VisualAge Generator to Enterprise Generation Language Migration Guide

Map names and help map names

VisualAge Generator: Map names are two-part names consisting of the map group and the map name. The main map group and the help map group for a program can both contain a map with the same name. For example, for Program X, main map group GROUPA and help map group GROUPH can each contain a map named MAP1. Map names are limited to 8 characters. The # symbol is not valid in VAGen map group names, but the # symbol is permitted in the map name portion of a map name.

EGL: Form names do not include the formGroup name. Instead, text and print forms are defined within a formGroup part. Within a program, all the text form and help text form names must be unique. EGL also requires that all form names in the main formGroup and help formGroup be unique (no duplicate form names in the two formGroups for a program). In addition, EGL does not permit the form name to be a reserved word or to use the # symbol as the first character of the form name. EGL allows form names to be longer than 8 characters at definition time. At generation time, if an alias is specified, the alias is used as the form name. Duplicate names are permitted in the main formGroup and help formGroup for the generated code.

Associated parts needed for migration: When migrating a map group, you need the program and its map group, help map group, and all the maps in both map groups.

Figure 22. Map names and help map names

Migrating with the associated parts
Migrating without the associated parts
Based on the first program to migrate either the main map group or the help map group, the migration tool does the following:
  • Performs any renaming for map names due to reserved words or the # symbol being used as the first character of the map name portion of the name. Maps in both the program's main map group and help map group are renamed as necessary.
  • Checks the names of all maps in the program's help map group for duplicate names with the main map group.

If a map in the help map group does not have the same name as any map in the main map group, the migration tool does not change the help map name.

If a map in the help map group has the same name as any map in the program's main map group, the migration tool does the following:

  • If the help map contains only constants, the migration tool does the following::
    • Renames the help map to helpMapName plus a customer-specified suffix.
    • Includes the alias property with the original help map name.
    • Changes the helpForm property for any map to specify the new help map name.
  • If a map in the help map group contains variables, the migration tool does the following:
    • Issues an error message.
    • Does not rename the map.
    • Migrates the map.

    This is because the map could be used by some other program that specifies the help map group as that program's main map group.

When migrating map groups, if a program is not available, the migration tool does not know that two map groups are related and does not know whether a map group is ever specified as a help map group. The migration tool does the following:
  • Performs any renaming for map names due to reserved words.
  • Does not check for additional renaming of help maps.

Potential Problem 1: A problem can arise if a formGroup is used as a main formGroup in one program and a help formGroup in another program.

Possible Solution: Separate the help formGroup into two formGroups, one containing only help forms and the other containing forms with variable fields. Specify the formGroup that contains only help forms as the help formGroup for the original program. Specify the formGroup containing the forms with variable fields as the main formGroup and the formGroup containing only the help forms as the help formGroup for the second program.

Potential Problem 2: A problem arises if a map in the help formGroup contains variable fields and has the same name as a map in the main formGroup.

Possible Solution: Same as possible solution for Problem 1.

Potential Problem 3: A problem can arise if the same help formGroup is shared by multiple programs. In this case, the migration tool might not rename all the help forms that need to be renamed for the various programs.

Possible Solution: Rename all the necessary forms in the help formGroup by adding your help map suffix to the name. Also change all corresponding text forms in all form groups to specify the new help form name.

Potential Problem: A problem only arises if the formGroup is used in a program and there is a conflict between the form names in the main formGroup and help formGroup.

Possible Solutions: The same solutions as shown for Migrating with the associated part apply.


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