Online Help Information: HELPMESSAGE

HELPMESSAGE is an optional field attribute. It enables you to include a one-line text message in the Master File. This text, or message, appears on one line in the TYPE area of MODIFY CRTFORMs. For example, you can include a message that lists valid values for a field, or one that provides information about the format of a field. The specified message appears when:

Syntax: How to Include Online Help Information in a Master File

The syntax for the HELPMESSAGE attribute in the Master File is:

FIELDNAME = name, ALIAS = alias, USAGE = format,
   HELPMESSAGE = text...,$

where:

text: Is one line of text, up to 78 characters long. All characters and digits are acceptable. Text containing a comma must be enclosed within single quotation marks. Leading blanks are ignored.

For example:

FIELDNAME = DEPARTMENT, ALIAS = DPT, USAGE = A10,
   ACCEPT = MIS PRODUCTION SALES,
   HELPMESSAGE = 'DEPARTMENT MUST BE MIS, PRODUCTION, OR SALES',$

The ACCEPT attribute for the DEPARTMENT field causes values entered for that field to be tested. If the incoming value is not MIS, PRODUCTION, or SALES, a message appears. Then the specified HELPMESSAGE text appears:

(FOC534) THE DATA VALUE IS NOT AMONG THE ACCEPTABLE VALUES FOR DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT MUST BE MIS, PRODUCTION, OR SALES

Note:

Messages appear whether or not the HELPMESSAGE attribute is used. The attribute also causes a message to appear when a format error occurs. For example, if the field HIRE_DATE is specified in the Master File as follows:
```
FIELDNAME = HIRE_DATE, ALIAS = HDT, USAGE = YMD,   HELPMESSAGE = THE FORMAT FOR HIRE_DATE IS YMD,$
```
and alphabetic characters are entered for this field on a CRTFORM, the following message appears on the screen:
```
FORMAT ERROR IN VALUE ENTERED FOR FIELD HIRE_DATE   THE FORMAT FOR HIRE_DATE IS YMD
```
The same message provided with the HELPMESSAGE attribute appears when either a format error or a failed ACCEPT test occurs.

Setting a HELP (PF) Key

To see the HELPMESSAGE text for any field on the CRTFORM, use the SET command to define a PF key for HELP before executing the MODIFY program. Use the following syntax, which is the alias for HELPMESSAGE:

SET PFnn = HELP

where:

nn: Is the number of the PF key you wish to define.

To see a message for a field, position the cursor on the data entry area of that field and press the PF key defined for HELP. If no message has been defined for the field, the following message appears:

NO HELP AVAILABLE FOR THIS FIELD

For a FOCUS data source, the HELPMESSAGE attribute can be changed without rebuilding the data source.