Specifying help messages (standard Screens or TUI clients)

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.
To call a Text, you can:
  • 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 generate the error message file.

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