RE: external *PRTF (was: RE: 'ILE RPG' or 'RPG IV' . What's the d ifference!!!)

O.K., well, um, that was ... neat!  I must admit I've never heard of a
no-source display file before.  I think I know why.  I _did_ qualify what I
was after, though.  I asked if it was possible to do _meaningful_ screen
I/O.  I dunno, Dave, I'd be hard pressed to let a user work with a screen
like that.  <g>

- Dan Bale

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Shaw, David [SMTP:dshaw@spartan.com]
> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 1:36 PM
> To:   'RPG400-L@midrange.com'
> Subject:      RE: external *PRTF (was: RE: 'ILE RPG' or 'RPG IV' . What's
> the d ifference!!!)
> 
> Dan,
> 
> Responses in-line.
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bale, Dan [mailto:DBale@lear.com]
> > 
> > Dave,
> > 
> > I beg to differ.  QPRINT & QSYSPRT are indeed printer file 
> > objects, but they
> > are not externally described.  
> 
> DSPFD of QSYSPRT shows that it has 1 record format with 0 fields defined
> in
> it.  Hmm, I see the system allows me to create a display file with the
> same
> type of setup.  Now, if I write a program to use that, what happens?
>  
> > Still, no one has answered the question.  Is it possible to 
> > do meaningful
> > screen I/O with a display file created with SRCFILE(*NONE) 
> > using only RPG
> > I-specs and O-specs?  If there is, I can't see how it could 
> > be as simple to
> > code as internal printer file O-specs; you and someone else 
> > mentioned UDDS -
> > enough said?
> 
> Well, based on a trivial test I just did, I must say YES!  I created a
> display file named TEST using SRCFILE(*NONE), then wrote this ugly little
> RPG III program to use it.  I didn't use cycle control <grin>, but I used
> this display file just as I would QSYSPRT if I could read it and LO!  IT'S
> ALIVE!!! <vbg>  I'm not sure whether it could or how it would support
> function keys, since the display file doesn't provide for them, but
> function
> keys are a convenience that we've gotten used to, not a requirement for a
> practical screen-handling program.  Set up the hex attributes that you
> want
> for the screen as constants and just go to program-described town!
> 
> Here's the RPG:
> 
>      FTEST    CF  F    1919            WORKSTN              
>      ITEST    NS                                            
>      I                                        1   1 DUMB    
>      C                     MOVEL'TEST'    TEST1   4         
>      C                     EXCPT                            
>      C                     READ TEST                     90 
>      C                     SETON                     LR     
>      OTEST    E                                             
>      O                         TEST1      4                 
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