 






     Software
     Product
     Description

     ________________________________________________________________

     PRODUCT NAME:  DECforms, Version 1.3                SPD 29.90.03

     DESCRIPTION

     DECforms offers application developers a set of software de-
     velopment tools and a run-time environment for implementing
     powerful, yet user-friendly, human interfaces. DECforms supports
     the full range of VT100, VT200, VT300 and VT420 series terminals
     and compatible terminal emulators on PCs and workstations. DEC-
     forms also supports the development and display of Hebrew forms
     (right-to-left text path) on Hebrew VT100, VT200, and VT300
     series terminals.

     DECforms offers a robust combination of the capabilities of
     previous Digital Equipment Corporation forms systems, such as
     VAX FMS and VAX TDMS. In addition, DECforms offers a number of
     significant features not previously available in a Digital forms
     product.

     DECforms integrates with VAX ACMS and DECintact to provide
     powerful forms processing capabilities in transaction processing
     environments. A private, asynchronous call interface to VAX
     ACMS and DECintact allows a single DECforms run-time process to
     control multiple terminals simultaneously in a multi-threaded
     fashion, resulting in efficient use of memory. Using the VAX
     ACMS Remote Access Option or DECintact Remote Access Option,
     DECforms can be distributed to remote CPUs, thus offloading
     forms processing from the host CPU and distributing it as close
     to the end user as possible.




                                  DIGITAL                  April 1991

                                                          AE-ME11D-TE

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     DECforms is Digital's VMS implementation of the proposed
     ANSI/ISO standard for a Form Interface Management System (FIMS).
     The Form Interface Management System is an industry software
     system and is not the property of any company or group of compa-
     nies, or of any organization or group of organizations. DECforms
     offers a subset of the full functionality described by the CO-
     DASYL FIMS Journal of Development, with extensions tailored for
     the VMS environment.

     Digital's implementation of FIMS tracks the ANSI/ISO proposal as
     it advances through the standards proposal process. Any changes
     made to elements of the FIMS proposal by the CODASYL FIMS Com-
     mittee that are implemented in DECforms software may result in
     appropriate and parallel changes in future releases of the DEC-
     forms product, even if these changes result in incompatibilities
     with previous versions of the product.

     The fundamental principles underlying the FIMS model are embod-
     ied in DECforms:

     o  True Separation of Form and Function

     o  Efficient Distribution of Forms Processing

     o  Ease of Use

     o  Flexibility of User Interface Control

     o  Programming Language Independence

     One of the most powerful principles reflected in the DECforms
     architecture is complete separation of form and function. With
     DECforms, user interface processing is completely removed from
     the application program and totally isolated within the form
     itself. The application program is only concerned with the
     processing of data, not with the gathering and display of data
     at the user interface. This makes application programs much
     simpler to develop and easier to maintain.

                                     2

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     The true separation of form and function is possible because
     DECforms introduces a whole new concept in interactive forms.
     In previous forms systems, a form was simply a collection of
     fields and background text describing the form's appearance.
     With DECforms, a form includes not just elements related to
     appearance, but data and procedural elements which control the
     processing of the user's interaction with the form.

     Forms are comprised of one or more panels which can be of any
     width and height (within the bounds of the physical display de-
     vice). If the data required to satisfy an application program's
     request cannot be physically or aesthetically fit onto a single
     screen, multiple panels can be defined within a single form to
     contain all the necessary fields and background text. Thus, a
     form can be as large as needed.

     When panels are displayed on the screen, they are displayed
     in viewports (windows) which can be located any place on the
     screen. DECforms provides a complete windowing system to manage
     these viewports. Multiple viewports can exist simultaneously
     on the screen in any configuration (occluding one another).
     DECforms automatically displays and removes viewports with their
     associated panels to gather and display all the data required by
     the application program.

     A form is described by the Independent Form Description Lan-
     guage (IFDL). The IFDL, while primarily declarational, includes
     procedural constructs as well. Field level control, screen
     navigation, panel management, and cross field and relational
     validations are among the many form processing activities which
     can be performed by the IFDL without the need to return to the
     application program.

     DECforms allows a single application to support multiple types
     of users with interfaces tailored to their needs. This tailoring
     is accomplished by utilizing another DECforms structure called a
     layout. Sets of panels tailored for a particular environment can
     be grouped together in a layout. A form can consist of multiple
     layouts, each tailored for a different environment. At run-time,

                                     3

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     DECforms chooses the one layout from within the form appropriate
     for the terminal user. Thus, a single application can be written
     to run both in a firm's New York office and in its Paris office.
     In New York, DECforms selects the English layout at run-time and
     in Paris, DECforms selects the French layout.

     The application program interacts with DECforms through a very
     simple, six-call record-level interface. Either single or multi-
     ple records can be transferred in a single request.

     All field-level processing is performed by the DECforms run-time
     system, not by the application program. The DECforms run-time
     system provides a wide variety of form, panel, and field-level
     control and processing capabilities, including:

     o  Scrolled regions with the following characteristics:

        -  Containing one or two-dimensional arrays

        -  Partial or full-line scrolling

        -  Multiple lines per scrolled entry

     o  Conditionally protecting, highlighting, and concealing
        fields.

     o  Changing video attributes dynamically based on real-time
        events.

     o  Highlighting fields when the cursor is present.

     o  Icons as active panel elements.

     o  Color support on VT241s and VT340s via mapping to video
        attributes.

     o  Format Validations:

        -  Character Type

        -  Entry Required

        -  Minimum Length

        -  Full Field

                                     4

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



        -  No Data Input

     o  Content Validations:

        -  Range Check

        -  List Check

     o  Context Validations:

        -  Against a general expression

        -  Cross-field validations

     o  Calling a user-defined routine (procedural escape routine)
        to perform more complex validations, including file lookups.
        Escape routines execute in a synchronous fashion, so their
        use in VAX ACMS and DECintact asynchronous environments does
        impose certain limitations.

     o  Built-in flexible field navigation capabilities allowing the
        operator to move among fields in any manner desired.

     o  Timeouts on field entries.

     o  Toggling between insert/overstrike mode.

     DECforms also provides an extremely flexible mechanism for
     defining functions and redefining keyboards to suit the op-
     erator environment. This includes support for multi-key function
     definitions.

     DECforms supports most VAX data types, which means that data
     type conversion does NOT have to be performed by the application
     program in most cases.

     Internationalization Features

     DECforms includes numerous internationalization features al-
     lowing applications to support user interfaces in multi-lingual
     environments. These features include:

     o  Multiple natural language layouts per form.

     o  International date formats.

                                     5

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     o  Numeric data formatting, including replacing Decimal Point
        with Comma.

     o  Multiple character currency signs.

     o  Multiple character sets.

     o  Integrated support for Hebrew language form development and
        processing, including right-to-left text path.

     o  All messages are in VMS Message Files to allow for transla-
        tion.

     o  Flexible positioning of fields and literals to allow for
        translation.

     Components

     Form Development Environment (FDE)

     The FDE allows a form designer to create a form interactively
     and provides menus that help the designer step through various
     tasks of form creation and modification. The FDE ties in with
     the Panel Editor to create the appearance of the form. The FDE
     also provides access to the VAX Language-Sensitive Editor (for
     those users who also have purchased that product) or other edi-
     tors based on VAXTPU to allow a designer to write statements in
     the Independent Form Description Language (IFDL) that describes
     a DECforms form.

     Panel Editor

     The Panel Editor allows the user to create graphic form elements
     in an interactive, "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG)
     fashion. The Panel Editor supports the interactive creation
     of the visual elements of a form's panels; background text and
     graphics, and the locations, sizes, and attributes of fields.

     Independent Form Description Language (IFDL)

                                     6

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     The IFDL is a semi-procedural language that completely describes
     a DECforms form. It allows the form designer to create a form
     (non-interactively), specifying its appearance and functions.
     While the appearance of a form can be entirely created by the
     Panel Editor, procedural aspects of the forms, such as special-
     ized responses to function keys and specialized data validation,
     must be specified directly with IFDL statements. An IFDL source
     file is a text file that can be created or modified with any VMS
     text editor.

     VAX Language-Sensitive Editor templates are available for the
     IFDL language to aid in the creation and maintenance of IFDL
     source code. DECforms also supports the Compile and Review
     capabilities of the VAX Language-Sensitive Editor.

     The IFDL also includes a COPY statement that provides for the
     copying of record and field definitions from the VAX Common Data
     Dictionary/Plus (VAX CDD/Plus). DECforms supports VAX CDD/Plus
     pieces tracking by depositing information in the dictionary
     indicating that a particular form has used a certain record.
     DECforms can also use VAX CDD/Plus records defined with the
     BASED ON attribute and those referenced through RDB$RELATIONS.

     IFDL Translator

     The IFDL translator compiles an IFDL source file into a binary
     form file. This form file is then ready for use with its ap-
     plication. Its appearance can be tested on a terminal screen or
     printed. The binary form file may be analyzed by other DECforms
     utilities, or edited in the FDE or Panel Editor.

     Back Translator

     The Back Translator converts a binary form file into an IFDL
     source file. Essentially, it performs the reverse function of
     the IFDL Translator. As a result, it provides a method of edit-
     ing the IFDL source for a form created or modified by the FDE
     or Panel Editor. The IFDL source statements the Back Transla-
     tor produces also provide a complete textual description of the
     form.

                                     7

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     Extract Utility

     The Extract Utility performs three functions:

     o  Produces a printable representation of a form's panels from a
        form file.

     o  Creates object modules containing a form. These object mod-
        ules can then be linked in an executable image with a program
        as a memory-resident form for use by the same program in a
        single session or in multiple sessions. The modules can also
        be linked in shareable images for use by multiple sessions
        from multiple processes.

     o  Produces an object module that contains pointers, or vectors,
        to procedural escape routines named in the form file. Escape
        routines are calls from the form to user-supplied subroutines
        created to do additional processing outside the form.

     VAX FMS Converter

     The VAX FMS Converter is a migration tool that converts a VAX
     FMS form or the forms in a VAX FMS form library into a DEC-
     forms IFDL source file. This process converts the appearance
     of the VAX FMS forms into a similar appearance described by the
     DECforms IFDL. The converter does NOT convert the application
     program or the User Action Routines associated with the VAX FMS
     forms. The VAX FMS Converter works with forms created with VAX
     FMS V2.0 or later.

     VAX TDMS Converter

     The VAX TDMS Converter is a migration tool that converts the
     forms and, optionally, the requests in a VAX TDMS Request Li-
     brary Definition into DECforms IFDL source files. This process
     converts the appearance of the VAX TDMS forms and some of the
     request logic into similar entities described by the DECforms
     IFDL. The converter does NOT convert the application program
     associated with the VAX TDMS forms and requests. The VAX TDMS

                                     8

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     Converter works with forms and requests created with VAX TDMS
     V1.7 or later.





































                                     9

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     Test Utility

     The Test Utility allows certain aspects of the form to be tested
     separately from its application program. It allows a form de-
     signer to check the appearance of a form's panels without having
     to write a program first.

     Form Manager

     The Form Manager is the interface between an application program
     and a display device. It is a run-time system that controls
     form display and operator input on terminals. The Form Manager
     provides six requests for communication between the form and
     the application. These requests (routines in the Form Manager)
     allow the application to enable the form for use, send data to
     the form and receive data from it (separately or in one call),
     disable the form at the end of a session, or asynchronously
     cancel a request. The Form Manager also provides services for
     printing the form.

     Sample Applications and Demonstration Forms

     The sample applications show how a form and an application
     program can interact. One of the samples includes a simple form
     with a few panels and a simple application program that makes
     requests of the form through the Form Manager. This introductory
     sample application is available only in FORTRAN.

     The more complex sample application includes a form with many
     panels and many responses to various events as well as an appli-
     cation program that makes several requests of the form. This ap-
     plication is available in Ada, BASIC, C, COBOL, DIBOL, FORTRAN,
     Pascal, and PL/I.

     In addition to the sample applications, the DECforms kit con-
     tains a package of demonstration forms, their sources, and a
     demonstration guide illustrating many key features of DECforms.

     Optional DECforms Run-time System for VMS Systems

                                    10

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     An optional DECforms run-time system is available separately.
     The only DECforms component available in this option is the Form
     Manager. The run-time system allows the execution of applica-
     tions using DECforms for terminal display and management on a
     machine other than the one used to develop the application.

     Documentation

     The DECforms Documentation Set consists of:

     o  Guide to Developing Forms

     o  Guide to Programming

     o  Reference Manual

     o  Guide to Converting VAX FMS Applications

     o  Guide to Converting VAX TDMS Applications

     o  IFDL Syntax Summary Card

     o  Keypad Card

     HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

     VAX, MicroVAX, VAXstation, or VAXserver configuration as speci-
     fied in the System Support Addendum (SSA 29.90.03-x).

     SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

     VMS Operating System

     Refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA 29.90.03-x) for avail-
     ability and versions of required/optional software.




                                    11

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     ORDERING INFORMATION

     Full Development System

     Software Licenses: QL-VCHA*-**
     Software Media: QA-VCHAA-**
     Software Documentation: QA-VCHAA-GZ
     Software Product Services: QT-VCHA*-**

     Run-time System

     Software Licenses: QL-VNSA*-**
     Software Media: QA-VNSAA-**
     Software Product Services: QT-VNSA*-**

     *  Denotes variant fields. For additional information on avail-
        able licenses, services and media, refer to the appropriate
        price book.

     SOFTWARE LICENSING

     This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of
     Digital Equipment Corporation's Standard Terms and Conditions.

     For more information about Digital's licensing terms and poli-
     cies, contact your local Digital office.

     LICENSE MANAGEMENT FACILITY SUPPORT

     This layered product supports the VMS License Management Facil-
     ity.

     License units for both the Full Development System and the Run-
     time System are allocated on a CPU-capacity basis.

     For more information on the License Management Facility, refer
     to the VMS Operating System Software Product Description (SPD
     25.01.xx) or the License Management Facility manual of the VMS
     Operating System documentation set.

                                    12

 


     DECforms, Version 1.3                               SPD 29.90.03



     For more information about Digital's licensing terms and poli-
     cies, contact your local Digital office.


     SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES

     A variety of service options are available from Digital. For
     more information, contact your local Digital office.

     SOFTWARE WARRANTY

     Warranty for this software product is provided by Digital with
     the purchase of a license for the product as defined in the
     Software Warranty Addendum of this SPD.

     [R]  IBM is a registered trademark of International Business
          Machines Corporation.

     [TM] The DIGITAL Logo, VAX, VMS, MicroVAX, VAXcluster, VAXs-
          tation, VAXserver, DECforms, DECintact, VT, VAX FMS, VAX
          ACMS, VMS DECserver, CI, and VAX CDD/Plus are trademarks of
          Digital Equipment Corporation.

















                                    13
