Types of Fields

Map Design Considerations › Designing Map Fields › Types of Fields

Types of Fields

Each map field must be designated as either a literal, data, message, page, or response field. The field designation determines the functions that a field can perform:

Type of Field	Function
Literal	Displays a predefined literal string that provides a title, prompt, or other information to the terminal operator
Data field	Displays the value (if any) of the record element associated with the field and optionally allows the operator to input data.
Message field	Displays messages generated by an application program or by the automatic error-handling facility. Error messages and automatic error-handling are discussed in "Automatic Editing and Error Handling". A map message field is associated with the system $MESSAGE field.
Page field	Pageable maps only—displays the current page number and permits the operator to request the next page to be displayed. A page field on a pageable map is associated with the system $PAGE field.
Response field	CA ADS only—allows the operator to select a CA ADS response process. A map response field is associated with the system $RESPONSE field.

Required Fields

When defining a data field, the developer specifies whether the field is a required field. Operators must supply input in data fields designated as required. Failing to enter data in a required field constitutes an input error.