Components of transaction fields

No.

A reference number listing the fields within the transaction description.

Field name

A label that ties the transaction field to an actual field on a form, to process-related date such as date or time, or to a value you give it. Symbols:

# - System variables

& - field complements

¤ - sytem variables in start and stop transactions

In order for a transaction field to correspond to an actual field on a form, the field name and index listed in the transaction description must be identical to the name and index of a field in the form definition.

Idx

The field's index. Unindexed (stand-alone) fields have the index 0. Fields that you add yourself also have the index 0.

Format

Pad always

Indicates whether or not the field is to be padded to its maximum length (Len), regardless of whether Compact is selected in the Transaction description options dialog. One (1) means that the field is to be padded, and zero (0) means that it is not.

Len

The length of the output data in characters.

Pos

The position within the record where the output data from that particular transaction field is to begin. FORMS determines the position automatically. Do not pay any attention to the position if there are conditional statements in the transaction description. In that case "position" is incorrect and each record will be of a different size.

Expression

The Expression box contains one of these:

• Specific text that you want to include in the output

• A default value for a field

• A constant or an expression to be calculated and assigned to a numerical transaction field you create yourself

• A condition for a conditional transaction field

Form name

Only present in transaction descriptions for sets. Tells FORMS which form the transaction field is to correspond with.

Occurrence

Only present in transaction descriptions for sets. When a form can occur more than once within the same set, it indicates which occurrence of the form (within the set) a transaction field relates to.