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   Indicators are simple on/off switches for program control of display, and
   printer files.   There are only 01 through 99 that you can use.  00 is
   invalid, as is anything over 99. Your assumption is correct.  Once you
   have set the indicator on (70 in the example) and written the display
   record, the display will respond to what the indicator is set for.  In the
   example I posted, change the color of the field, and position the cursor
   to the field that needs attention.  Each field on the display needs it's
   own indicator.  If you have 5 fields you might want to place the cursor in
   when you write the display file, you need 5 different indicators.  If all
   5 indicators are on when you write the record, the field closest to the
   upper left corner of the display will be where the cursor will be placed.

   I have 99 indicators defined because that is the max that is allowed.  I
   then have a scheme that sets aside the first 24 for the F01 through F24
   keys.  I then use a set number to do screen functions, like position
   cursor, or protect a field, or change the color of a field.  Indicators
   are used in a lot of places within printer and display files.  When you
   get into subfiles (lists of car parts, for example), you need to clear the
   subfile  before you fill it, and you set on an indicator to do that before
   writing out the control record for the subfile.  Sometimes to position a
   cursor to a record in a subfile you will set on an indicator before you
   write the subfile record.

   Indicators are strange to us COBOL programmers, but they are/were used a
   lot in RPG, and were carried over from there to COBOL for the System 36/38
   and the AS/400 - iSeries.

   There are other ways in COBOL to tell if someone has pressed a command
   key, so you may not need to use indicators there, if you don't want. There
   is a data area that I have not used much that has this type of
   information.  But to control the display and printer files, they are the
   only option we have.

   At 12:59 PM 7/9/2004, you wrote:

     Thanks Jim you have a lot of code that haven't try although you have a
     lot
     of comments I don't think it would be any trouble.

      

     Let me ask you something to see if I understand correctly, in your
     definition you define an array of indicators 99 occurrences (why 99?
     Just to
     illustrate?), and I'm figuring in each field you define you are
     assigning
     them a number, like in the example you have 70 on the date field, is
     that
     correct? If this is correct all I have to do is turn on the indicator on
     the
     field that a need attention, right?

      

     Thanks again !!

      

      

     -----Original Message-----
     From: Jim Essinger [mailto:esinger@xxxxxxxx]
     Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 11:40 AM
     To: COBOL Programming on the iSeries/AS400
     Subject: RE: [COBOL400-L] Working with SDA screens

      

        Best viewed with a fixed pitch font.

      

        To code my display files, I use Code designer, but for the examples,
     I

        have shown the DDS that is created.  SDA can also be used to code the

        screen files, but there might be some things like date data types
     that
     are

        not supported by SDA.

      

        DDS for the display file, File level keywords I use:

      

             A                                      DSPSIZ(24 80 *DS3)

             A                                      REF(LibName/FileName
     FmtName)

        <---- Used with a field reference file

             A                                      PRINT

             A                                      INDARA

             A                                      CF03(03 'End of program')

      

        The INDARA keyword sets the display file to use a separate indicator
     area

        for the entire file.

        CF03 will turn on indicator 03 in the array of indicators if that key
     gets

        pressed.

        By coding the Print and CF03 function keys at file level, they are
     always

        available.  They can be coded on a screen by screen basis.

      

        DDS for a date field:

      

             A            DBSTARTDTER    8Y 0B 15 17REFFLD(FmtName/FieldName
     +

             A                                      LibName/FileName)

             A N70                                  COLOR(TRQ)

             A  70                                  COLOR(RED)

             A                                      EDTWRD('  /  /    ')

             A                                      EDTMSK('  &  &    ')

             A                                      CHECK(FE)

             A  70                                  DSPATR(PC)

      

        In the above code, if indicator 70 is on, the color will be red, and
     the

        cursor will be positioned to the field {DSPATR(PC)}.

        If Indicator 70 is off, the color will be turquoise, and the cursor
     will

        most likely be someplace else.

      

        COBOL Program:

      

               INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.

               FILE-CONTROL.

      

              *
     ----------------------------------------------------------------

              *    This is the Display file

              * Note: the SI after the file name tells COBOL that

              *           this files uses a Separate Indicator area

              *
     ----------------------------------------------------------------

                   SELECT Display-File

                          Assign to workstation-FileName-SI

                          Organization is TRANSACTION

                          Access is Dynamic

                          Relative Key is Ws-Rrn

                          File status is Display-Status.

      

               DATA DIVISION.

               FILE SECTION.

      

              *
     ----------------------------------------------------------------

               FD  Display-File

              *
     ----------------------------------------------------------------

              * Generic space reserved for the display file records

              *
     ----------------------------------------------------------------

               01  Display-Rec  Pic X(1024).

      

               Working Storage.

      

              * Note: Indic-Array is used to control indicators on the
     display

        file.

               01  ARRAYS-AND-TABLES.

                  05  Indic-Array occurs 99 times Pic 1     Indicator 1.

                      88 Ind-Off                            value B"0".

                      88 Ind-On                             value B"1".

      

               * Note: 1 copy per format in the display file.  Gives me the

        feeling of control

               * The 'Prefix by' gives me unique field names if there are
     same

        names in the format

               *  the DDR gives me the alias name if available (and I usually
     code

        alias names) and fixes underscore to dash, etc.

      

               01  Display-Record.

                   COPY   DDR-SflCtl1-I    IN FileName Prefix by "Ctl1-".

                   COPY   DDR-SflCtl1-O    IN FileName Prefix by "Ctl1-".

                   COPY   DDR-SflSubF1-I   IN FileName Prefix by "Sfl1-".

                   COPY   DDR-SflSubF1-O   IN FileName Prefix by "Sfl1-".

                   COPY   DDR-Win02-I      IN FileName Prefix by "Win2-".

                   COPY   DDR-Win02-O      IN FileName Prefix by "Win2-".

                   COPY   DDR-Scn03-I      IN FileName Prefix by "Scn3-".

                   COPY   DDR-Scn03-O      IN FileName Prefix by "Scn3-".

                   COPY   DDR-Win04-I      IN FileName Prefix by "Win4-".

                   COPY   DDR-Win04-O      IN FileName Prefix by "Win4-".

      

               PROCEDURE DIVISION.

      

              * Check the date field.  If it needs attention (error?) set on
     the

        indicator 70, then display the screen

      

              * Error checking

                   Set Ind-on(70) to true.

      

              * Display the screen and get input

                   Write Display-rec

                         From Scn03-O

                         format "SFLCTL1"

                         indicators are indic-array

      

                   Read  Display-File

                         Into Scn03-I

                         format "SFLCTL1"

                         indicators are indic-array

      

               * Check to see if F3 was pressed on the screen

                   If Ind-On(03)

               *      End the program some how.

      

        Writing from and reading into working storage areas gives me
     protection

        from one screen wiping out anothers screen worth of data.

      

        Hope this helps!

      

        Jim

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