LXE 1280 Reference Guide

Form Messages 

129 

E-SW-LDSPLUSRG-G 

LDS Plus Reference Guide 

A form message is a message that gets put into the compose buffer. A form message is similar to a 
paper form. Fields are either protected (already filled in and the operator cannot change them) or 
unprotected (displayed as underlines until the operator fills them in).  

The control character determines whether a message is a form or non-form message. 

An outbound form is a message that the host computer sends to a DOS terminal for immediate 
display when the DOS terminal receives it. An outbound form is temporary.  

The DOS terminal does not store an outbound form, and an outbound form does not cause the 
DOS terminal to access a stored form. 

An outbound form allows the application programmer to control the type of information that an 
operator enters. 

The  compose buffer is a conceptual buffer that displays form messages or certain non-form 
messages (function key, clear compose to header and power up messages). 

The programmer can design a form with fields such as Part Number and Location that prompt the 
operator to enter specific data. For example: 

The application program sends the following form message to a DOS terminal: 

<02SaAC]Part No:_ _ _ _Loc:_ _ _ _ _ 

where 

S in this message is the Type character indicating that it is a message from the host.  

The lower case CTRL character a in this message indicates that it is a forced form 
message.  

This message causes the DOS terminal to display the following form for the operator who reports 
inventory. The operator can use this form to enter the part number and location into the 
appropriate field. 

AC]Part No:_ _ _ _Loc:_ _ _ _ _