2.5 Create an Application

This section shows you how to create an application used to maintain fields in a file. The application consists of a list of employees and fields showing employee details. You can limit the entries in the list by entering a partial surname. You can use the application to view and maintain the details of existing employees, to add new employees and to delete employee information.

You can also choose to create the application using templates as described in 2.6 Create Applications Using Templates.

In this instance, it is created manually to show you what is involved.

The application uses data from the Personnel System Demonstration PSLMST file which is part of the LANSA DEM partition.

To create this application yourself, you need to create field PARTNAME which uses SURNAME as the reference field. The application is created in these steps:

Step 1. Create the Form

Step 2. Create the Interface

Step 3. Write the Code

Step 4. Compile and run the Program

You start creating an application by creating a form or a dialog. The dialog will become your application's window when it is running.

To create a form select New from the File tab, then select Dialog from the New list.

The New Dialog is displayed. Enter the name and the description:

• Name: DEMCOM01.

• Description: Sample Application
  
  
  
  

Click the Create button.

View the Source Code

If you now bring up the Source view, you will notice that the component definition statement for the form has been created automatically.

     Begin_Com Role(*EXTENDS #PRIM_DLG)

     End_Com

A Visual LANSA application always starts with a FUNCTION statement followed by a BEGIN_COM statement defining the form.

The END_COM statement ends the component definition. It is always the last statement in a Visual LANSA application.

Note that if the standard form (STD_FORM) definition on your system has been modified, you may see other statements as well. For more information, refer to Modify Default Component Behavior in 2.4 Work with Components.

Step 2. Create the Interface

In Visual LANSA you create the interface of the application before you write the code.

2a. Set the Form's Properties

Write the Caption

The first property you need to change is the form's Caption property to create a title for your window:

1.      Click on the Caption property.

2.      Type Employee. As you type it, the new caption is displayed in the title bar of the form.

Size the Form

Next make the form a bit larger than the default size:

1.      Select it and move the cursor towards its edge.

2.      When the cursor changes to a double-arrow, drag the edges with the left mouse button pressed down.

3.      Alternatively, you can change the Height and Width properties of the form.

You can keep resizing the form as required as you add controls and fields on it.

2b. Add Fields and Controls

This section shows you how to add the required fields and controls to the form.

#Partname field and a button

First add the #PARTNAME field which uses #SURNAME as the reference field.

To add the PARTNAME field:

1.      Start by locating it in the Repository.

2.      Drag the PARTNAME field to the form or double-click it.

3.      Bring up the Details tab and make its LabelType property Caption.

4.      Type 'Enter partial surname:' in its Caption property 

Command Buttons

In addition to the Get command button used with the partial surname field, you need these command buttons to work with the employee details: