplay appears.

To specify that you want to edit keywords, type Y(Yes) in the Editingkeywords prompt and pressEnter. The Select Editing Keywords displayappears.


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Editing a Field(contd..)

To change the edit code to show commas, zero

balances, and no sign for the data field, type 1 in

the Editcode prompt and press Enter.

Select the EDTCDE keyword for most of the

numeric fields and the EDTWRD keyword forfixed-format fields, such as currency symbols and

asterisks.

Press Enter on the Select Field Keywords display.

The Design Image work screen reappears.


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Adding a Message Identifier

To define message IDs on the Define Message ID display,you specify a message prefix, identifier, and conditionindicators.

To add a message identifier:

Type an asterisk (*) immediately before the datafield on the Design Work image screen and pressEnter. The Select Field Keywords displayappears.

To specify that you want to define a message ID,type Y (Yes) in the MessageID(MSGID) prompton the Select Field Keywords display and pressEnter. The Define Message ID display appears.


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Adding a Message Identifier(contd..)

Do the following on the Define Message ID display:

Type MSG in the Messageprefixprompt. Type 0001 in the Messageidentifierprompt. The

message prefix and message identifier make upthe identifier used in the message file.

Type USRMSGS in the Messagefile prompt. Themessage file contains the messages you areusing.

Give the appropriate library name in the Libraryprompt.

Press Enter. The Select Field Keywords displayreappears.


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Adding a Message Identifier(contd..)

Type Y (Yes) in the MessageID(MSGID) prompt

on the Select Field Keywords display and pressEnter. The Work with Message ID Keyword

display appears with the message you defined.

Press F12 (Cancel) until the Work with DisplayRecords display reappears.


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To save the DDS created by SDA for this display and createthe display file:

Press Enter on the Work with Display Records

display. The Save DDS - Create Display File

display appears.

To indicate that you want to specify additional

options for creating the display file, type Y (Yes)

in the Specifyadditionalsaveorcreateoptionsprompt and press Enter. The Specify Additional

Options display appears.

Saving the DDS


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Subfiles

Subfiles can be specified in the DDS for a display-

device file to to handle multiple records of the same

type on the display.

Consists of a subfile record format and a subfile

control record format.

Subfile part:

Selects keywords to process the data Defines fields


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Subfiles(contd..)

Subfile control part defines:

Size of the subfile

User messages

Function keys that the user can useFixed portions of the display


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SDA Menu

Menu consists of two different source file members .

The DDS source member

The command source member


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Window

To create and view a window display:

Create a window record.

Define the DDS record-level keywords for the

window. View the window on the Design Image work

screen.


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Creating a Window

To create a window record :

a. Type in the Newrecordprompt.

b. Type WINDOW in the Type prompt to specify that the

record is a window.

Four record-level window keywords:

WINDOW

WDWBORDER RMVWDW

USRRSTDSP


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References

IBM Manual - ILE RPG/400 Reference

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/

Documents

Display Files