Automatic Editing and Error Handling › Error-Handling Criteria › Error Messages

Error Messages

Default Error Message

Error handling provides a default error message for any field. The message has the following format:

ERROR AT row, column

How to Override the Default Message

The developer can override the default error message for a field by specifying an error message for use by error-handling. The online or batch compiler can be used to define an error message:

• The Error message prompt on the Additional Edit Criteria screen can be used to establish an error message for the field being defined. The error message can be supplied at the time the map field is defined, can be defined in the data dictionary, or can be the default message.

                              Additional Edit Criteria           Page  3 of  7
   Map name:  EYHTST1   Version:     1
  
        Element name  EMP-STATE-0415                    Subscript
        In record     EMPLOYEE                          Version    100
  
  
      Edit table name . . . ________    Version ____    Link with map (/) _
  
        Edit type . . . . . _   1.Valid values  2.Invalid values
  
      Code table name . . . ________    Version ____    Link with map (/) _
  
      Error message (specify ID or text)
  
        ID. . . . . . . . . Prefix __    Number ______
  
        Text. . . . . . . .  NOT A VALID STATE CODE
                            ________________________________________
  
   DC365801 Map options processed successfully
  
   F1=Help  F3=Exit  F4=Prev  F5=Next  F6=Preview  F7=Bkwd  F8=Fwd
  

  In the previous screen, the developer specifies a message on the line after the Text prompt. The message, NOT A VALID STATE CODE, is specified for the data field that follows STATE in this example.

• The ERROR MESSAGE clause of the batch compiler MFLD statement can be used to establish an error message for the field being defined. You can either accept the default message, or define the error message in the data dictionary.

  For example, an error message is defined for the EMP-STATE map field in the following sample MFLD statement:

  ADD MFLD EMP-STATE
      REQUIRED
      EXTERNAL PICTURE IS 'XX'
      ERROR MESSAGE IS
      'NOT A VALID STATE'.
  

Defining a Message Field for a Map

An error message displays an input error only if a message field is defined for the map. The developer defines a message field for a map by using the online or batch compiler:

• The ELEMENT NAME and SUBSCRIPT prompts on the second page of the Field Definition screen are used as follows:
  • ELEMENT NAME—The developer types the keyword $MESSAGE (or $M) to establish a variable field as a message field.
  • SUBSCRIPT—The developer optionally specifies the maximum number of characters that the message field can contain in the SUB field (default is 80).

    Note: When the developer enters either $MESSAGE or $M in the ELEMENT NAME field and presses <Enter>, the literal, SUBSCRIPT, changes to LENGTH and irrelevant fields are darkened, as illustrated in the following sample screen.

                             Field Definition                 Page  1 of  7
 Map name:  EYHTST1   Version:     1
 ...5...10...15...20...25...30...35...40...45...50...55...60...65...70...75...80


_
 ...5...10...15...20...25...30...35...40...45...50...55...60...65...70...75...80
 Field at row  21   column  80                                  Drop field (/) _

      Element name: $message                       Subscript 80
      In record                                       Version

      Edit Picture

      Display intensity  1  1. Normal    2.  Bright         3. Hidden
      At end of field    3  1. Auto-tab  2.  Lock keyboard  3. Take no action

      Unprotected (/) . . . . .  /       Required (/). . . . . .  _
      Automatically edited (/)   _       Skipped by tab key (/)   _

 DC366004 Specify the variable field and any attributes

 F1=Help  F3=Exit  F4=Prev  F5=Next  F6=Preview  F8=Fwd

                              Field Definition                 Page  1 of  7
 Map name:  EYHTST1   Version:     1
 ...5...10...15...20...25...30...35...40...45...50...55...60...65...70...75...80


_
_______________________________________________________________________________
 ...5...10...15...20...25...30...35...40...45...50...55...60...65...70...75...80
 Field at row  21   column  80                                  Drop field (/) _

      Element name: $MESSAGE                       Subscript 80




      Display intensity  2  1. Normal    2.  Bright         3. Hidden
      At end of field    3  1. Auto-tab  2.  Lock keyboard  3. Take no action

      Unprotected (/) . . . . .          Required (/). . . . . .  _
      Automatically edited (/)   _       Skipped by tab key (/)   _

 DC366004 Specify the variable field and any attributes

 F1=Help  F3=Exit  F4=Prev  F5=Next  F6=Preview  F8=Fwd

• The MESSAGE LENGTH clause of the batch compiler MFLD statement is used to establish a variable panel field as a message field and specify the maximum number of characters that the message field can contain.

  For example, a message field (MESS1) is defined for a map in the following sample MFLD statement:

  ADD MFLD MESS1
      MESSAGE LENGTH 80.
  

How are Messages Displayed?

The message field for a map displays the error message for a field in error if the dialog or program that uses the map redisplays the map with error-handling attributes. When several data fields contain incorrect input, the message field displays as many error messages as possible, in order of occurrence from top to bottom, right to left, of the incorrect data fields. A blank is displayed between each error message.