designing dds screens & reports with rdi - tug€¦ · rdi 7.1 introduced a "technology preview"...

Your partner in IBM i Education

Designing DDS Screens & Reportswith RDi

Susan [email protected]

www.Partner400.com

SystemiDeveloper.com

Rational Developer for i (RDi) contains a graphical DDS screen and report designer as part of the toolset. It is integrated with RSE (Remote System Explorer) so that you can use views that you use with RSE, such as Outline, Properties and the RSE source editor, while designing your DDS code.

Focusing mostly on DDS screens, Susan will demonstrate how the graphical designer works and compare and contrast it with CODE Designer - the widely used graphical DDS designer that was available as part of WDSC.

Together with her partner, Jon Paris, Susan authors regular technical articles for IBM Systems Magazine, IBM i edition, and the companion electronic newsletter, IBM i Extra. You may view articles in current and past issues and/or subscribe to the free newsletter or the magazine at: IBMSystemsMag.com/ibmi You can also follow Jon and Susan's blog on this site at ibmsystemsmag.com/Blogs/iDevelop/ .

Susan and Jon are also partners in SystemiDeveloper, hosts of the RPG &DB2 Summit conferences. See SystemiDeveloper.com for more details.

©Copyright Partner400, 2010-2018. Page 1-2

DDS Designer History

Before WDSC (before RDi/RDP) there was CODE

CoOperative Development Environment Included an editor that was a predecessor to the RSE editor

CODE included a DDS designer for screens and reports

WDSC bundled the CODE designer because it didn't have its own

RDi 7.1 introduced a "Technology Preview" Screen Designer

Not for production use and no report designer

CODE designer no longer bundled

RDP/RDi 8.5+ Power has integrated graphical DDS designer

For DSPFs and PRTFs and fully supported

Integrated Screen Designer

To Start the Designer from Remote Systems

Double click on DSPF or PRTF source member By default, this takes you to the DDS designer

From there you can also edit the DDS source directly if you choose

You may be asked about switching to the DDS Design PerspectiveMore on that subject coming up in a moment

Note: I prefer not to use the DDS Design perspective

Instead, I make a few small changes to my RSE perspective to make it more usable for use with DDS Designer

Then I don't have to switch back and forth between perspectives

Later, I'll describe those changes that I've madeFor now, I'll assume you may want to use the suggested DDS Design Perspective


DDS Design Perspective

A special perspective customized for DDS Design tasks

When you open a DSPF or PRTF source member you have the option to switch to the special DDS Design perspectve

Similar to RSE Perspective, except...Designer Editor View (and its Control Panel) in source editor position

Outline View moved to bottom left quadrant

DDS Design Palette in the position previously occupied by Outline View

Properties moves to wider "reusable view" section under editor windowProperties has much more functionality here than in RSE

Source Prompter and Field Table included in "reusable view" sectionField Table very useful for DB reference fields

As with any other perspective, you may customize it

DDS Design Perspective

RSE View

Outline

Design Control

DDS Designer

Palette


Design Editor & Control Panel

Control Panel is attached to top of design panel

May be hidden or expanded (using twisty control circled)

Note option to Design Records or Design ScreensFor now, we'll stick with the default of "Design Records"

Design Editor (hidden control)

A very useful view for smaller monitors

Note icon controls for record transparency, grid controls, etc. near top

Note tabs for Design, Source, Preview at bottom

Tip: Turn on "Draw Records Transparent"

and leave it on.

1st icon from the left


Getting Details of Existing Items

Item selected in Design Editor View appears in Prompt View

Name in hover tip textAlthough not shown here, selected item is also highlighted in Outline view

Still More Details

Properties has several tabs with details of selected item

Attributes may also be set/changed here


DDS Source Code

Source view for selected item pops up with hover text on name

Or Source View tab for fully editable source

Add Items to Screen Design

Select Palette item, then click desired location on screen

Modify attributes via PropertiesCan move location using mouse drag or Row/Column in properties

Constant text may be modified by keying into Text Constant on screen


Attached Palette

If/when you close the Palette view (press X on the tab)

the Palette attaches itself to the graphical screen design viewThen you can open or close the Palette via an arrow on the side

Makes it easier to use in full screen mode - no need for Palette Fast View

Can save space on the screen during design Tip: If you don't see attached palette right away, switch perspective out & back

Add DB Reference Fields

Use Field Table to drag & drop fields

Populate Field Table via RSE -- On a PF --> Show in Table > Fields

Or you may manually enter reference information via Properties


Alignment

Items on screen may be aligned to each other or to parent

Select multiple items by holding Ctrl key or by lasso using Marquee selection tool (located at top of Palette)

Items are aligned relative to last selected itemwhich shows up with larger selection border

Adding Record Formats

Select Record Type from Palette

Drop on design screen

Use Outline to Select

Record formats

or use Control Panel

Modify format names & other attributes via

Properties

Tip: Record Transparency shows multiple formats on

single screen


Design Screens vs Records

Remember the option to Design Screens in Control Panel?

A "screen" is a group of records meant to be seen/used as onee.g., Subfile & subfile control, overlaid formats, etc.

Design Screen Control allows multiple format view

Preview Tab only works with created Screens

Screen Preview

Must first create a "screen" from 1 or more records

Then use Preview tab at bottom of Design/Editor view

You may define test data as well as test "Indicator Sets"

Used to test screen behavior under combinations of indicator values

Example below creates "Errors" indicator set with 31, 32, 33 *OnThis is view of the "Preview Page Screen Controls" at top of Preview


Preview with Indicator Sets

Use previously defined indicator sets via Preview Values tab

Note: In Values tab view, select record format name to see pulldown for Indicator sets

Printer File Support

Create and maintain PRTFs much the same as DSPFs


My Preferred Perspective for DDS Design

I use my "normal" Remote Systems Perspective

With a few simple changesMove Properties over to larger multi-view area (where compile errors show)

Remove Remote Scratchpad view (or leave it if you like to use it)

Ensure there is no Palette view open (so palette will attach to editor)

Change DDS Design preference for "Open associated perspective..." from "Prompt" to "Never"

Other changes I recommend

Be sure "Draw records transparent" icon is selectedThe first of the icons in the group above the design editor area

Allows you to see multiple formats on a screen at once (e.g., subfile/control)

Once set, it will stay on until turned off

Hide "Design page screen controls" area (if you need the space)Open it up only when needed

e.g. to create/use screen definitions for multi-format screens

Use the font size slider to size the screen image to the best for your monitor

Use the Grid slider to adjust the visible grid to your preference

Modified Remote Systems Perspective


Integrated DDS Designer

Design, maintain and test DDS designs

Either graphically or via source editorOr any combination

Support for Display files and Printer filesDDS-described only

For more RDi DDS Designer study:

2-part Series in IT Jungle's 400 Guru newsletterwww.itjungle.com/fhg/fhg102710-story01.html

www.itjungle.com/fhg/fhg042711-story01.html (includes demo video)

Article in IBM Systems Magazinewww.ibmsystemsmag.com/ibmi/developer/websphere/Using-Screen-Designer

Any Questions?


designing dds screens & reports with rdi - tug€¦ · rdi 7.1 introduced a "technology preview"...

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