Re: User defined commands with a "choice program"

[Douglas Handy <dhandy1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve,

>Is there a
>way to code to command parms so that the user must choose from one of the
>choices provided by the "choice program" without using the CLP to validate
>the choice?

No, that can only be done by a Validity Checking Program (or VCP), not by the
choice program.  In fact, the choice program doesn't even need to present real
choices -- it just provides output which gets listed.  For example, I have a
"choice program" which I use for date fields, and it displays calendars for 12
months instead of "choices".

The really dumb thing about choice programs is there is no way to directly
return a parameter value.  For example, the choice program can call a windowed
selection program to display a subfile from a database and allow the user to
select one with a '1' or 'X' or mouse etc.  But then you can't pass that value
back to the command prompter to fill in the keyword value. :(  The window must
pass it to the choice program to "list" on the display.

I'd love to see the command prompter enhanced to allow (but not force) a choice
program to handle the UI and return a keyword value directly.  But its been this
way since the S/38 days and I don't consider it likely to change now...

Doug