Defining Data Attributes To define data attributes for a Data Item:

1. Click the Data Attributes button on the Screen Data Item dialog box. The Screen Data Item - Data Attributes dialog box is displayed.

2. Key in the required information. The fields and expected input are described below.

Data Display

An optional field for a more descriptive name for the Data Item. If provided, this name will be used in error messages.

No Lookup

An optional field to specify the name of the Automaint Memo Component for which you wish to suppress the automatic lookup of the Ordinate. The name you specify must be an existing Component.

To enter more than one Component, separate the names by spaces. Alphanumeric, maximum length 25.

LIFP Ispec

This field is enabled only when the Data Item is an Ordinate of a Multiple Ordinate Component.

Use this field to specify the name of the Multiple Ordinate Component in which the lookup of the Ordinate is to be suppressed. Only Multiple Ordinate Ispec names can be entered in this field.

Entering a value in the LIFP Ispec field reverses normal Developer behavior which is to validate all the Ordinates against the Automaint Profile if data is entered in any of the Ordinates.

Data Items that are Ordinates of a Multiple Ordinate Component are treated logically as part of a single Ordinate. Therefore, if you apply LINK;IF.PRESENT to any of these Data Items, validation of all the Ordinates is performed if data is entered for any of the Data Items.

Lock Sign

Check this check box to specify that a signed field is to be locked at run time. The numeric value preceding the signed field may be entered or modified, but the sign itself may not.

Link If Present

Check this check box to allow the user to leave blank a screen Data Item that is also an Ordinate in Standard or Table Components.

Checking this box reverses normal Developer behavior, which is to automatically validate a Data Item that is an Ordinate in another Standard or Table Component. By checking the box you suppress the look up, and thus the invalid item message that would otherwise result if the field is spaces or zero.

Required

Check this check box to specify that input to this field is required at run time.

Secure

Check this check box to specify that input to this field is not to be displayed.

Not Entered

Check this check box to specify that the value displayed in this field at run time is not to be changed.

Memo Data

The Memo Data feature is available in the MCP environment only and makes use of the DMS II feature. Data Items can be defined as Memo Data. This automatically produces and maintains a separate database structure for Data Items which are stored only if they are not spaces or zeros. No other coding is needed. The Memo Data attribute should only be applied to infrequently used data items.

Memo data items are stored in a separate dataset. Each Component with Memo data has an associated dataset, while Memo data items for all Events are stored in one dataset. When the Ispec is processed, a record is written to the Memo dataset only if a

The Memo Data attribute can be defined only when the data item is first created. The data item must be either Usage Input-Output or Usage Output. The Memo Data attribute cannot be applied to Ordinates or data arrays; nor can it be used in Profiles, either as Ordinates, Profile Data, or as part of a condition statement.

Array

Check this check box to specify that the Data Item is to be a Component array Data Item.

Once you have checked this check box you must define the subscripts for the array using the Selected By dialog box. Once you have defined the subscripts, unchecking the check box turns off the array specification and changes the array Data Item into a Simple Data Item. Any subscript Data Items are deleted unless they are also subscripts of another array.

If a subscript Data Item has been used as a Same As Data Item, the array check box will be disabled.

Note: Component arrays and their subscripts cannot be Memo Data. If the array check box is checked and subscripts have been defined, the Memo Data check box is disabled.

For more information on Component array Data Items, see “Component Arrays” on page 5-43 later in this section.

Selectors

Use the Selectors button to access the Selected By dialog box to define the subscripts for your Component array Data Item.

For more information on Component array Data Items, see “Component Arrays” on page 5-43 later in this section.

Decimals Keyed

Select a radio button to specify whether a decimal character must be keyed in the field at run time. The options are Yes, No, and Default.