Main Menu

Figure 5-11 Main Menu

Adding a Reformat

When you are creating a new reformat file, you will always add at least one reformat; if you are modifying an existing reformat file, you may want to add a reformat. New reformats are added to the end of the reformat file. To add a reformat, simply enter A in the Main Menu selection box. In response, REFSPEC displays the Input Forms Menu, shown in Figure 5-14 “Input Forms Menu”

Compiling the Reformat File

In order for REFORMAT to use the reformat file, the file must be compiled. You compile a reformat file by entering an X in the Main Menu selection box.

If the file has already been compiled, it is recompiled and the newly compiled version replaces the previous version. There is never more than one compiled version of a reformat file at a time. When you modify the source version, the compiled version is not affected.

Adding Global Specifications

Certain characteristics of the reformat definition are global; that is, they apply to the entire output file. For example, record length and the end of record separators are global definitions. (Refer to the Globals Menu description below.)

REFSPEC supplies default values for all global characteristics and, unless you want to change these defaults, you need never be concerned with global values. If you do want to specify nondefault global characteristics, enter G in the Main Menu selection box, but do not specify a reformat identifier or output field name. The Globals Menu, shown in Figure 5-13 “Globals Menu”, is displayed so you can enter global specifications.

Changing the Forms File Name

Normally, you will not need to modify the forms file name once it has been specified. However, in case the forms file is renamed with the MPE :RENAME command, you can go to the Forms File Menu and rename the forms file to correspond to its new name. To do this, enter F in the Main Menu selection box and, when the Forms File Menu is displayed, type in the new forms file name.

Modifying Reformat Specifications

You can change a reformat specification at any time, either as you initially define the specification, or after the reformat file has been compiled. In either case, you locate the particular specification through the Main Menu selection box or with the function keys that control menu sequence.

Changing an Input Forms Sequence

Each input forms sequence consists of the form names associated with batch records to be reformatted and written to the output file. (Since each batch file record is associated with a form name, the list of form names is in effect a list of batch records.) The first form name in any input forms sequence is called the reformat identifier. Each reformat identifier is unique to the reformat file and is used to identify the input forms sequence.

If you want to modify an input forms sequence, enter G in the Main Menu selection box, and then specify the reformat identifier that identifies that sequence; or locate the input forms sequence you want with PREV REFORMAT or NEXT REFORMAT. The Input Forms Menu is displayed with the form names previously specified. You can then change any of these names, add new names, or delete existing names. When you have made the changes, press ENTER. You can change the reformat identifier exactly as you would change any other form name, but the changed identifier must still be unique to the reformat file.

Note that if you change an Input Forms Menu, you must validate the associated Output Record and you may have to validate the Output Field Menus. To do this, you request the applicable Output Record and output Field Menus and press ENTER for each. (If these menus were affected by your change to the Input Forms Menu, you must make the appropriate changes before pressing ENTER.) Until these menus are validated, REFSPEC prints a warning when they are displayed.

Changing an Output Record Definition

Every input forms sequence has an associated output record definition. The output record definition defines how the individual fields or portions of fields from the batch file are to be written to the output file. You can change some of these field specifications directly on the freeform Output Record Menu, and others on a particular Output Field Menu. The Output Field Menus can be located by entering G in the Main Menu selection box and then specifying a reformat id and output field name, or by using NEXT or PREV. An output record definition can be located only through these function keys.

The basic output record descriptions are entered and changed on the Output Record Menu. The output fields can be rearranged, new fields or constants added, or existing fields or constants deleted only on this menu. To change specific field reformatting specifications, you must go to the Output Field Menu for that field. (For details, refer to the Output Record Menu and Output Field Menu descriptions below.) After changing a reformat, you must compile the reformat file to enter these changes in the executable version of the file.

Deleting a Reformat

You can purge an entire reformat with its associated output record definition and field specifications. Enter D in the Main Menu selection box and then specify the reformat identifier that identifies the reformat to be deleted. The reformat specification is not physically removed from the reformat file, but it can no longer be referenced by REFORMAT. After deleting a reformat, you must compile the reformat file or the reformat will still be in the file.

Listing a Reformat

You can print a listing of the entire reformat file or only a single reformat on an off-line device (usually, the line printer). To list a single reformat, enter L in the Main Menu selection box and then specify the reformat identifier for the reformat you want listed. If you want to list all reformats in the reformat file, simply enter L in the selection box without specifying a reformat identifier. Figure 5-12 “Reformat Listing” illustrates the listing of a reformat.

Resuming Design from Main Menu

If you requested the Main Menu by pressing MAIN/RESUME during reformat design, you can return to the menu you were in by pressing MAIN/RESUME again. Note that this is the same key in each case, but it acts differently in the Main Menu than it does in other menus.

You can also go to the previous menu or the next menu by pressing PREV or NEXT respectively. When requested from the Main Menu, the previous menu is the one preceding the menu you were in when you requested the Main Menu, and the next menu is that following the menu you were in. Similarly, you can request the previous or next reformat directly by pressing PREV REFORMAT or NEXT REFORMAT. The previous or next reformat is relative to the reformat you were designing when MAIN/RESUME was requested.

Figure 5-12 Reformat Listing

Figure 5-13. Reformat Listing (Continued)