Designing Screens › Screens and Templates Design › Define Fields

Define Fields

In screen design, a field implements an attribute for which an export data view, and optionally an import data view, has been defined for the procedure step. The attribute may belong either to an entity type or it may be a work attribute.

You need to understand the relationship between screen fields and import and export data views before addressing the properties of fields on screens.

The single screen associated with each procedure step is responsible for providing data to its import view and displaying data from its export view. You can use each field on the screen to implement both an import and an export view of an attribute. The following illustration shows this point.

The following list details the keys to the illustration:

• The procedure step Customer Address Inquiry requires an import view of CUSTOMER NAME. It produces an export view composed of the following information:
  • Customer name
  • Customer Address Line 1
  • Customer Address Line 2
  • Customer Address Line 3
• The screen for Customer Address Inquiry is shown in two states:

  After the terminal user has specified the data required in the import view

  After the system has formatted the export view in response

• The field labeled Customer Name: provides input to the import view Requested Customer Name before procedure step initiation. The field displays the contents of the export view Returned Customer Name at the procedure step's conclusion.
• The fields identified as Customer Address: only display the contents of the export view's Returned Customer Address Lines 1, 2, and 3.
• In general, all fields for which an import view is defined should have a corresponding export view.

The following list shows the properties of fields:

• Import Data View
• Export Data View
• Display Length
• Hidden Field Indicator
• Edit Pattern
• Field Video Properties
• Error Video Properties
• Field Prompt
• Prompt Video Properties
• Help Identifier