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De_S_ig_n_in_g_a_nd_D_S_in_g_F_Or_m_s-----l.1 v
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With an HP 2624A Display Terminal, you can design elab-
orate data entry forms constructed of varying line types
and containing alphanumeric annotations, transmit-only
fields, and unprotected fields. The transmit-only and un-
protected fields may be defined with a variety of charac-
teristics (edit checks, automatic justification, display
enhancements, and such attributes as "optional",
"required", "constant", and "total fill").
When format mode is enabled, the cursor automatically
moves to the start of the first unprotected field in the form.
Henceforth, the terminal operator can only enter data into
those portions of the display screen which lie within un-
protected or transmit-only fields. When the operator en-
ters a character into the last position of a field, the cursor
advances to the start of the next unprotected field. In
addition, the8 and_ keys can be used to move the
cursor to the start of the preceding or next unprotected
field, respectively. If the cursor is NOT within a protected
or transmit-only field, it automatically advances to the
start of the next unprotected field when the operator at-
tempts to type a data character. Provided that a transmit-
only field is NOT defined with the "constant" attribute, the
operator may use the cursor control keys to move the cursor
to it and then alter the content of the field (the cursor never
automatically advances to a transmit-only field, regard-
less of the field's attributes).
You enable and disable format mode from the keyboard by
using the
"FORMAT MODE"
key ( . . ) in the
"def i nef ield!l"
set of function keys. One way of getting to that set of
function keys is the following keystroke sequence:
•
-
d efine
f1eld5
The
"FORMAT MODE"
function key alternately enables and
disables format mode. When format mode is enabled, an
asterisk appears in the associated screen label.
You enable and disable format mode programmatically by
using the following escape sequences:
Enable:
<ESC)W
Disable:
<ESC)X
These sequences may be entered through the keyboard,
executed from within a user key definition, or issued from a
program in a host computer.
There are three major steps to creating data entry forms:
1. Create the linear structure of the form on the screen
using the line drawing set.
2. Define the various unprotected and transmit-only fields
within the form.
3. Programatically read the completed form and store it in
the host computer for future use.
DRAWING FORMS
The first step in generating a data entry form is to create
the linear structure of the form on the screen along with
any constant alphanumeric annotations such as the form's
title and the row/column headings. You do this using the
Line Drawing and standard USASCII character sets.
With the terminal configured to its default state, the stan-
dard USASCII set is defined as the Base set (character set
"@"),
the Line Drawing set is defined as alternate character
set
"B",
and set
"B"
is enabled as the active alternate char-
acter set. The elements of the Line Drawing set and their
relationship to the terminal's keyboard are illustrated in
figure 5-1.
Figure 5-1. Line Drawing Set Elements
5-1
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