4 8 5 Use Special Characters to Enhance HELP Text

LANSA for i

4.8.5 Use Special Characters to Enhance HELP Text

Some special features are provided by LANSA to enhance the display of HELP text. These consist of special characters that can be used as follows:

Special Character

Effect

%(percentage)

Display in high intensity

{(left parenthesis)

Underline

@(at)

Display in reverse image

~(accent)

Blink

}(right parenthesis)

Revert to normal display mode

\(backslash)

Revert to normal display mode

 

 

Some examples of using these special characters are:

HELP Text Input Using SEU       Displayed By LANSA As

 

the%item number\must            the item number#$ must

the{item number}must            the $@item number@$ must

%{VALIDATION RULES\             $%VALIDATION RULES%$

%{VALIDATION RULES}             $%VALIDATION RULES%$

{%VALIDATION RULES}             $%VALIDATION RULES%$

Where multiple enhancement characters are used together with no spaces between them they are "consolidated" into one enhancement character. For instance "%{@" (high intensity, underline, blink) would be consolidated into one enhancement character that is used in the same position as the "@". The "%" and "{" are replaced by blanks. This explains why in the last example above the underline ("{") attribute starts under the "V" in "VALIDATION" and not one character before it.

Note that a display enhancement cannot be continued over multiple lines. Display enhancements are considered to end at the end of the text line, even if a "revert to normal display" character ("\" or "}") is not used:

contact the{IT department or 

your data entry supervisor for more information.

would be displayed as:

contact the $@IT department or__________________@$

your data entry supervisor for more information.