Re: DDS prompting problem requests -- CODE400-L

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Hi Craig,

I've put some answers in your note below:

Mike

Mike Hockings, P.Eng.
WebSphere Development Tools for AS/400  -  CODE/Designer & WebFacing !
IBM Canada Ltd. Laboratory
hockings@ca.ibm.com

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Subject:        DDS prompting problem requests


I have seen some annoying DDS prompting problems that I would please like
to have reviewed and rated.  I can still get the right data in the prompt,
it is just that these problems make it more difficult.  Thank you, Mike
Hockings, for fixing the problem with new lines not having a DDS record
type associated with them.  It makes my DDS editing much easier.  The
problems appear in both the Editor and the source edit option of the
Designer.  I'm on SP4.

The following are problem requests for prompting all DDS members (F4):
1. I think the ruler at the bottom of the prompt window should be slid
left
9 spaces so it lines up with the input line.
I think this ruler is kind of useless if it is not lined up with the
actual
line.  Please slide this prompt ruler left 9 spaces.

You are right, I have no idea why this should have happend as (well as far
as I know) this code has not been changed.  Internal defect #40761 has
been opened to correct this.


2. When placing the cursor in any of the prompt fields and cancelling the
prompt, the cursor positions are saved and I think this is a problem.
Hitting F4 again on the same line or after the cursor is taken off the
line
and back, causes tabbing to stop at the saved cursor positions.  If you
prompt a different line, the cursor positions are reset.  I would like to
see the cursor appear at the beginning of the prompt fields, not where I
last had my cursor.

The following is a problem only in DDS members with indicators (DSPF,
PRTF,
...?):
3. This problem is that in prompting DDS members on the  indicators, the
cursor position is saved permanently for that member until exiting editing
or entering an indicator in that position.  When you tab on a prompt, the
cursor stops at the last cursor position saved.  Please don't save these
positions permanently.

I'm not sure about 2. and 3.  Designer doesn't do anything to save cursor
positions and I can't seem to make it happen for me. (maybe I just need
brain-dead instructions :-)  My suspicion is that it is due to some editor
setting or macro that you have on your system.

Now for a question.
4. Since there appears to not be any way to add comments in columns 81-102
of DDS by either typing or prompting, why is this shown in the ruler of
the
edit window?
I would think you would not want to add comments to the prompt ruler line
either since you can't enter them anyway.  It can confuse people.  If
there
is some DDS member that would use comments there, the edit window ruler
line should probably still have the comments and also be added to the
prompt ruler line.

Whether or not you can type beyond column 81 is dependent upon the record
width of your srcpf that you are editing.  Currently the rulers are
"fixed" in that the same ruler is shown regardless of the width of the
source file being edited.  This, as you are finding out, could be
misleading.  I will see if it is easy to shorten the ruler to the lrecl of
the current file (if shorter than the ruler).  Internal defect 40762 has
been opened for this problem.


I do use the Designer most of the time, but there are times when I want to
edit the DDS source.  Please let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Craig Strong