Edit macro pop-up dynamic area

[Bob Stark]

I'd like to have an edit macro to help me maintain those darned "flower
boxes" at the beginning of programs.

I'd like it to use one of the IBM-supplied dynamic area panels (ISREDDE4) to
make it easy to install if I go to a site and want to use it (no panels to
install)

When I run my FLOWER macro, it will read the existing flower box (perhaps in
a couple of site legacy formats), extract that data into fields, and pop-up
my panel. You can edit the data (program description, arguments, last-change
info), scroll around through the data, and when you END, it will rewrite the
flower box (in the latest site-specific format)

Has anyone done something like this?

Any technical issues that I am overlooking?

I am fine with all the logic to read and rebuild the flower box.

I am a little fuzzy on the best technique for manipulating scrollable data
on a dynamic area panel, and am looking for an example where this was done
with simple elegance.

If anyone else would find this useful, we could collaborate on it's development.

[Steve Coalbran]

Hi Bob

What on earth is a FLOWER box ?
Can you add an example - perhaps an image of what you'd expect before & after your planned-process ? (keep it simple for us)

Is the use of dynamic areas a real requirement or just something you want to play with.
EDIT uses the values ZDATA,ZSHADOW for it's display but remember that this is only the VISIBLE part of the data.
If your flower-box has too many flower-pots in it then they won't all be visible ?
/S

> Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 03:45:28 -0400
> From: bst...@PROTECHTRAINING.COM
> Subject: Edit macro pop-up dynamic area
> To: ISP...@LISTSERV.ND.EDU

[Bob Stark]

On Mon, 3 Oct 2011 12:05:01 +0000, Steve Coalbran <coal...@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

>Hi Bob
>
>What on earth is a FLOWER box ?

>Can you add an example - perhaps an image of what you'd expect before &amp;

after your planned-process ? (keep it simple for us)

/*---------Language: REXX-------------------------------------$$PROLOG*/
/* Program Name: MVSSYM */
/* Description: Return the value of an MVS system symbol, or */
/* null if not defined. (external version). */
/* Customization: None */
/* Input Parameters: 1. symbolName */
/*-----------------Changed 12-Mar-2008 by: Bob Stark -----------------*/
/* 1. Initial coding */
/*--------------------------------------------------------------------*/

Above is a very small "Flower Box"

>Is the use of dynamic areas a real requirement or just something you want
to play with.
>EDIT uses the values ZDATA,ZSHADOW for it's display but remember that this
is only the VISIBLE part of the data.
>If your flower-box has too many flower-pots in it then they won't all be
visible ?

The change history can get long, and so can the section (omitted above) that
describes in detail the syntax of the program arguments. Scrolling up/down
will cure this. I don't think I will need to scroll right/left.

A dynamic area allows me to use color, reverse video, and to design the
pop-up to match a set of specifications.

Yes, I could just customize a panel definition for each site, instead of
building the pop-up dynamically from specs. Just not as elegant for the
end-user, or as easy to get up-and-running

My real question is: Where is a simple and elegant example of managing input
fields in a scrolling dynamic area

[Pedro Vera]

> You can edit the data (program description, arguments, last-change

> info), scroll around through the data, and ...
> Any ... issues that I am overlooking?

A dynamic area with various input fields, scrolling capability, and
editing capability is far from trivial. I am sure you are capable, but it
might be more effort than you realize.

This seems like more of an editing requirement. Your users will want to
delete rows / insert rows / copy information / various line commands. They
will expect an editor-like interface.

Rather than displaying ISREDDE4 yourself, I think you are better off by
actually using the ISPF editor to display and gather the prolog
information. Yes, can probably do all that you want with a dynamic
area, but why re-invent the wheel?



Pedro Vera
DB2 Admin Tool
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/db2imstools/db2tools/db2admin/

[Steve Coalbran]

If the SCROLLability is the real requirement then the SCROLLable Areas may be a better solution - you retain control.


However if you must use DYNAMIC areas and you have your heart set on
ISREDDE4 (or 2) then the simplest way is to write your data to a file
and us a modified EDIT panel, copying whichever EDIT panel you prefer - I use ISREDDE2 generally.

Setup a REXX section I would guess in each of INIT, REINIT and PROC sections (at least the first two)...


*REXX(*,ZSHADOW,LVLINE,(FLOWERBX))

where rexx member FLOWERBX does something like

DO r = 1 TO lvline BY 80
tda = TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(zdata,r,80))
tsa = SUBSTR(zshadow,r,80)
ssa = tsa
PARSE VAR tda 1 co 4 eye ":" txt 71 cc
leye = LENGTH(eye)
SELECT
WHEN( co cc <> "/* */" )THEN NOP
WHEN( eye = "PROGRAM NAME" ,
| eye = "... " ,

| eye = "INPUT PARAMETERS" )THEN tsa = OVERLAY(COPIES("R",leye),tsa,4,leye)
OTHERWISE NOP
END/*SELECT*/
IF( ssa<>tsa )THEN zshadow = OVERLAY(tsa,zshadow,r,80)

END


> Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 11:00:21 -0400
> From: bst...@PROTECHTRAINING.COM
> Subject: Re: Edit macro pop-up dynamic area
> To: ISP...@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
>

[adrianstern]

unfortunately now lost a few years ago i wrote an emulation of the
explorer window in ispf - not that hard but certainly complex
I still have some windows-like panels but it's not something I'd
recommend
but i'll mail you the code if you like - probably not too pretty
Adrian