Re: User defined commands with a "choice program"

["Steve McKay" <steve.mckay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Doug -

Thanks for your response.

So how do I "attach" the VCP to the command?  There doesn't appear to be a
VCP option on either the command parms or the CRTCMD command.

Why couldn't my CPP function as a VCP?  Currently, I'm validating the input
in my CPP and sending back error messages with SNDPGMMSG but when an error
occurs, I can only send a message and cannot retain the command on-screen.

Thanks,

Steve

"Douglas Handy" <dhandy1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:61r96vo4fthee30anut1jdh4qb0890gjv4@xxxxxxxxxx
> 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
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