Rational Developer for System z

Same screen, same input, different result

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:

  1. For each of the possible next application screens:
    1. Create a unique screen description, so that the particular possible application screen can be recognized.
    2. Create an appropriate screen interaction that references the unique screen description created in the previous step.

  2. 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:

To manage this sequence of application screens:

  1. Create a screen description for each of the possible next application screens. For example:
    1. Create a screen description for the "success" application screen and name the screen description scUtility01Success.
    2. Create a screen description for the "failure" application screen and name the screen description scUtility01Fail.

  2. In a flow recording, record a screen interaction to handle each of the possible next application screens. For example:

    1. For the "success" application screen:
      1. Start recording.
      2. Navigate to the "success" application screen.
      3. Verify that the host editor recognizes the correct screen description (scUtility01Success).
      4. Record the screen interaction that you want use:
        1. Type the name of the second utility in the appropriate input field.
        2. Press the Enter key.
    2. For the "failure" application screen, use the same method to create an appropriate screen interaction.

  3. 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).

Terms of use | Feedback

This information center is powered by Eclipse technology. (http://www.eclipse.org)