The Transport™ Migration Toolset
VPLUS
Overview
The VPLUS "sloforms" file is translated into a human-readable ASCII flat file describing the screen layout as well as field descriptions (including processing specifications). This file, in turn, is parsed into intermediate code on the target platform and interpreted by our VPLUS intrinsics.
Our intrinsics use the curses terminal I/O library to provided a character-mode representation of a block-mode screen. Other than using using the "normal" enter-key instead of the block-mode enter key, the screens appear identical. Field and terminal display attributes are maintained and the line-drawing set is supported. Line drawing support does differ based on the terminal selected. As you would expect, using an HP termtype gives better results than a VT220 terminal.
Up to 24-line screens are supported, with the 25th line showing the function key labels. If 26 lines are available, we will show two lines of key labels.
Features
Here is a partial list of the features of our VPLUS replacement:
- Clear, Repeat, and Freeze Forms
- Repeat Appending, and Repeat Overlaying forms
- Save Fields
- Field Types of Required, Optional, and Processing
- Field aliasing
- Common field processing directives, MATCH, IF, MINLEN, FILL_LEADING, FILL_TRAILING, STRIP@, FAIL, etc.
- Initial values
- Almost identical presentation to the end-user
- Line Drawing
- Field and screen display attributes mapped to closes terminal equivilent
- Function key support (F1-F8)
- Plus many more...
Intrinsics
| Intrinsic | Comments |
| VCHANGEFIELD | |
| VCLOSETERM | |
| VERRMSG | |
| VFIELDEDITS | |
| VFINISHFORM | |
| VGETBUFFER | |
| VGETFIELD | |
| VGETFIELDINFO | Only can be called on the current form |
| VGETFILEINFO | |
| VGETFORMINFO | Only can be called on the current form |
| VGETKEYLABELS | This function returns the current form labels. Global form labels may be returned if requested. |
| VGETNEXTFORM | $END is not supported. |
| VINITFORM | |
| VOPENFORMF | |
| VOPENTERM | Termfile parameters is ignored |
| VPLACECURSOR | |
| VPRINTFORM | |
| VPUTBUFFER | |
| VPUTFIELD | |
| VPUTWINDOW | HP Escape sequences embedded in the message buffer are extracted and ignored. |
| VREADFIELDS | The showcontrol variable is ignored. |
| VSETERROR | |
| VSETKEYLABEL | |
| VSHOWFORM | |
| VTURNOFF | |
| VTURNON |