General Button Area Definition

In DataView you create each button area following a uniform scheme:

The following system forms are available to create and manage all button areas and buttons:

Note! Because you also create menus and items in the system forms, you should use a syntax for the button area and button names allowing both groups of objects to be differentiated between.

How to create a button area with buttons:

  1. Open the Menu Data form and enter a new button area record in the header form

    Field Comment Confer
    Menu Name For top button areas (toolbars) special names are required. -> Toolbars
    Menu Title It is optional to sign a title and it is only required for top button areas (toolbars). -> Toolbar Title
    Maximum Length You must enter a value here, which, however, is of no consequence for button areas. -
    .

    After storing the empty button area has been logically defined.

  2. Change into the sub-list item assignment and enter a new record for each record in the button area.

    Note! Using this procedure you create new button objects and the relation to the newly defined button area in one step. You can also take a different approach. You first create the buttons in the Item Data form and later you create the relation to the button area in the Menu Data form, sub-list Item Assignment.

    Observe the following comments when entering button master attributes (displayed in red in DataView Rot):

    Field Comment Confer
    Item Name If the buttons are to be used in a mask-edit button area or a button area component is to be inserted, modified names are required. -> push buttons in masks
    -> button area components
    Item Text The item text depends on the kind of button required. -> Text or icons on buttons
    -> index card systems in forms
    -> texts for radio buttons
    Userexit The desired function is entered here. Some functions require parameters to be passed in the relation attribute field Parameter. -> standard menu userexits
    Length, Width These fields determine length and width of push buttons or index cards. For radio buttons they specify length and width of the text next to the radio button. -
    Description Stores the help text for push buttons. -> button help
    Access In the Access field the button can be protected by profiles. -> user access to buttons

    Observe the following comments when entering the relation attributes button area - button:

    Field Comment Confer
    Sequence The field Sequence is an obligatory field and determines the sequence of the buttons in the button area (Hint: Use two-digit ordinal numbers, which allows you to insert additional items later without having to re-order). -
    Parameter Parameters for the function in the master attribute field Userexit. -> standard menu userexits
    Row, Column Here you specify the real position of the button with relation to the origin of the object the button area is linked to. -

    After storing all newly created buttons are logically defined and the relations to the button area in the header form are created. You can also assign the buttons to other button areas later.

  3. Change into the Menu Data header form and create the button area via Reconfigure in main memory.

    DataView creates the button area and copies it into main memory. It is available as an interaction object on the user interface.

    A newly created top button area (toolbar) can be immediately seen. All other button areas must first be linked to a superordinate object before you can see them on the user interface.

How to link the button area with a mask (create context buttons for mask):

Mask button areas are directly linked to states of the mask object. Detailed information can be found in the section -> Push Buttons in Masks.

  1. Open the Mask Data form, load the desired mask into the header form and enter the name of the button area into the field Button/Sel, Button/NoSel or Button/Edt.

    Field Comment
    Button/Sel The buttons of the button area entered become the context buttons for the Select Mask-Edit state of the mask.
    Button/NoSel The buttons of the button area entered become the context buttons for the NoSelect state of the mask.
    Button/Edt The buttons of the button area entered become the context buttons for the Mask-Edit state.

  2. Update the mask in main memory via Reconfigure.

How to link the button area with a field (create radio buttons):

Radio buttons are not directly linked to a field object, but with the mask-field relation. Detailed information can be found in the section -> Radio Buttons in Forms.

  1. Open the Mask Data form, load the desired mask into the header form and switch into the sub-list Field Assignment.

  2. Enter the radio button area name into the menu field of the desired field record and select B (for button) as menu type.

  3. Switch into the header form and update the mask in main memory via Reconfigure.