Specifying Dialog help messages (standard or client Screen)

You specify help on a Screen, a Data Element, or an error message in the -GE Lines subtab of the Screen -G Lines tab.

About this task

To document a Screen, a Data Element or an error message, you can indicate two types of line:
  • Type = C for a comment.
  • Type = T for a Text call.
You can call a Text in two ways:
  • Click the Add button and select T in the Type field. Then click the Link field and click the button displayed in this field. It opens a selection wizard with all the available Texts. You can select a whole Text or only some paragraphs. To select paragraphs, click the + sign in front of a Text and select one or more paragraphs. Click OK. The selected Text and paragraphs are then displayed in the Description field.
  • Or select a T in the Type field and specify the Text code directly in the Description field with the following format:
    Table 1. Positions in the Description field
    Positions Contents
    6 - 11 Code of called Text
    12 - 13 Code of the selected paragraph, or ** to select all paragraphs
Notes:
  • Text processing

    The Text calls for documentation are aligned according to a standard print layout.

    All the Text calls are justified (except if the non-justification $$ parameter was used). The $n print windows indicated in the Text are respected. If they are not specified, the default print window ($0) is used.

    All the text processing options are functional (such as underlining, negative indentation).

    Line skips are specified in the Text, but limited to a three-line skip (line skips greater than three become three-line skips). Page skips become three-line skips. By default, the skips are one line, except for print windows $0 and $1, where they are two lines.

    The same Text can then be used in the help and in the user manual of the application.

  • Dialog-related errors

    You can assign comment lines to explicit manual errors on the -GE Lines associated with the Dialog. These lines will not be accessible, from the standard help function program, in the generated transactions.

To indicate an online help on a Data Element, a Screen or an error message, you must respect the following coding:
  • Documentation of a Screen
    The documentation lines must be entered on the -GE Lines of the Screen. You must respect the following positions in the Description field:
    Table 2. Positions in the Description field
    Positions Contents
    1 - 5 Blanks
    6 Comment
    6-11 Code of the called text on a T-type line
    12-13 Paragraph code (** for all paragraphs) on a T-type line.

    The Screen help which the user can call through the help function in the generated transactions is constituted of the C or T lines indicated in the -GE Lines of the Screen, and of the U, C or T lines of the Segment.

  • Documentation on a Data Element

    Data Element C or T-type lines must follow an F-type line which refers to that Data Element.

    You must respect the following positions in the Description field:
    Table 3. Positions in the Description field
    Positions Contents
    1 - 3 Blanks
    4 0 (zero)
    5 Blank
    6 Comment
    6-11 Code of the called text on a T-type line
    12-13 Paragraph code (** for all paragraphs).on a T-type line

    The Data Element help which the user can call through the Help function in the generated transactions is constituted of the C- or T-type lines assigned to the Data Element, the Data Element description lines (blank-type), the error messages generated for the given Data Element, and, if appropriate, their related documentation lines.

  • Documentation of error messages
    • Explicit error messages (except errors on Data Elements)
      You must respect the following positions in the Description field:
      Table 4. Positions in the Description field
      Positions Contents
      1 - 4 Error code (blank if after a U,C or T-type line relating to the error)
    • Error with an automatic message or error on a Data Element
      You must respect the following positions in the Description field:
      Table 5. Positions in the Description field
      Positions Contents
      1 - 3 Error code (blank if after a F, U,C or T-type line)
      4 Position of the help message: 2 4 5 6 7 8 ... comments on the line after the error message of the indicated type (2 4 5 6 7 8 ...)
      5 Blank
      6 Comment
      6-11 Code of the called text on a T-type line
      12-13 Paragraph code (** for all paragraphs).on a T-type line

What to do next

You must then generate the error messages. To do so, you must create an Error Message instance and associate it with the Dialog. The Error Message instance groups the generation options of the error messages for this Dialog. You must then generate the Error Message instance.


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