SAS/AF Catalog Entry Types

General Attributes for Application Windows

In addition to other information, CBT, HELP, MENU, and PROGRAM entries also store attributes that control the appearance and behavior of the application window in which the entries are displayed to users.

You can specify the following general attributes for CBT, HELP, MENU, and PROGRAM entries. You define these general attributes in the GATTR window for the entry. Use the GATTR command in the BUILD procedure's DISPLAY window to open the GATTR window.

Window Attributes

Name

specifies a window name that is displayed in the window's title bar when users execute the entry.

Start row, col

specify the default position of the upper-left corner of the application window on the user's display (or within the AWS window, if application workspaces are used). The default for all entry types is row 1 and column 1. However, the numbers for the default are not displayed in these fields, and the specification for the starting position is ignored in some windowing environments.

Number of rows, cols

specify the default window height (in rows) and width (in columns). No default window size values are displayed in these fields in the GATTR window. The default size depends on your host windowing environment.

Note: You can issue the SETWSZ command in the DISPLAY window to change the window size while you are building the entry. [cautionend]

Banner

specifies the appearance of the entry's command line.

COMMAND

provides a command line with the prompt Command===>.

SELECT

provides a command line with the prompt Select Option===> (typically used for MENU entries).

NONE

disables the command line and the message line as well.

Note: Messages are not displayed in windows for which you select the NONE option. In PROGRAM entries, you can use SCL to display messages in a field. [cautionend]

Note: If you specify a PMENU entry in the Command menu attribute and the PMENU facility is active, then the specified menu is displayed instead of a command line. [cautionend]

General Attributes
Help

specifies the name and type of an entry to display when users issue the HELP command while the current entry is executing. If you omit the entry type, the default type is CBT.

Note:   Because you can specify only a one- or two-level name, the entry that you specify must reside in the same catalog as the current entry.

Keys

specifies the name of a KEYS entry that defines function key settings for the application window. The default is to use the DMKEYS.KEYS function key entry. You can use the BUILD procedure to create custom function key definitions for your applications.

Note:   Because you can specify only a one-level name, the KEYS entry that you specify must reside in the same catalog as the current entry.

Lookup data set

specifies the alias of a field that identifies the data set that is used to validate fields in a PROGRAM entry when no data set is specified in the field's List attributes. The Type attribute of the field that you specify should be set to Input and should contain the name of the desired SAS data set, but the AF task does not verify that these conditions are met.

Note:   The Lookup data set attribute is applicable only to PROGRAM entries.

Command menu

specifies the name of a PMENU entry that contains menu definitions for the application window.

Note:   Because you can specify only a one-level name, the PMENU entry that you specify must reside in the same catalog as the current entry.

Prompt character
specifies a character that a user can type in a field to get assistance or information about valid values for the field. A user must type the specified character in the first position of the field in order for it to be considered a prompt. The default prompt character is ? (question mark).

The response to the prompt character depends on whether the List attribute is defined for the field.
- For fields to which a LIST attribute is assigned, a selection window opens, from which users can choose from the field values defined by the List attribute.
- For fields to which no LIST attribute is assigned, a dialog box opens that provides information about the type of values (character or numeric) that can be entered in the field.
You can prevent the prompting behavior for specific fields by specifying the NOPROMPT field attribute for the corresponding fields.
The Prompt character attribute applies only to PROGRAM entries.
System options

control the following window behaviors:

NO EXIT

prevents users from switching to other windows. If a user moves the cursor out of the application window and presses ENTER, the cursor returns to the application window.

EXTENDED TABLE

specifies that the scrollable portion of a PROGRAM entry's display is used as an extended table. See Extended Tables for more information about extended tables.

RESIDENT

retains the entry's program in memory after it is first loaded. Keeping frequently used entries resident in memory can improve the performance of your applications by eliminating the wait for the entries to be loaded. However, making a large number of entries resident can cause your session to run out of memory.

Note: You can use the AFSYS command in the application window to determine which entries are currently resident in memory.
Parent Attributes

Name, Type, Libref, Catalog

specify the name of an entry to which control is passed when a user issues an END or CANCEL command. By default, control returns to the calling entry, except for CBT entries, which return control to the SAS session.

To pass control to another entry in the same catalog as the current entry, you only need to specify values for the Name and Type attributes. If the target entry is in another catalog or another library, specify values for the Libref and Catalog attributes as well.
Window Type Attributes

STANDARD

specifies that the window can be resized and moved and can open other windows without passing permanent control to them.

DIALOG

specifies that the window cannot be resized or moved. Select this attribute if you want to prevent users from issuing ZOOM, GROW, MOVE, or SHRINK commands in the application window. Dialog windows can open other windows and can pass temporary control to them.

If you assign a PMENU entry to the window, the menu selections are displayed as a row of buttons at the bottom of the window.

DIALOG BOX

specifies that the window cannot be resized or moved and cannot open any other windows. Use the DIALOG BOX attribute for the last window that can be opened in a hierarchy.

If you assign a PMENU entry to the window, the menu selections are displayed as a row of buttons at the bottom of the window.

LIST

specifies that the window can be resized and moved and can open other windows without passing permanent control to them. Assign this attribute to windows that are used as selection lists.

If you assign a PMENU entry to the window, the menu selections are displayed as a row of buttons at the bottom of the window.

HELP

specifies that the window can be resized or moved but cannot open any other windows.

If you assign a PMENU entry to the window, the menu selections are displayed as a row of buttons at the bottom of the window.
Scroll Bar Attributes

HORIZONTAL

controls whether a horizontal scroll bar is displayed along the bottom window border when scroll bars are turned on. Horizontal scroll bars are useful when the entry's display area is wider than the current window size.

VERTICAL

controls whether a vertical scroll bar is displayed along the right window border when scroll bars are turned on. Vertical scroll bars are useful when the entry's display area is taller than the current window size.

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