This topic describes how to create screen descriptions
for an application screen in which the same input action can result
in more than one different resulting application screen.
Sometimes in a terminal application an application screen exists
(this application screen is referred to in the rest of this help topic
as the original application screen) for which the same input
action (for example, PF8) can result in the next application screen
being any one of several different possible application screens, each
of which you want to recognize and handle differently (these application
screens are referred to in the rest of this help topic as the possible
next application screens).
What is unusual about this scenario is that the same input
action can result in one or more different next application
screens.
You should deal with this type of scenario exactly as you would
deal with the more usual scenario in which a different input
action results in a different next application screen. That is:
- For each of the possible next application screens:
- Create a unique screen description, so that the particular possible
application screen can be recognized.
- Create an appropriate screen interaction that references the unique
screen description created in the previous step.
Verify that the names of the screen descriptions for all the
possible next application screens are included in the Next Screens
list of a screen interaction for the original application screen.
For example, suppose that the original application screen is a
Utilities application screen in which the user can run a utility by
typing the name of utility and pressing Enter. Depending on the return
code from the utility, the possible next application screens include
the following:
- A "success" application screen:
- This application screen contains the word "Success" at a particular
location.
- When this application screen occurs, you want to start a second
utility.
- A "failure" application screen:
- This application screen contains the word "Failure" at a particular
location.
- When this application screen occurs, you want to navigate back
one level up the menu hierarchy to a previous application screen.
To manage this sequence of application screens:
- Create a screen description for each of the possible next application
screens. For example:
- Create a screen description for the "success" application screen
and name the screen description scUtility01Success.
- Create a screen description for the "failure" application screen
and name the screen description scUtility01Fail.
In a flow recording, record a screen interaction to handle
each of the possible next application screens. For example:
- For the "success" application screen:
- Start recording.
- Navigate to the "success" application screen.
- Verify that the host editor recognizes the correct screen description
(scUtility01Success).
- Record the screen interaction that you want use:
- Type the name of the second utility in the appropriate input field.
- Press the Enter key.
For the "failure" application screen, use the same method to
create an appropriate screen interaction.
Verify that the Next Screens list in the screen operation for
the original application screen (the Utilities application screen)
includes the names of all the screen descriptions for the possible
next application screens (scUtility01Success and scUtility01Failure).
Note: A repeated sequence of application screens can
be recorded as a loop (see
Recording loops).