CNTFLD (Continued-Entry Field) keyword for display files

You use this field-level keyword to define a field as a continued-entry field.

Continued-entry fields are sets of associated entry fields that are treated by the workstation controller as a single field during field-data entry and editing. If the display device is not attached to a controller that supports an enhanced interface for nonprogrammable workstations, each segment of the continued entry field is treated separately when editing is performed on the field.

Figure 1 illustrates the use of continued fields to create a rectangular text entry field.

Figure 1. Continued-Entry field in rectangular arrangement

Enter Text . . .  ________________________________________
                  ________________________________________
                  ________________________________________
                  ________________________________________
                  ________________________________________

The text input format is more appealing to the user than a single input field that wraps across multiple display lines. Even though the last line does not occupy the full width of the column, no other field is allowed in the rectangle. A continued-entry field allows a multiple-row entry field to be defined inside a window.

The format of the keyword is:

CNTFLD(width of column)

One parameter must be specified.

The width of the column parameter specifies the number of columns to be used for this continued field. This value must fit within the width of the display or window. This value must be less than the length of the field.

The field containing the CNTFLD keyword must be defined as an input-capable field with the data type A. It cannot be defined in a subfile.

The following keywords cannot be specified on a field with the CNTFLD keyword:

AUTO (RAB, RAZ)
CHECK(AB, MF, RB, RZ, RLTB)
CHOICE
DSPATR(OID SP)
EDTMSK

The CNTFLD keyword must be defined with at least 2 spaces separating it from other fields.

Option indicators are not valid for this keyword.

Although the maximum number of input fields is 256, the use of the CNTFLD keyword can impact the field count. The segments of CNTFLD fields are treated at run time as separate input fields on some emulators or controllers. Some controllers consider each segment of the field as an actual input field, and each segment counts toward the 256 maximum. However, some emulators count a CNTFLD field as a single field toward the count of 256. But, they might keep track of the segments separately. One emulator is known to have a maximum of 512 segments allowed. Therefore, when an emulator and a controller use the same display file, the emulator might allow more CNTFLD fields than the controller.

See CNTFLD (Continued-Entry Field) keyword for information about using this keyword with DBCS data.

Example

The following example shows how to specify the CNTFLD keyword:

|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7....+....8
00010A          R RECORD
00020A            F1            90A  B  3  4CNTFLD(30)

In this example, a multiple-row entry field is defined. The entry field contains 3 lines and is 30 columns wide.