INPUT instruction configuration
This section describes the options that can be specified in the ATTRIBUTES
clause of the INPUT instruction. The options of the ATTRIBUTES
clause override all default attributes and temporarily override any display attributes that the
OPTIONS or the OPEN
WINDOW statement specified for these fields. With the INPUT
statement, the INVISIBLE attribute is ignored.
NAME option
The NAME attribute can be used to name the INPUT
dialog. This attribute is used to identify the INPUT dialog.
HELP option
The HELP clause specifies the number of the help message to display if the
user invokes the help while the focus is in any field used by the instruction. The predefined
'help' action is automatically created by the runtime system. You can bind action views to the 'help' action.
The HELP clause overrides the HELP attribute.
WITHOUT DEFAULTS option
The WITHOUT DEFAULTS option indicates if the
fields controlled by INPUT must be filled (FALSE) or not
(TRUE) with the DEFAULT values defined in the form specification file. The runtime system
assumes that the field satisfies the REQUIRED attribute, when WITHOUT DEFAULTS is used. If the
WITHOUT DEFAULTS option is not used, all fields defined with the
REQUIRED attribute must be visited and modified.
For more details about WITHOUT DEFAULTS usage,, see Form field initialization.
FIELD ORDER FORM option
By default, the tabbing order is defined by the variable binding list in the instruction description. You can control the tabbing order by
using the FIELD ORDER FORM attribute. When this attribute is used, the tabbing
order is defined by the TABINDEX attribute of the form fields. If this attribute is used, the Dialog.fieldOrder FGLPROFILE entry is ignored.
The OPTIONS instruction
can also change the behavior of the INPUT instruction, with the INPUT
WRAP or FIELD ORDER FORM options.
UNBUFFERED option
Indicates that the dialog must be sensitive to program variable changes. When using this
option, you bypass the traditional BUFFERED mode.
When using the traditional "buffered" mode, program variable changes are not automatically
displayed to form fields; You need to execute a DISPLAY TO or DISPLAY BY
NAME. Additionally, if an action is triggered, the value of the current field is not
validated and is not copied into the corresponding program variable. The only way to get the text of
the current field is to use GET_FLDBUF().
If the "unbuffered" mode is used, program variables and form fields are automatically synchronized.
You don't need to display explicitly values with a DISPLAY TO or DISPLAY
BY NAME. When an action is triggered, the value of the current field is validated and is
copied into the corresponding program variable.
ACCEPT option
The ACCEPT attribute can be set to FALSE to avoid the automatic
creation of the accept default action. This option can be used for example when you want to write a
specific validation procedure, by using ACCEPT
INPUT.
CANCEL option
The CANCEL attribute can be set to FALSE to avoid the automatic
creation of the cancel default action. This is useful for example when you only need a validation
action (accept), or when you want to write a specific cancellation procedure, by using EXIT INPUT.
If the CANCEL=FALSE option is set, no close action will be created, and you must
write an ON ACTION close control block to create an explicit action.
Using TTY attributes
The ATTRIBUTES clause can define TTY attributes such as colors
(RED, GREEN), and REVERSE. These attributes will
be used during the dialog execution.