Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pacbell!att-ih!ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!bsu-cs!cfchiesa
From: cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP (Christopher Chiesa)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: FMS/TDMS vs SMG
Message-ID: <2325@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Date: 11 Mar 88 00:37:13 GMT
References: <2778@enea.se>
Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana
Lines: 80
Summary: More comments from an FMS supporter...

In article <2778@enea.se>, sommar@enea.se (Erland Sommarskog) writes:
> 
> I know very little of FMS, but I attended a course about its
> cousin TDMS just the other week. I doubt that there is any im-
> portant difference between them in this issue. (The major difference
> is that FMS works with fields, where as TDMS works with entire
> records at a time.)

I haven't had any direct experience with TDMS, per se, but FMS is the *ONLY*
screen- or form- or field-oriented user interface that allows the terminal 
operator to move back and forth between the various fields of a screen, letting
him modify and adjust til everything is "just right."  In my job I am required
to use a database application involving mostly data-entry; if I make a typo 
in a one-character, auto-tab field at the top of the screen, the ONLY alterna-
tives are to a) hit control-Y, aborting to DCL, and start over; b) enter the
record, complete with typos, into the database, then pull it up for UPDATE and
change whatever was wrong.  Even then, I can't go BACK to a previous entry and
correct it.  I wish like mad the programmer had used FMS!

> 
> Basically: If you want maximum freedoom, use SMG. (Or even more
> freedoom, do all terminal I/O by direct QIO. 

I tend to agree, although we use a lot of different terminals around here and
the "hard-coded escape sequence" is quite a problem...  SMG at least handles
that much for you.

> Now, it is not easy as that. Using a ready-made menu system, imposes
> restrictions on your application, which you may find unacceptable.
> They contain assumptions which you may strongly dislike. In TDMS
> you use the TAB key to move to the next field, whereas the return key
> completes the form. This was about to drive me crazy when I should
> use the form editor during the course. Filled in a field, pressed
> CR, and back much too early to next form.
>   With the latest version of TDMS V1.7 you can at least save your
> own users from this. It is possible to define CR as goto next field,
> but you can't define it as: Goto to the next field, if no more fields,
> complete the form. So you must define another key as complete the
> form. My natural choice was Gold-CR. However, on the arrow keys
> are allowed with Gold prefix in this context! (There are three
> types of key definitions in TDMS, but only one applies here.)

Aha!   In FMS you can assign *ANY* function, FMS-provided or user-written, to
ANY key or combination of keys, including just about every conceivable combi-
nation of GOLD keys, control keys, GOLD-control keys, you name it.  It's VERY
good.

> Another situation where TDMS may get dropped is the following:
> You may in TDMS define that a field must not be empty, only
> numbers are allowed etc. So if the user tries to deviate, he will
> get "input required", "numeric required" etc. Fine. Unless all
> your menus are in Swedish...

I don't kow what you mean by "...TDMS may get dropped," but for what it's 
worth, "you can do the same thing in FMS, too!"  And you can change the entire
layout of the FORMS without having to recompile the software that USES them.

> 
> As a whole, my impression from the course was that they have
> some more development to do with TDMS.

Alas, I feel the same way about FMS.  I'm thinking of doing some "hacking" on
its internals one of these months, if I get the time and motivation...

> 
> -- 
> Erland Sommarskog       
> ENEA Data, Stockholm        
> sommar@enea.UUCP           "Souvent pour s'amuser les hommes d'equipages
>                             and it's like talking to a stranger" -- H&C.

Chris Chiesa
Senior, CS Dept
Ball State University


-- 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Chris Chiesa <><><><><>
<> {ihpn4|seismo}!{iuvax|pur-ee}!bsu-cs!cfchiesa                              <>
<> cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP                                                       <>
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