How can the end users use your application?

You might want end users to interact primarily with your application, or you might want them to use your application as a customized function in QMF.

• If your application is intended for end users who are unfamiliar with QMF, you probably want your end users to interact primarily with your application. In fact, you might not want your end users to know that QMF is active. In this case, your application uses QMF services, but resides outside of QMF. Your program issues QMF commands only as needed.
• If your end users are familiar with QMF, you might want your end users to see your application as an extension or customization of QMF. In this case, you need to set up your application to run within QMF.

End users interacting primarily with the application

Suppose you write an application that uses QMF services. This application provides the end user with a menu-driven interface, as shown in Figure 1.

                        J & H Supply Company
                         Information System
 
 
Please select one of the following:
 
   1.  Print the monthly sales report
 
   2.  Create a new report
 
   3.  Modify information in the database
 
   4.  End the application
 
 
====> 1
 

When the user selects an option, the application issues the appropriate QMF commands. If the user selects option 1, for example, the application runs a QMF procedure that might run a query and print the resulting report.

In the preceding example, your application controls QMF. Your user interacts only with your user interface and is not aware that QMF is active.

End users starting your application within a QMF session

Suppose you write an application that sends a QMF report from one user to another.

You expect your users to run your application from within the QMF environment, so you can assign the application a command synonym (SEND_TO) that the end users can issue from the command line, or you can assign the application to a function key instead, which automatically runs your application.

After the user generates a report, the user can send this report to Smith by entering SEND_TO SMITH on the QMF command line, as shown in Figure 2.

 REPORT                                             LINE 1     POS 1     79
 
 
 
   NAME         DEPT  JOB        SALARY        COMM
   ---------  ------  -----  ----------  ----------
   DANIELS        10  MGR      19260.25           -
   JONES          10  MGR      21234.00           -
   LU             10  MGR      20010.00           -
   MOLINARE       10  MGR      22959.20           -
   HANES          15  MGR      20659.80           -
   KERMISCH       15  CLERK    12258.50      110.10
   NGAN           15  CLERK    12508.20      206.60
   ROTHMAN        15  SALES    16502.83     1152.00
   JAMES          20  CLERK    13504.60      128.20
   PERNAL         20  SALES    18171.25      612.45
   SANDERS        20  MGR      18357.50           -
   SNEIDER        20  CLERK    14252.75      126.50
   ABRAHAMS       38  CLERK    12009.75      236.50
   MARENGHI       38  MGR      17506.75           -
 1=Help         2=            3=End       4=Print       5=Chart        6=Query
 7=Backward     8=Forward     9=Form     10=Left       11=Right       12=
 OK, here is your report.
 COMMAND ===> SEND_TO SMITH