NET/MASTER Network Control Language (NCL) Programmer's Guide

Defining Field Characters in a Panel Description File
Working With Panels
14–28 106160 Tandem Computers Incorporated
Defining Field
Characters in a Panel
Description File
The #FLD panel control statement defines the attributes of a field character. A field
character is a nonalphanumeric character that precedes a field in the display part of a
panel description file, specifying how that field is displayed on a screen.
A field is the smallest unit that can be defined in a panel description file and then
displayed on a screen. Each line in the display part of a panel description file can
contain one or more fields.
The #FLD statement associates attributes such as appearance (color, highlighting,
intensity, and so on), field type (input or output), and validation rules (for input fields)
with a field character. When a panel is displayed, each field assumes the attributes of
its preceding field character.
Standard, Predefined Field
Characters
Panel Services provides three standard, predefined field characters. You do not have
to define these field characters. These are listed in Table 14-3.
Table 14-3. Standard, Predefined Field Characters
Field Character Description
% (percent sign) Specifies that the field it precedes in the display part of a panel description
file is an output field to be displayed in high-intensity.
+ (plus sign) Specifies that the field it precedes in the display part of a panel description
file is an output field to be displayed in low-intensity.
_ (underscore) Specifies that the field it precedes in the display part of a panel description
file is an input field to be displayed in high-intensity. (Input is not validated.)
The following fields in the ZEX1402P panel description file, shown earlier in this
section, are output fields displayed in high-intensity, by using the percent sign (%):
% ===>
%&SYSMSG
% 1
% 2
% 3
% 4
% 5
%F3=Exit F4=Return
The following fields in the ZEX1402P panel description file are output fields displayed
in low-intensity, by using the plus sign (+):
+Select Option
+HELP
+Option 2
+Option 3
+Option 4
+EXIT