RE: Common Display File (Header + File-level Keywords) -- MIDRANGE-L

The best I've ever been able to do to accomplish what you're trying to do, is to divide each "working section" of the screen into a separate display file with its own program and overlay the screens. So I have Program A that calls program B to clear the screen and display header and footer sections and then calls one of several programs in some order that overlay the middle section with perhaps a subfile or other entry form. Those programs restore the screen and return information to Program A. Program A records the information and determines which program to call for the next "subscreen". Also use "popup" screens for choosing one of many values, for instance; one can reuse the same program and display file for many kinds of lists.

You can also accomplish the same thing with many "records" in a display file managed by a single program.

The old rule was one display file per program, but newer versions of RPG allow a display file per sub-procedure.

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-
bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sarah Kemp
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 10:06 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Common Display File (Header + File-level Keywords)

It's true I'm coming from a web background. I can't remember the last time I
made a page that was actually all located in one file so I am trying to get these
green screens working with the same flexibility. I'm looking for a combination
of CSS and a PHP (or ASP) 'include', which just grabs the header file (which
could have standard config, output, and style information) and adds it to the
page. I am ok with this 'grab' being at compile time rather than runtime, but I
really don't like the idea of just having a template that I copy and paste into
each new screen... what if something changes?

I'm really struggling with the limitations of DDS. I did see this preprocessor:
http://rpglanguage.biz/copybook.html. Not being very familiar with iSeries
terminology, it sounds like it might be capable of allowing a /COPY in my DDS.
Has anyone had any experience with something like this?

Thanks,
Sarah

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-
bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of rob@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 6:13 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Common Display File (Header + File-level Keywords)

Sounds like she's trying to do a DDS version of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).

Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1
Group Dekko
Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com

From: Alan Cassidy <ACassidy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 01/29/2014 08:58 AM
Subject: RE: Common Display File (Header + File-level Keywords)
Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx

....If I use a WRITE header followed by an EXFMT main screen, only the

main screen is displayed and none of the file-level keywords from the
header are active.

Use the OVERLAY keyword on the EXFMT screen, and watch your header
record
remain:
http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v7r1m0/index.jsp?topic=%2Frzak
c%2Frzakcmstoverla.htm

I have also seen advice to designate a header field in your display file

and customize it in your program in order to allow a more standardized
header, but I don't know how (or if) it can be used with file-level
keywords and allowed function keys?

Probably header fields (plural). Most of mine show a file/screen name
upper left, application name in the middle, date and time upper right, a
subtitle on the 2nd line centered. Go by shop standards, and/or clone
somebody's DDS code and customize to your specifications.

If this is not possible, how is screen standardization usually handled?

Shops vary on this one, but almost all of them are pretty definite about
that. If they don't seem to, or it's a tiny shop, they might not, in which
case I have usually simply tried to find what most of the screens already
look like to the users and take it from there.

(Would that more shops were pushing for Web interfaces)..

Alan Cassidy

At Caledonia Financial Services
acassidy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
954-693-0000 ext. 3433 - Direct phone
786-380-9236 - Mobile phone

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [
mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sarah Kemp
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 5:38 PM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Common Display File (Header + File-level Keywords)

I learning about RPG and DDS for screens and I am trying to determine if
there is some method of including or referencing one DDS screen inside of
another. What I want to be able to do is create a "common" display file
that has, for instance, the company name and the date, and includes some
file-level keywords and allowed function keys (INDARA, CA03, etc.). Then,
ideally, I would be able to create program-specific screen content in a
separate file without having to redefine the common function keys, header
information, and file-level keywords.

Is there a method of including DDS source with something like a /copy? Or
can I use two display files in one RPG program and have their allowed keys
and keywords both active at the same time? I have tried using two in one
program, but I can only get them both to display by using EXFMT rather
than WRITE for the header file, which means control needs to be returned
before the main screen is written. If I use a WRITE header followed by an
EXFMT main screen, only the main screen is displayed and none of the
file-level keywords from the header are active.

I have also seen advice to designate a header field in your display file
and customize it in your program in order to allow a more standardized
header, but I don't know how (or if) it can be used with file-level
keywords and allowed function keys?

If this is not possible, how is screen standardization usually handled?

Thank you,
Sarah
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