Re: User defined commands with a "choice program"

[Douglas Handy <dhandy1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve,

>So how do I "attach" the VCP to the command?  There doesn't appear to be a
>VCP option on either the command parms or the CRTCMD command.

As Vern mentioned, prompt all keywords -- it is the VLDCKR() keyword which names
the VCP name.

>Why couldn't my CPP function as a VCP?  

Because by that time you can't issue messages back to the bottom of the command
prompter, while the command is still prompted.

>Currently, I'm validating the input
>in my CPP and sending back error messages with SNDPGMMSG but when an error
>occurs, I can only send a message and cannot retain the command on-screen.

And that is precisely why you'd use a VCP instead.  As Vern mentioned, the VCP
sends back a *DIAG message(s) CPD0006 with error text to be displayed by the
prompter, followed by *ESCAPE message CPF0002 to throw the exception.

VCP's are always called when a command is run, even if the command is not
prompted.  A command may also optionally have a POP (for Prompt Override
Program), but these *only* run when the command is prompted.  Thus a VCP can
validate input all the time, while a POP is only useful for prompting.

VCP's can be used to validate input even when you don't use a Choice Program.  \

A choice program, VCP, POP, or CPP are all different animals with different
purposes.

Hope this helps

Doug