Display file design

Application panels typically consist of the major elements in this topic.

• Constant text strings
  Because different languages have different space needs for the same expression, design your panels with this in mind.
• Input and output fields
  Consider defining your fields according to the needs of the different languages, countries, cultures, currencies, and laws that you want to address with your application.
• Field editing specifications
  For the edit specification of your numeric, date, and time fields, consider the different cultural conventions of the users you want to address.
• Cursor positioning specifications
  Do not specify cursor positioning values to fixed locations on the screen, because different languages have different space requirements.
• Input field default values
  You can use these methods to put default values into the input fields of your display, which users can override with their own data.
• Field validation specifications
  The DDS keywords in this topic provide validation checks on input-capable fields on your display.
• Error messages
  Use these methods to provide error messages on a display file.