HP 3000 Manual page 269

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Figure 2-8. Copy Form Screen
The space allowed to enter the name of the FROM forms file is long enough to specify the fully qualified
filename of a forms file. Once the designated forms file and form names are given and the ENTER key is
pressed, SIGEDITOR simply copies the form to the specified forms file under the new form name.
Press f8 to return to the form utilities menu.
Referencing Messages and Merging Catalog Files
In SIGEDITOR, a message is informational text that may be displayed at runtime. There are two ways to
reference messages when a program is run. The first method is to specify a message set number and
message number in the message set number and message number fields when setting field attributes for a
given field.
The message set number and message number specified in the field must correspond to a message set
number and message number in a catalog (or message) file. The RPG Reference Manual describes how to
create a catalog file. The catalog file contains the actual message; the field attribute contains the set
number and message number. The second method of referencing a message is to identify the message in
the RPG program. If this is done, the set number and message number on the field attributes screen can
be left blank if desired. See the description of the output field attribute in this chapter for more details.
The catalog file is set up in exactly the same way, but the message is referenced from the program, not from
the form. Examples of both methods are given in chapter 4. The two methods can be used together to
provide a default message (from the field attributes screen) if a set number and message number are not
provided by the RPG program. A merge operation retrieves a message that is referenced by a message set
number and message number and stores the message as part of the form. Merging can be performed any
time after a forms file is created using the f5 key on the utilities menu, or by using f1 on the main menu.
If you do not merge a forms file with a catalog file, messages must be retrieved at runtime. However,
merging prior to runtime speeds the running of the program. Therefore, saving the merge until runtime is
less efficient.
NOTE
If you merge catalog messages with forms files, any subsequent modifications to the
catalog messages require that the catalog be remerged in order for these changes to
show in the program at runtime. The messages must also be remerged after editing a
form that uses merged messages.
When merging a catalog file, you must enter both a valid catalog and forms file. Press ENTER to merge
the messages. To exit the merge utility, press f8 .
When the merge operation is performed, only the messages identified by a set number and message
number on the field attributes screen will be stored as part of the form. Messages that are identified with
a set number and message number from the RPG program cannot be merged using the SIGEDITOR.
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