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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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?
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