Function Key labels on Windows

Thu, 28 Apr 2005 06:44:53 -0400

I'd just like to make one thing clear about function key labels in PowerHouse. They are a function of HP terminals rather than a direct feature of QUICK. If QUICK is running on an HP terminal, QUICK can drive the function key labels. If it's not an HP terminal (or emulator), there's no function key label to drive. Also note that the HP function key labels do not use any of the standard terminal screen space, they are extra.

I'll ask development about putting out some sort of function key map that would make dynamic function keys useful on non-HP terminals (or emulators), however, there's no guarantee.

Bob Deskin              
Senior Product Manager, Application Development Tools
Cognos Inc. 3755 Riverside Drive, Ottawa ON K1G 4K9 CANADA
bob.deskin@cognos.com (613) 738-1338 ext 7268

-----Original Message-----
From: powerh-l-admin@lists.sowder.com
[mailto:powerh-l-admin@lists.sowder.com]On Behalf Of Peter Bateman
Sent: April 27, 2005 9:26 PM
To: powerh-l@lists.sowder.com
Subject: RE: Function Key labels on Windows

Don:

  I agree it is a shame that Cognos did not put Function key labels in QUICK 
NT.

  I was lucky in that in my case in that I had standard data context labels.

  It meant that each designer ## procedure

  starts off with DO INTERNAL DATA_LABELS
  as well as the APPEND and ENTRY procedures.

  At the end of each of the above DO INTERNAL ACTION_LABELS

Both of this procedures displayed value in fields  at the bottom of the 
screen.

  I considered trying to trap the keyboard entries. It used to be fairly
  simple in old 16 DOS but microsoft has made it more complicated. ( but not 
impossible )
  You might be able to trap the control characters in QUICK

Define T1 integer size 1 = 1

Define T26 integer size 1 = 26

Define CNTRL_A character size 1 = characters ( T1)

Define CNTRL_Z character size 1 = characters ( T26 )

Procedure input fff
begin
     if CNTRL_Z = FIELDTEXT[1:1]
       THEN INFO "CONTROL Z entered"
end

I would avoid using control characters because a lot them are used for line 
editing.

  Interestingly, Microsoft gets in before QUICK if you are using
  International English or one of the national keyboard maps.
  Microsoft translates your keystokes ( usually a dead key for the accent 
and a vowel )
  into a single character.

  But the other ways of creating non-English characters are
not available to the QUICK user because the translation of multiple 
characters to one
is done in the input buffer. But QUICK has already read the first character 
before the translation
occurs.
.
Regards,
Peter

>Moving right ahead with our migration from the HP3000 to Windows, we are 
>now coming to grips with the fact that the Windows Console does not support 
>function key labels.  Really a shame as this greatly reduces the practical 
>use of function keys. We did some fairly tricky things, especially in DATA 
>context, that we cannot re-produce. We did use several levels of function 
>keys in our largest (read that "most important") screens.
>
>We have designed a new means to navigate through our application using more 
>menus, more Designer Procedures, more input from the Action box, more use 
>of Info messages, and "fixed" function keys F1 - F12.  We have all 12 
>working without relying on Shift or Alt or Ctl by modifying the TIC file.
>
>Works OK, though it took "more" of practically everything, but still not as 
>smooth (easy, intuitive, slick, better - fill in your favorite ) as using 
>function keys and labels.  Oh well.
>
>That said, has anyone else dealt with this issue?  Does anyone have any 
>ideas? The latest New Features manual mentions connecting to the Windows 
>Console via a terminal emulator - has anyone ever done this?  How?  Not 
>sure we would go this route, but we are curious.
>
>Has anyone ever "trapped" a key being pressed, like <F1>, or Ctl W?  So we 
>could do something like : IF FIELDTEXT = <F1>  (Ctl W, whatever) THEN RUN 
>SOME DESIGNER OR INTERNAL PROCEDURE ...    If we could get this to work we 
>could get a little of our "smooth" back.
>
>Too bad you can't run Designer procedures in DATA context.
>
>  All ideas are welcome. Anyone who wants to talk about it feel free to 
>give me a call - (972) 442-9718. If you are going through the same 
>migration I can tell you what NOT to do.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Don Baird
>EnCore Systems
>

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