Creating Messages
The message is the text retrieved from the extract file. This text can contain message tags which control how the text is formatted. The tags control the justification, spacing, font, variable insertion and other functions. All formatting information is contained in the tags, which serve as a mark-up language. The message itself is straight text. The message is a single line or record with a maximum length of 2000 bytes.
Setting up the field
You attach this rule to a field in the section. In the section (FAP file), you define the field to which the message is attached as a multiline text field.
If you also select the Can Grow option for the field, the system combines all messages with the same group code in this field, letting the field grow to accommodate the entire message. If you do not select the Can Grow option, the system only includes the messages that fit within the defined area for the field. Messages that would not fit are ignored.
Adding messages
The system adds messages in the order they appear in the extract file or database. It tests every message to see if the message fits in the available space. All the messages of a group must fit in the available space or none of the messages appear.
Grouping messages
You can group and format messages as a single message by including a group code. You define grouping codes in the Record Dictionary. For more information about the Record Dictionary, see Using the Record Dictionary for Variables. All the messages in a group are treated as a single message. Group codes cannot be blank. All messages comprising a group must be located together in the extract list.
Formatting messages
The formatting information you select for the field serves as the default formatting information for all messages, so make sure you set up the field in the section (FAP file) to use the default font you want for all messages.
Message tags override the default formatting you set up for the field and let you control the appearance of the message text. You can add tags to the text of the message to describe and control the justification, spacing, fonts and other formatting information. The tags affect all text which follows the tag. You can also use message tags to insert variable data fields.
Note | Place the variable (VAR) tag within the text where you want the system to insert the variable. |
Tags are enclosed within brackets (< >). The text between the brackets describes the formatting action or the reference to the variable name referenced in the Record Dictionary. The tag itself does not appear in the formatted text.
The following table describes the tags you can use:
Tag |
Description |
<Justify:value> |
You can enter Left, Right, or Center to have the system left, right, or center-justify the text. If you omit the value, the system uses the previously defined justification. You can abbreviated tags if the line size is limited. For example, <J:L> or <Justify:L> provides left justification and <J:C> or <Justify:C> provides center justification. Note: If the justification tag is in the message — not the first entry on the line — then you must insert the carriage return tag before the justification tag. For example, this message places the word, age, to the right of the second line: <CR><Justify:Right>Age |
<Font:value> |
You can enter any valid font ID (00000-99999) or Default. The value is a numeric reference to the font cross reference file (FXR) font ID. If the value is left blank, the system uses the previously defined font ID. For example, <Font:16210> changes the text to the font identified with font ID 16210 in the FXR file while <Font> changes the font back to the default font as font defined in the FAP file. Do not abbreviate this tag. |
<Var:var-name> |
var-name refers to a variable name defined in a Record Dictionary. The Definition Dictionary describes the variable data. The description defines each record and the fields within each record, such as the record name, offset, length, format, and so on. It does not include formatting information, such as the font ID. You can abbreviate this tag as <V:var-name>. For example, <V:DTAT> references the variable DTAT as defined in the Record Dictionary and <VAR:DTV1> references the variable DTV1 as defined in the Record Dictionary |
<Spacing:value> |
You can enter Single, Double, or a numeric value in FAP units (2400 per inch in place of value). Single indicates the following text should be single-spaced. Double indicates the following text should be double-spaced. A numeric value tells the system the number of FAP units to use for spacing. If you omit the value, the system returns to the previously defined spacing. Do not abbreviate this tag. The spacing option you choose applies to the entire message grouping. You cannot change spacing within a grouping (a single message). For example, <Spacing:Double> tells the system to double space the message lines within the message or message group while <Spacing> returns the spacing to the default format. Note: If you change spacing in the text of a message—not the first items in the message—you must insert a carriage return tag before the spacing tag. For example, this changes spacing to double lines: <CR><Spacing:Double> |
<Tab> |
Use the Tab tag to have the system indent the text from the left margin by a specified number of FAP units. You can abbreviate the tag to <T> if the line size is limited. You can justify the text relative to the tabbed position by specifying Left, Center, or Right. You can abbreviate the tags by using the first character (L, C, or R) if the line size is limited. The default is to left justify the text. You can also use different types of fill (leader) characters if the text does not fill the entire space. You can use these leader characters: no leader (spaces), dashes (---), periods (…), or underlines (___). Except for no leader, you can abbreviate the tags using the first character if the line size is limited. For no leader, you must use the word nolead for spaces. Spaces are the default fill characters. |
<CR> |
This tag tells the system to insert a hard return (carriage return), or forced line break. For example, Residential <CR> rate will look like this: Residential rate Do not abbreviate this tag. |
Here are some examples using the Tab tag…
<CR><T:9600,Left,nolead>Tabbing in 4 inches with no leader.
<CR><T:9600,Left,dash>Tabbing in 4 inches with dashes.
<CR><T:9600,Left,period>Tabbing in 4 inches with periods.
<CR><T:9600,Left,underline>Tabbing in 4 inches with underline.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Tabbing in 4 inches with no leader.
-----------------Tabbing in 4 inches with dashes.
……………………………………………Tabbing in 4 inches with periods.
_________________Tabbing in 4 inches with underline.
<CR><T:9600,C,D>4"dashes & text centered.
<CR><T:9600,R,P>4"periods & text right.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
----------------4" dashes & text centered.
.…………………………………….4" periods & text right.
Here is another example. The following tags...
<Justifiy:Center><Font:23712>Example<CR><Justify><Font>This is a sample message.<CR>Name<Justify:Right>Age
... produce this message:
Example This is a sample message. Name Age |
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