The Design view of a Screen

This view displays the design of the generated instance whose code is currently displayed with the PDP COBOL editor and selected. You can modify this design in the view and generate the instance again to take these modifications into account.

To see the content of this view, you must have generated a program (Program, Screen, or Server). Then, in the Design Explorer view, right-click the corresponding .cbl file, which contains the generated COBOL. Select Open with > PDP COBOL editor. The COBOL editor must remain open and currently selected.
Tip: You must be familiar with the concepts explained in The steps to generate the COBOL of a Program, Screen, or Server.
The design elements are constituted of the attributes and resources of the instance. You can modify them at various levels:
  • Directly in this view. However, you cannot carry out all the update actions available from the editors. Only a subset of these actions is available.
    • You can overwrite the values that are displayed in the Value column. If you change a value here, it automatically modifies the corresponding field in the editor and the COBOL code.

      When you update an instance (a Data Structure or a Macro for example) called in the design, the editor of the modified instance opens in the background of the editor area with an asterisk. This symbol shows that the instance has been modified. An editor opens for each updated instance. You must explicitly save each instance.

      Note: If the field has a limited number of values, a list displays all the values that you can select.
    • You can also call new resources by selecting a category and then right-clicking. With the contextual menu, you can add resources that are adapted to the category.
  • In the corresponding tab of the editor, by right-clicking and selecting Open editor. Any modification that is carried out in the editor is automatically reflected in the view and in the COBOL code.
  • In the COBOL code that is viewed through the PDP COBOL editor. Any modification in the design lines of the COBOL code is automatically taken into account in the view and the editor.

Description of the view

This view shows a hierarchical view of the design elements.

Note: The possible values of the fields that are displayed in this view are listed and explained in the help that is associated with the corresponding tab of the editor. Under each hierarchical level, links point to this help.

The Keywords category is shown only if at least one keyword is present in the Keywords tab of the instance. In the view, you only can change the keyword names. To add keywords, you must open the editor by right-clicking anywhere in the view and selecting Open editor. You can then add keywords in the Keywords tab.

The Attributes category contains the same information as the Definition tab of the instance. You can modify the values in the view, or in the editor. To open the editor, right-click anywhere in the view, except on a called instance line, and select Open editor.

The Referenced Dialog contains the same information as the tabs of the Dialog editor:
  • Attributes contains the Dialog definition (same information as the Definition tab).
  • Common area contains the name and label of the Data Structure selected as the common area (same information as the Complement tab).
  • Managed files contains the Segments and Data Elements called in the Dialog (same information as the -CS Lines tab).
  • Working data represents the internal resources called in the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION of the Dialog.
  • Macros displays the Macro calls of the Dialog (same information as the -CP Lines tab).
All the other resources are related to the Screen:
  • Map description displays the elements called in the Screen map (same information as the -CE Lines tab).
  • Managed files contains the Segments and Data Elements called in the Screen (same information as the -CS Lines tab).
  • Working data represents the internal resources called in the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION of the Screen.
  • Macros displays the Macro calls of the Screen (same information as the -CP Lines tab).

The contextual menu and toolbar

This view contains a contextual menu whose choices apply to the resources. Their order reflects the order of the resources in the hierarchy.

The contextual menu activates choices with which you can add or modify resources, depending on the selected category and the position of the selection in the category.
Example: When you click the Input category, the choice Add one or more files is active. When you click a file that is called in the Input category, the choice Add Data Structures in file is active.
When you select one of these choices, a selection dialog box opens. It displays only the instances present in the project build path.
This menu always contains the following choices:
  • Open editor. This choice opens the editor of the generated instance or the editor of the instance that is called in the design.
    Example: If you select this choice from the first level of the hierarchy (such as Working data or Keywords), the editor of the generated instance (Program, Screen, or Server) opens. However, selecting this choice from an instance nested within a call line (such as a Data Structure or a Segment) opens this instance editor.
  • Delete, which deletes the hierarchical level currently selected.
This view also contains a toolbar from which you can Generate the code (Generate the code) after you updated the design of your Program or Screen. The newly generated code integrates the changes in the design, while keeping any specific changes entered in the code. The design must be consistent. When the design of the instance is modified, the generated COBOL can no longer be synchronized. In this case, the color of the toolbar button that is used to generate changes (Generate is recommended due to modifications in the design) to indicate that Generate is recommended due to modifications in the design. Once the generation is complete, the synchronization is restored and the toolbar button returns to its initial appearance.
Limit: The Undo and Redo functions of the editor are no longer available after a generation. The pile of changes to Undo/Redo is emptied after each generation. The changes that are made before a generation cannot be undone with the Undo function. To delete changes (including the generation) made before the generation, you can exit the editor without saving or use the Revert File function.
The possible values of the Screen Attributes are explained in the link which points to the Screen Definition tab.
Note: The Default value displayed in the Attributes fields means that the value is inherited from the Dialog.

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