Exercise 7.11: Adding new keywords

Before you begin, you must complete Exercise 7.10: Accessing field properties.

CODE Designer helps you manage the visual aspects of your displays and reports. But you also need to access the full power of DDS. You need to access keywords.

To add keywords:

  1. Click the EMPAPL field in the DDS tree.
  2. Press F5 or right-click and click Insert keywords on the pop-up menu.
    Insert Keywords

    You see the Details page for the EMPAPL field and the Create keywords tab is added to the Utilities notebook. This page shows you the subset of keywords that are allowed for the selected file, record or field and it takes into account the field's type, usage, shift and what record it is in. It is very powerful to know exactly what your options are. This information cannot be quickly ascertained from the Reference manual.
    Keyword List

  3. With the EMPAPL Properties notebook at the Basics page, click the numeric field Numeric type button to change the field to numeric type.
    Field Properties

    Notice that the list of keywords in the Create keywords page has changed.

  4. Click the alphanumeric button button to change the field back to alphanumeric.

    Notice that the list of keywords in the Create keywords page has changed again.

  5. Click the ALIAS keyword and press F1.

    The DDS Reference help for the ALIAS keyword appears.

    Tip: CODE Designer has lots of on-line help. Press F1 anywhere you want to see help for an item, icon or notebook. You will see help relevant to what you are currently trying to do. From the Help menu you have quick access to the DDS Language Reference as well as several other useful sources of information.
    DDS Alias keyword help

  6. Minimize the Help window.
  7. In the Create keywords page, double-click the INDTXT keyword. (You may have to scroll to the right to find it).

    The keyword is created with default values which can be changed when you want.

  8. Double-click the INDTXT keyword again.

    The keyword is created with the same default values creating a conflict.
    Duplicate INDTXT keyword

  9. Close the Keyword Properties dialog.

You have added the keyword ALIAS and seen the help on this keyword and you are ready to begin Exercise 7.12: Verifying the source changes.