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 that is displayed in this field. It opens a selection wizard with all the available Texts. You can select a whole Text or some sections only. To select sections, click the + sign in front of a Text and select one or more sections. Click OK. The selected Text and sections are then displayed in the Description field.
  • Or select a T in the Type field and specify the Text directly in the Description field with the following format:
    Table 1. Positions in the Description field
    Positions Contents
    6 - 11 Text
    12 - 13 Selected sections, or ** to select all sections
Note: You can assign comment lines to explicit manual errors on the Dialog -GE Lines . 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:
  • Screen documentation:
    The documentation lines must be entered on the Screen -GE Lines. 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 Text called on a T-type line
    12-13 Section code (** for all sections) on a T-type line.

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

  • Data Element documentation:

    Data Element C or T-type lines must follow an F-type line that 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 Text called on a T-type line
    12-13 Section code (** for all sections).on a T-type line

    The Data Element documentation that the user can call through the help function in the generated transactions is constituted of the C- or T-type lines that are assigned to the Data Element, of the Data Element description lines, followed by the error messages that are generated for the Data Element, and, if appropriate, their related documentation lines.

  • Error message documentation:
    • 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 .

      It remains blank after a F, U,C or T-type line.

      4 Position of the help message.

      2 4 5 6 7 8 for example: comments on the line after the error message of type 2 4 5 6 7 8.

      5 Blank
      6 Comment
      6-11 Text called on a T-type line
      12-13 Section code (** for all sections).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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