HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
DATA ENTRY PROGRAM
A stand-alone data entry program, ENTRY, is provided by VPLUS/V. This
program, run by the user, displays forms at the terminal, accepts and
validates data entered on the forms, and writes the data to a batch file.
The forms and data specifications are all entered through FORMSPEC.
ENTRY operates in two modes: Data Collection and Browse/Modify. The
mode when ENTRY is first run is always data collection; the user must
request browse/modify by pressing a terminal function key. As indicated
by their names, data collection mode is used to collect data from the
terminal, and browse/modify to look at the collected data and modify it
if necessary.
Data Collection
ENTRY displays forms on the terminal screen in the order determined by
FORMSPEC. Each form is displayed with any initial values specified for
the form. As each form is displayed, the user types data into the
"unprotected" fields on the form. (These are the fields that permit data
entry; they include all fields defined on a form except "display only"
fields.)
After typing in the data, the user presses ENTER. ENTRY then tests the
entered data for errors and, if errors are found, it indicates each such
field by an enhancement. (The particular enhancement is determined by
the forms designer. The default error enhancement is inverse video
underline.) ENTRY also displays a message that describes the first field
with an error. The user can then correct the error (or errors) and press
ENTER again. ENTRY continues to check the entered data until no errors
are detected. It then writes the data entered on the form, as a single
record, to the batch file, and displays the next form in form sequence.
Note that form sequence is determined by the forms designer.
Nevertheless, the user using ENTRY has some control over which forms are
displayed. This control is provided by a set of terminal function keys
that allow the user to:
* Request the first (or head) form in execution sequence.
* Terminate a repeating form and display the next different form.
* Continue entering data with the next sequential form after
interrupting data collection.
* Clear the current form to its initial values.
* Print the current form with its initial values on the line printer.
* Request browse/modify mode to view and/or change data already written
to the batch file.
* Terminate ENTRY.
Browse/Modify
The user can view the data already written to the batch file by
requesting browse/modify mode. (This is done simply by pressing a
terminal function key; the same key returns the user to data collection
mode at the point of interruption.)
When browse/modify is requested, the previous data record written to the
batch file is displayed on the form through which it was entered. The
user can examine the data, change it if desired, and then press ENTER.
Any new data is written to the same batch record, overwriting data
previously entered in the same form.
If the user wants to look over the entire file, the user simply presses a
function key to request the first batch record. The data in this record
is displayed on the form through which it was entered. When NEXT is
pressed, the data in the next batch record is displayed. Making changes
as required and pressing ENTER, or leaving the data as is and pressing
NEXT, the user can progress through all the records in the batch file.
As with data collection, terminal function keys allow the user further
control over the sequence of browsed data. The keys for browse/modify
allow the user to:
* Display data from the first batch record on its form.
* Display data from the previous batch record on its form.
* Display data from the next batch record on its form.
* Clear the current form to the values displayed before any current
modifications were entered.
* Delete the record currently displayed at the terminal.
* Print the current record on the line printer.
* Return to collection mode to enter new data.
* Terminate ENTRY.