Easytrieve Screen Fields

ROW Declaration Syntax

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ROW row-number [COL column-number] 'literal-text' [field-name] [ATTR (...)] [VALUE (...)] [ERROR 'message']

ROW 8 COL 10 places content at row eight column ten. Omitting COL on subsequent ROW lines continues at same column as prior ROW in some layouts—Broadcom examples show ROW 10 COL 22 followed by ROW COL 22 for aligned menu text without repeating COL. Literals appear in quotes; field-names reference DEFINE working storage. Plus sign continues long ROW definitions across lines for VALUE and ERROR clauses.

Field DEFINE Prerequisites

Every screen field needs Library DEFINE: length, type, and optional RESET. Screen display width matches field length unless ATTR or mask formatting changes presentation. Numeric DEFINE with NUMERIC attribute on ROW restricts terminal keyboard. Alphanumeric fields accept broader input unless VALUE limits allowed characters. Prefix screen-only fields SCR- or WS-SCR- to distinguish from batch file fields in mixed programs.

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DEFINE SCR-ACCT    W 10 N RESET
DEFINE SCR-NAME    W 30 A
DEFINE SCR-BAL     W 12 P 2
DEFINE SCR-OPT     W  1 A RESET

Input Versus Output Fields

Complete Inquiry Panel Example

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SCREEN NAME ACCT-INQ
  DEFAULT ATTR (GREEN NEUTRAL)
  TITLE 'Account Inquiry'
 
  ROW  5 COL  5 'Account Number:' SCR-ACCT NUMERIC MUSTENTER
  ROW  7 COL  5 'Customer Name:'  SCR-NAME ASKIP
  ROW  9 COL  5 'Balance:'        SCR-BAL  ASKIP
  ROW 11 COL  5 'Status:'         SCR-STAT ASKIP
  ROW 20 COL  5 'Message:'        SCR-MSG  ASKIP ATTR (YELLOW NEUTRAL)

SCR-ACCT is input: operator enters account number, NUMERIC restricts keys, MUSTENTER requires entry before proceed. SCR-NAME, SCR-BAL, SCR-STAT are output: BEFORE-SCREEN READs master and MOVEs values; ASKIP prevents overwrite. SCR-MSG shows validation or not-found text in yellow.

DEFAULT and Field ATTR

DEFAULT ATTR (GREEN NEUTRAL) applies green neutral intensity to all fields lacking explicit ATTR. Individual ROW entries override: ATTR (RED NEUTRAL) on error message row. DECLARE statement defines reusable attribute names like ERROR-ATTR combining RED REVERSE—reference DECLARE name in ROW ATTR clause for consistency across screens.

VALUE and ERROR on Input Fields

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ROW 8 COL 10 WS-REPLY VALUE ('V' 'E' 'D' 'X') +
       ERROR 'Please type V, E, D, or X'

VALUE lists allowed single-character or string inputs. When operator types disallowed value, ERROR message displays and screen redisplays per validation rules. Combine VALUE with AFTER-SCREEN IF for business validation VALUE cannot express—date range checks, cross-field rules, database existence tests.

RESET Fields Between Screen Cycles

DEFINE RESET fields reinitialize before BEFORE-SCREEN each iteration. Input fields with RESET clear prior transaction typing—desirable for fresh entry screens. Output fields with RESET blank unless BEFORE-SCREEN repopulates—avoid RESET on output you expect to persist across redisplay unless intentional. Document RESET on each screen field in design specs to prevent AFTER-SCREEN flags cleared unexpectedly.

Multi-Line Forms and Column Alignment

Menu screens align option letters with repeated ROW COL continuation. Data entry forms align labels at COL 5 and fields at COL 25 for scanability. Keep field lengths visible on design grid—ten-byte account field at COL 25 occupies columns 25–34; next label must start at 36 or later to avoid overlap. TITLE row consumes header space—start data ROW below title and border.

Pop-Up Screens and ASKIP Underlay

When SCREEN uses smaller ROWCOUNT for pop-up, fields from underlying full-screen remain visible but receive ASKIP automatically. Design pop-up fields within pop-up dimensions only; do not reference underlay input fields in pop-up AFTER-SCREEN without understanding they are protected.

Field Naming Conventions

• SCR- prefix for screen working storage distinct from file record fields.
• Match master file field names only when displaying direct file buffer—document alias MOVEs.
• MSG or ERR suffix for message line fields.
• OPT or REPLY for single-character menu choices.

Common Screen Field Mistakes

• Output master data without ASKIP—operators overwrite balances.
• Field length shorter than file data—truncated names on display.
• ROW COL overlap causing garbled panels.
• RESET on fields AFTER-SCREEN expects to retain.
• NUMERIC on alphanumeric product codes that include letters.
• Missing MUSTENTER on required key fields.

Explain It Like I'm Five

Screen fields are labeled blanks on a worksheet. ROW and COL say which line and which space the blank is on. ASKIP means you can only look, not write. MUSTENTER means you must write something before turning the page. DEFAULT is the pen color everyone uses unless one box gets a special color.

Exercises

1. Design six-field inquiry panel with three input and three output fields.
2. List attributes for password-style invisible input field.
3. Write menu ROW with VALUE and ERROR for four options.
4. Explain RESET impact on input field across two screen cycles.
5. Draw column map preventing label and field overlap on 80-column terminal.