Re: "Super prompter" program

[Vern Hamberg <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Evan

Yeah, that is the problem with a choice program, as Chuck related - it 
only presents the choices to look at - this is still a useful thing, and 
fairly simple. As I think about it, if one puts up a select list, the 
feeling is, it ought to feed the parameter, too.

So the command exit seems just the ticket. And maybe also the prompt 
override program. I've not used the latter much, have used choice 
programs more. And never done the exit.

So the conversation has opened up avenues for me, as usual.

Vern

Evan Harris wrote:
> Hi Vern
>
> >From memory the problem is that you can present the list of choices, and as
> you say you could pop up a list box or something to allow for friendlier
> selection, but how would you then get the selected value back into the
> actual command parameter ?
>
> Regards
> Evan Harris
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Vern Hamberg
> Sent: Saturday, 13 February 2010 11:59 a.m.
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> Subject: Re: "Super prompter" program
>
> James
>
> I've thought of this kind of thing many times. Take a look at the 
> CHOICEPGM parameter of the PARM command - there is no reason not to have 
> it put up a screen for a user to enter things. Now what they choose 
> would show up in the list of items when you press F4. It is also used to 
> populate things to the right of a parameter, but you probably would not 
> want it to put up the screen for that - only for F4 - there is a flag to 
> tell your choice program what the context is.
>
> You could keep the selections somewhere for the next time it is prompted 
> - like for entering multiple values - then things would be pre-selected.
>
> This moves outside the box quite a bit but might be doable.!!!
>
> Vern
>
> James H. H. Lampert wrote:
>   
> > Suppose you were tasked with writing a "super prompter" program for a 
> > system command: one that expands on the existing prompt, e.g., where the 
> > existing command asks for the names of one or more fields in a file, the 
> > "super prompter" would allow the user to choose those fields from a list.
> >
> > How would you approach such an undertaking?
> >
> > --
> > JHHL
> >   
> >