Scrollable areas

You specify a scrollable area with the Dialog Tag Language by coding the AREA tag and specifying the DEPTH, EXTEND, and DIV attributes for the area. When the DEPTH attribute is present, the conversion utility generates the )AREA section in the panel definition, along with the corresponding )ATTR and )BODY entries for the scrollable area.

Help panels generated by the Conversion Utility that contain all of the help panel text within an AREA tag (with DEPTH specified) are not split into separate panels. The conversion utility places the text in an )AREA section, which allows you to define panels up to the display size limit of ISPF.

If you specified DEPTH to signal the creation of a panel with a scrollable area, you can also specify the EXTEND and DIV attributes.

You can specify EXTEND=ON to allow the panel to expand to the logical window size. If you intend to have the panel in a pop-up window, you should not code the EXTEND attribute. Panels that specify EXTEND=ON cannot be preprocessed.

You use the DIV attribute to control the creation of a divider line before and after the scrollable area.

If you specify DIV=BLANK, a blank divider line is added before and after the area. If you specify DIV=SOLID, a visible divider is created. The visible divider formats with an attribute byte on each end of the line of dashes, which causes the line to appear with a 1-character "space" on both ends. Omitting the DIV attribute or specifying DIV=NONE causes the area to be created without divider lines.

The conversion utility uses the DEPTH attribute value to reserve a fixed amount of space in the panel body. This space, together with the divider lines, if specified, is considered as part of the body within the depth limit specified (or defaulted) on the PANEL tag. When EXTEND=OFF, the minimum depth for a scrollable area is two lines, one for the scrolling indicator line and at least one line of displayable text.

Here is markup that shows how to code a scrollable panel. Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 show the formatted result.

<!DOCTYPE DM SYSTEM(
  <!entity sampvar2 system>
  <!entity sampabc system>)>
&sampvar2;

<PANEL NAME=scrarea3 KEYLIST=keylxmp>File-A-Case
<AB>
&sampabc;
</AB>
<TOPINST COMPACT>
         Type in client's name and case number (if applicable).
<TOPINST>Then select an action bar choice.
<AREA>
<DTAFLD DATAVAR=caseno PMTWIDTH=12 ENTWIDTH=7 DESWIDTH=25>Case No
   <DTAFLDD>(A 7-digit number)
<DTAFLD DATAVAR=name PMTWIDTH=12 ENTWIDTH=25 DESWIDTH=25>Name
   <DTAFLDD>(Last, First, M.I.)
<DTAFLD DATAVAR=address PMTWIDTH=12 ENTWIDTH=25>Address
<DIVIDER>
<SELFLD NAME=casesel PMTWIDTH=30 PMTLOC=before SELWIDTH=38>Choose
one of the following
   <CHOICE CHECKVAR=case MATCH=civ>Civil
   <CHOICE CHECKVAR=case MATCH=estate>Real Estate
   <CHOICE CHECKVAR=case MATCH=environ>Environmental
</SELFLD>
</AREA>
<AREA DEPTH=6>
<SELFLD TYPE=multi PMTWIDTH=35 SELWIDTH=50>Check type of offense committed
   <CHOICE NAME=patin HELP=patin CHECKVAR=val>Patent Infringement
   <CHOICE NAME=defa HELP=defame CHECKVAR=def>Defamation
   <CHOICE NAME=cont HELP=cont CHECKVAR=con>Breach of Valid Contract
   <CHOICE NAME=priv HELP=priv CHECKVAR=pri>Invasion of Privacy
   <CHOICE NAME=incr HELP=incr CHECKVAR=icr>Interference with Contractual
           Relations
   <CHOICE NAME=disp HELP=disp CHECKVAR=dis>Improper Disposal of Medical
           By-Products
   <CHOICE NAME=fraud HELP=fraud CHECKVAR=fra>Fraud
</SELFLD>
</AREA>
<CMDAREA>Enter a command
</PANEL>

Figure 1. Scrollable panel area

   File  Search  Help
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                File-A-Case

 Type in client's name and case number (if applicable).
 Then select an action bar choice.

 Case No  . . _______  (A 7-digit number)
 Name . . . . _________________________  (Last, First, M.I.)
 Address  . . _________________________

 Choose one of the following    __  1.  Civil
                                    2.  Real Estate
                                    3.  Environmental
                                                            More:     +
 Check type of offense committed
 _  Patent Infringement
 _  Defamation
 _  Breach of Valid Contract
 Enter a command ===> ___________________________________________________
  F1=Help        F3=Exit        F5=Display     F6=Keyshelp   F10=Actions
 F12=Cancel

After scrolling, the panel looks like this:

Figure 2. Application panel area

   File  Search  Help
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                File-A-Case

 Type in client's name and case number (if applicable).
 Then select an action bar choice.

 Case No  . . _______  (A 7-digit number)
 Name . . . . _________________________  (Last, First, M.I.)
 Address  . . _________________________

 Choose one of the following    __  1.  Civil
                                    2.  Real Estate
                                    3.  Environmental
                                                            More:   - +
 _  Breach of Valid Contract
 _  Invasion of Privacy
 _  Interference with Contractual Relations
 _  Improper Disposal of Medical By-products
 Enter a command ===> ___________________________________________________
  F1=Help        F3=Exit        F5=Display     F6=Keyshelp   F10=Actions
 F12=Cancel

After scrolling, the last choice in the list is visible.

Figure 3. Scrollable panel area

   File  Search  Help
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                File-A-Case

 Type in client's name and case number (if applicable).
 Then select an action bar choice.

 Case No  . . _______  (A 7-digit number)
 Name . . . . _________________________  (Last, First, M.I.)
 Address  . . _________________________

 Choose one of the following    __  1.  Civil
                                    2.  Real Estate
                                    3.  Environmental
                                                            More:   -
 _  Invasion of Privacy
 _  Interference with Contractual Relations
 _  Improper Disposal of Medical By-products
 _  Fraud
 Enter a command ===> ___________________________________________________
  F1=Help        F3=Exit        F5=Display     F6=Keyshelp   F10=Actions
 F12=Cancel