Rational Developer for System z

Part 2. Recording the screen operations file

Record the screen operations in the host editor, with the mode set to screen operations mode.
To record a screen operations file:
  1. Position the host application at the application screen at which you want to start recording:
    1. Open the host editor if it is not already open:
      1. In the Hosts folder of your project's terminal applications subproject, double-click the host connection file that you want to use to connect to the host.
      2. Wait for the connection to take place.
    2. Start the host application as you normally do.
    3. Navigate to the application screen at which you want to start recording.
  2. If you plan to use existing screen message files, load the most recent versions of your screen message files by clicking the Reload Screen Descriptions icon Reload Screen Descriptions (see Currently loaded screen descriptions).
  3. Click the go to Screen Operations Mode icon go to Screen Operations Mode so that the host editor is in screen operations mode.
  4. Click the Start Recording Screen Operations icon Start Recording Screen Operations to start recording.
  5. The host editor pops up the Start Recording Screen Operations window.
  6. Recording begins.
  7. Navigate through the host application, visiting the application screens for which you want to record screen operations. The working screen operations file is displayed in the Outline view. You can see the Outline view being updated as information is recorded. The following items are created or modified:
    • Current screen operation: When you navigate to an application screen, the host editor compares the screen descriptions in your screen message files with the current application screen until a matching screen description is found (for example, screen description scOpIns in screen message file scOpsIns.sfmxsd).
      • The host editor then searches in the currently loaded screen operations file for a screen operation of the same name (scOpIns).
      • If a screen operation of the same name is found, then it becomes the current screen operation (that is, the screen operation to which information regarding the current application screen will be added).
      • If a screen operation of the same name is not found, then the host editor creates in the working screen operations file a new screen operation with that name (scOpsIns).
    • Screen interactions: When you create a sequence of actions for the current application screen (by typing input keys, typing an AID key, adding an insert action, or adding an extract action), the host editor creates a trial screen interaction containing that sequence of actions.
      • If the current screen operation (scOpIns) already contains a screen interaction (for example, Interaction 0) having exactly the same sequence of actions, then the host editor discards the trial screen interaction.
      • Otherwise, the host editor adds the trial screen interaction to the current screen operation as a new screen interaction (Interaction 1).
      See Finding screen interactions for the current application screen.
    • List of next screens: When you navigate to the next application screen, the host editor again searches for a matching screen description, which is again the name of the corresponding screen operation (for example, scFileInq). The host editor then searches for that name (scFileInq) in the list of next screens belonging to the immediately previous screen operation (scOpIns).
      • If the name of the screen operation (scFileInq) already exists in the list of next screen screens belonging to the previous screen operation's (scOpIns), then the host editor does not add the name to list of next screens.
      • Otherwise, the host editor adds the name (scFileInq) to the list of next screens belonging to the previous screen operation (scOpIns).
  8. When you are finished recording, click the Stop Recording Screen Operations File icon Stop Recording Screen Operations File to stop recording.
  9. The working screen operations file contains the material that you just recorded.


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