**<br />**<br />NOTE:<br />**<br />SFUNCT and SKEY are enterable fields.<br />**SCOMPL and SERRMSG are display-only fields<br />Operator advisory and "positive feedback" messages are displayed in SCOMPL. Assuming that the operator entered: CUSADD (cont.)<br />37, and that there already was a customer number 37 on file then SCOMPL might contain the message "Duplicate Already on (cont.)<br />File". The operator is *never* able to key into the SCOMPL screen field.<br />## <br />Bottom 3 Rows of Screen<br />The last three Rows of the screen are also defined in a standard way in all MAGEC applications. They are defined as one (cont.)<br />large screen field known to the data processing personnel as SERRMSG. The operator can never key into the SERRMSG field (cont.)<br />on the screen.<br />SERRMSG stands for: "Screen Error Messages". Messages which appear here indicate entry errors in the screen data. MAGEC (cont.)<br />applications do not add or update the bad data to the database, they present it back to the operator with appropriate (cont.)<br />messages in the SERRMSG screen field.<br />The error messages are each up-to 40 characters long, there is room for up-to 6 such messages in SERRMSG at any one (cont.)<br />time. If the operator mis-enters a zip code on the screen (invalid format, non-numeric) then the error message might (cont.)<br />say "ERR123-Invalid ZIP code".<br />Every error message is assigned an error number (123, in the example above) which identifies it. If the operator (cont.)<br />mis-enters three zip codes on the same screen then the error message will only appear once since it would be pointless (cont.)<br />to repeat it. All three of the fields would be "highlighted" though to make the mis-entries stand out to the operator. (cont.)<br />Error numbers are not necessarily numeric, they may be alphanumeric -- they may contain the digits 0 through 9 and the (cont.)<br />letters A through Z.<br /># <br />Error Messages<br />## <br />Error Messages on Screen<br />All data which is keyed by the operator is edited and validated before it is used to update the database. A (cont.)<br />well-designed application should spare no effort in attempting to prevent wrong or bad data from ever getting onto the (cont.)<br />database. MAGEC applications pass the keyed data through three stages of editing:<br />1.&nbsp; MAGEC automatic editing<br />2.&nbsp; The developer's Custom editing<br />3.&nbsp; Business Rule editing<br />The automatic editing verifies that the keyed data is in the proper format, for instance: amount fields must be (cont.)<br />numeric, date fields must be a valid date, etc. It is also capable of verifying codes using a "table lookup feature", (cont.)<br />for instance: state abbreviations, product codes, etc. Automatic editing is associated with one screen field at a time, (cont.)<br />more complex cross-field compatibility editing (e.g. if Zipcode starts with "75" then Statecode must be "TX") is (cont.)<br />handled by Custom editing and Business Rules.<br />Custom editing is capable of verifying virtually anything that the automatic editing cannot, for instance: if the sales (cont.)<br />price entered is less than the suggested price on the product file then the salesman must be the owner of the company (cont.)<br />or this order is to be rejected. Custom editing is added to the application by the developer.<br />Business Rules are very much like Custom editing except that they are specified by the database administrator and are (cont.)<br />automatically added to the program without the developer having had to do anything. This is how the database (cont.)<br />administrator can ensure that only good data gets onto the files.<br />Regardless which type of editing issues an error message the message will be presented in the SERRMSG field and will (cont.)<br />have its error "number" (may be alphanumeric) prefixing it, as: "ERR7B5-Salesman is not the owner".<br />All Error messages are defined to MAGEC on its error message file. Error numbers starting with "9" (9AA thru 999) are (cont.)<br />standard MAGEC automatic editing messages, others are added by application developers and database administrators as (cont.)<br />needed. For every error message there are three items recorded:<br />Error Number&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;three-character "number"<br />Message Text&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;33-character message<br />Description&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;up-to four lines of explanation describing why<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;this message was issued and what to do to correct<br />The error number and text are what appears in SERRMSG. Whenever any error messages are displaying in SERRMSG then the (cont.)<br />operator may press the universal MAGEC "HELP" key (PF1) to request a display of the long descriptions for the error (cont.)<br />messages shown. The data which has been keyed onto the screen will not be lost or destroyed. MAGEC will display the (cont.)<br />Descriptions, which may continue for more than one screenful, and when done will return the operator's screen exactly (cont.)<br />as it was before. The error messages will still be there, the screen fields in error will still be highlighted, and the (cont.)<br />cursor will still be where it was. This may be done over and over without harming the operator's (cont.)<br />screen.<br />The SERRMSG field on the screen may never be entered into by the operator but is sometimes used to display messages (cont.)<br />other than error messages. In some functions it is not possible to receive an error message since the operator does not (cont.)<br />key any data and no database updating is involved. An example would be an inquiry or browse function which only (cont.)<br />displays data, but does not update any files. In some such cases the application might place instructions as to what (cont.)<br />may be done from here or what PF keys are defined in this application and their meanings. These messages are easily (cont.)<br />distinguishable from error messages.<br />## <br />Highlighting<br />When error messages appear on the screen in SERRMSG the screen fields which are in error will usually also be (cont.)<br />highlighted. This means that they will appear brighter (or blinking, or in a different color, depending upon which type (cont.)<br />of terminal) to make them stand out from other screen fields. Though there is a limit of six error messages on the (cont.)<br />screen at one time there is no limit to the number of screen fields which might be highlighted.<br />NOTE:<br />**<br />MAGEC will not display the same error message multiple times on one screen. If you have entered non-numeric data into (cont.)<br />three numeric screen fields then MAGEC will highlight all three fields, but will issue the message indicating (cont.)<br />"non-numeric data in numeric field" only one time. This is to avoid wasting valuable space which might be more useful (cont.)<br />for displaying other error messages, and so forth.<br />**<br />NOTE:<br />**<br />Version 2.4 of MAGEC added the capability for your company to dynamically set a parameter controlling which of three (cont.)<br />"extended highlighting" options is to be used to denote screen fields in error. The options apply only to 7-color (cont.)<br />terminals; they are *Blink, Reverse-Video,* and *Underline*. The parameter is set in MAGEC Lookup Table #243, which can (cont.)<br />be altered by certain authorized persons in your company. If you are using a 4-color terminal, or a monochrome (cont.)<br />terminal, this parameter will be ignored and have no effect.<br />MAGEC will automatically position the cursor onto the first screen field which is in error in order to assist the operator to quickly correct the errors.<br />The operator need not re-key data which was correctly entered, only what is incorrect. The entire screenful of data is (cont.)<br />re-edited every time it is transmitted so that if, in correcting one error, the operator creates a new one it will be (cont.)<br />detected and an error message for it will be presented. This scheme automatically catches all combinations of errors (cont.)<br />involving cross-field validations. For example, the State Abbreviation (i.e. TX, NY, etc.) may be perfectly valid in (cont.)<br />itself, but may not be valid in combination with the Zip Code (which itself may be valid, but not within that (cont.)<br />State).<br /># <br />HELP Key<br />## <br />The HELP Key<br />PF1<br />The PF1 key is universally defined by MAGEC as the HELP key. You may press it at any time to request appropriate (cont.)<br />documentation or explanation for whatever function you are currently doing. Some of the "help" features provided via (cont.)<br />the PF1 key are automatically produced by MAGEC, others require that the application developers enter concise and (cont.)<br />meaningful explanations and documentation as the application is being developed (or afterwards). The most satisfactory (cont.)<br />results occur when data processing and end-user personnel cooperate in the development of the applications *and* (cont.)<br />documentation.<br />The HELP key has one of four possible meanings depending upon the prevailing circumstances. It might:<br />Display error analysis (error description)<br />Display key entry analysis<br />Display online documentation for a function<br />Display the broadcast message<br />**ERROR ANALYSIS<br />** If you are attempting to do an updating function and have error messages displaying on the screen (in SERRMSG) then (cont.)<br />pressing the PF1 key will result in a display of the *error analysis*, explanations for the error messages being shown. (cont.)<br />If the error analysis is longer than one screenful then the operator will be instructed (in SCOMPL) "Press PF8 to page (cont.)<br />forward". PF3 will quit immediately and return to your application screen.<br />Pressing PF8 will "page forward" to the next screenful of error analysis. After the last of the error analysis has been (cont.)<br />displayed pressing PF3 will return to the application screen intact as it was before the HELP key was pressed. PF7 (F7, (cont.)<br />on a PC) will page backwards while in the help display.<br />**KEY ANALYSIS<br />** If there are not error messages on the screen but you have mis-entered the key value (in SKEY) for this function, (cont.)<br />then pressing the HELP key will result in a *key analysis* display. The key analysis is a single screenful of (cont.)<br />description and key format information with a sample shown to assist you in correctly entering the key. After the key (cont.)<br />analysis is displayed, pressing PF3 will return to the application screen intact as it was before the HELP key was (cont.)<br />pressed.<br />**FUNCTION-LEVEL HELP<br />** If there are not error messages and the key-value has not been mis-entered (or if it has not been entered at all), (cont.)<br />pressing the HELP key will result in a display of the *function-level documentation* which has been entered for this (cont.)<br />function code. If there is no documentation then the message "NO DOCUMENTATION ON FILE" will be displayed. The (cont.)<br />documentation for a given function often will continue for more than one screenful. The SCOMPL field at the top of the (cont.)<br />screen will instruct the operator "Press PF8 to page forward" until the end of the documentation has been reached. A (cont.)<br />key analysis is also presented at the end of the documentation. Pressing PF3 after the key analysis will return to the (cont.)<br />application screen intact as it was before the documentation display began.<br />Since some functions might have rather lengthy documentation on file and it is likely that the operator will have found (cont.)<br />what information was needed before reaching the end, provision has been made to take a "shortcut" back to the (cont.)<br />application screen. At any time during the documentation display pressing PF3 (F3, on a PC) will immediately return to (cont.)<br />the application screen.<br />Re-pressing the HELP (PF1) key while viewing the documentation or error analysis will restart the display from the beginning.<br />**BROADCAST MESSAGE****<br />** If there is a Broadcast message which MAGEC "thinks" this operator has not yet seen, then pressing the HELP key will (cont.)<br />display the broadcast message regardless of what other circumstances prevail. Once the message has been shown to this (cont.)<br />operator the meaning of the HELP key reverts to the standard described above.<br />Broadcast messages are used by the central computer facility to notify all users of some scheduled event, such as "the computer will be shut down at noon", etc.<br />## <br />Field-Level HELP Key<br />PF2<br />Another type of HELP key is also built into MAGEC applications. It is the *field-level HELP *key. It will let you call (cont.)<br />up documentation for a specific screen field by positioning the cursor to it (anywhere within the field is OK) and (cont.)<br />pressing PF2.<br />When you invoke field-level HELP as described above, MAGEC builds a screen of textual description for the selected (cont.)<br />screen field. The description is built from a combination of 1) the technical specifications for that field, and 2) the (cont.)<br />textual narrative explanation from the MAGEC dictionary for the database field associated with this screen field. If (cont.)<br />the database administrator has not entered any explanation then only the automatically-generated portion of the text (cont.)<br />can be displayed.<br />Pressing PF3 (F3, on a PC) will return to the application screen intact as it was before the field-level HELP key was pressed.<br />This field-level HELP facility was added to MAGEC in version 2.0 (September, 1988). If you attempt to use the (cont.)<br />Field-Level HELP key on a screen which was created prior to then you will probably receive a message saying: "No (cont.)<br />documentation found in the dictionary". You should notify your application developers and database administrators. (cont.)<br />Upgrading older screens so that they include this valuable feature is not overly difficult and worth the (cont.)<br />effort.<br /># <br />Menus<br />## <br />Menu Screens<br />A built-in automatic menu facility will produce, on demand, a three-level menu for any operator. Operators are never (cont.)<br />required to use menus to access any application screen or function, but they *may* use the menus to access any screen (cont.)<br />or function for which they are authorized.<br />You can bypass all menus by simply keying the function code and key value (into SFUNCT and SKEY) to go directly to any (cont.)<br />application for which you are authorized. The more experienced operators are inclined to use this technique most of the (cont.)<br />time since it is faster. Less experienced opererators often prefer using menus to get to the applications until they (cont.)<br />become more familiar with the system. Either method produces the same results, they are just alternate ways of getting (cont.)<br />to an application screen.<br />The menu facility produces three levels of menu screens. The first, higher level, menu lists the logical applications (cont.)<br />for which the operator has access authorization. An example of logical applications is:<br />01 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;General Ledger<br />&nbsp;<br />02&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Accounts Payable<br />&nbsp;<br />et cetera<br />&nbsp;<br />Different operators might see a different list because their authorizations are not the same. By positioning the cursor (cont.)<br />to the line (row) on which a logical application appears and pressing ENTER the operator can select the one desired. (cont.)<br />The result will be an intermediate (group) menu for the selected logical application for the requesting operator. It (cont.)<br />will show a list of function codes which are in the selected logical application and which this operator is authorized (cont.)<br />to do, for example:<br />CUS...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Customer Maintenance (9 functions)<br />VENCHG&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Change a Vendor<br />INC...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vendor Maintenance (9 functions)<br />etc.<br />Since these menus are dynamically built at the time they are requested, and since they are driven by the central (cont.)<br />dictionary's security parameters, they are always accurate based upon the current security authorizations. When new (cont.)<br />applications are added, or operators' authorizations are changed, the menus immediately reflect the new parameters. (cont.)<br />There is no waiting for technical support personnel to update the menu screens.<br />## <br />How to Request a Menu<br />To get the main menu at any time you may key the function code<br />**MENU<br />into the SFUNCT screen field (top-left corner of screen). If you have set the *Special Keys Option* appropriately, you (cont.)<br />may also use the CLEAR (Esc key, on a PC) key or PA1 key (Ctrl-F1, on a PC) to get the same result. This session option (cont.)<br />is simply a way of equating a special function key to an often-used command in order to save the operator (cont.)<br /><br />next: user03.md.txt