Rational Developer for System z

Stopper Fields

Stopper fields are fields used to keep input fields from accepting more characters than the defined length of the input field.

Representation of Stopper Fields

Rational® Developer for System z® recognizes stopper fields as a 0 or 1 length field immediately following a variable field with the attributes (ASKIP,NORM).

When Rational Developer for System z creates a stopper field, it is created as a 0 length field with the attribute ASKIP.

The following is an example of a Rational Developer for System z automatically added stopper field:

DFHMDF POS=(8,38),LENGTH=0,

ATTRB=ASKP

Adding Stopper Fields

Stopper fields are added by default to input fields, numeric fields, modified data tag (MDT) fields, labeled input fields, and simple array fields.

To manually add a stopper field:
  1. In the Design Page of the BMS Editor, right click on the field and select Field Properties from the context menu. (Edit Array if you with to add stopper fields to an entire array.)
  2. The Field Properties dialog will open. Select the Basic page from the left menu of options.
  3. Mark the check box, Add Stopper Fields and click OK to add stopper fields to the field.
Stopper fields can be manually added to complex array fields by marking the check box when the fields are defined.
Note: If you return to add a stopper field after an array or structure is resolved, some array adjustment might be needed to account for the extra column the stopper field will take up. Arrays and structures do not automatically adjust at the addition of a stopper field.

Removing Stopper Fields

Stopper fields can be removed by clearing the Add stopper fields check box under Field Properties for the field. Alternatively, stopper fields can be removed by selecting the field in the Design Page of the BMS Editor and pressing delete.


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