The ACCEPT INPUT instruction validates the INPUTinstruction
and exits the INPUT ARRAY instruction if no error
is raised. The AFTER FIELD, ON CHANGE,
etc. control blocks will be executed. Statements after the ACCEPT
INPUT will not be executed.
Input field validation is a process that does several successive
validation tasks, as listed here:
- The current field value is checked, according to the program variable
data type (for example, the user must input a valid date in a
DATE field).
- NOT NULL field attributes are checked for all
input fields. This attribute forces the field to have a value
set by program or entered by the user. If the field contains no
value, the constraint is not satisfied. Input values are right-trimmed,
so if the user inputs only spaces, this corresponds to a NULL
value which does not fulfill the NOT NULL constraint.
- INCLUDE field attributes are checked for all
input fields. This attribute forces the field to contain a value
that is listed in the include list. If the field contains a value
that is not in the list, the constraint is not satisfied.
- REQUIRED field attributes are checked for all
input fields. This attribute forces the field to have a default
value, or to be "touched" by the user or by program. If the field
was not edited during the dialog, the constraint is not satisfied.
If a field does not satisfy one of these constraints, dialog termination
is canceled, an error message is displayed, and the focus goes
to the first field causing a problem.