Entry Creation and Generation

There are two ways to create Entries in the ITP/SDK for iSeries:

1. Use the key F6 = Create on the panel Work with Entries to create Entries manually. Every Entry attribute, all Field and Formal parameter definitions, and the program that does the actual data retrieval must be specified and build completely manually. The SDK does not offer any automatic support during Entry creation.
2. Use the key F20 = Generate on the panel Work with Entries to create Entries based on the definition of a logical or physical file. This function reads the definition of the file and will automatically prompt the displays from where Field and Formal parameter definitions are entered.

To create or generate an Entry starting from the panel Work with Entries the following steps are needed:

Step	Action	Create	Generate		Level
1	Define the Entry	Press the function key F6 = Create.	Press the function key F20 = Generate.		Entry-level
		The panel Create Entry is prompted.	The panel Generate Entry is prompted.
		Set the Entry attributes and press Enter.	Set the Entry attributes and press Enter.
2	Define Entry fields	The panel Work with Entries is displayed.			Field-level
		Use option "16=Fields".
		A panel "Work with Entry fields" is displayed.	A panel "Work with Entry fields" is prompted.
		Create the Field definitions using the function key F6 = Create.	Change the name of the Fields using option "7=Convert to valid ITP name", possibly in conjunction with the function key F13 = Repeat.
		Press the function key F3 = Exit.	Press the function key F20 = Add fields to entry.
3	Define Formal parameters	The panel Work with Entries is displayed.			Field-level
		Use option "18=Formals".
		A panel "Work with Formal parameters" is prompted.	A panel "Work with Formal parameters" is prompted.
		Create the Formal parameters definitions using the function key F6 = Create.	Change the Formal parameter definitions of the Entry using the options "4=Drop key field" and "6=Retrieve key field".
		Press the function key F3 = Exit.	Press the function key F20 = Add formal parameters to entry.
4	Set the Screen fields (optionally)	The panel Work with Entries is displayed.			Field-level
		Use option "36=Screen fields".
		The panel Seq. Numbers screen fields PGM key retrieval is prompted.
		Enter sequence numbers for any additional field to be displayed in the Key selection window.
		Press the function key F3 = Exit.
5	Build the data retrieval program	Build a data retrieval program according to the specifications in Entry Creation and Generation/Data retrieval.		If *DBMS400 was chosen as data retrieval interface you don't need to build a retrieval program. Or Generate a program using option "25=Generate Data retrieval". Or Build a data retrieval program according to the specifications in Entry Creation and Generation/Data retrieval.	Entry-level

Note

Pressing the function keys F3 = Exit or F12 = Cancel during Entry generation cancels the generation process but all items already created remain in existence.

Using the function key F20 = Generate is the most common way to create an Entry. The generation of an Entry is a wizard-like sequence of SDK functions that enables you to either choose *DBMS400 to do the actual data retrieval for the Entry, or let the SDK generate a data retrieval program. Even when manual changes to the Entry are needed, starting with a generation of the Entry and applying the manual changes afterwards is often the best way to proceed. Manual creation of an Entry requires in-depth knowledge of the way ITP handles Entries.

If an Entry is generated and a data retrieval program is registered with the Entry, this program can be generated in a separate step by using option "25=Generate Data retrieval" on the display Work with Entries. The following diagram best illustrates the entire generation process:

The Entry that is generated consists of Formal parameters (optional), Entry attributes and Fields.

From the point of view of the Entry generation process an Entry is just a different way of representing a file definition. In this aspect an Entry is no more than storing the file definitions in a way that makes it better accessible to ITP with one extra feature: instead of the DDS names to identify the file and its fields the DDS text can be used as the basis for identification in ITP. Refer to DID-source menu/Work with System values for more information on DDS names versus DDS text. Refer to Work with Entries for more information on the attributes of the Entry itself. Refer to Work with Entry fields and Work with Formal parameters for more information on Entry Fields and Formal parameters.