MENUGEN: generates COBOL menu programs from EZFORMAT files

Description

Creates a COBOL menu program from an EZFORMAT screen definition file. Option to link to the SMF utility for application usage logging.

Categories

Program Development
System Operation

Related files

MENUGEN: Object file or COBOL source for utility.

MENUCODE: Subroutine used by MENUGEN. Required for operation.

MENGENC: Object file or COBOL source for subroutine. Not required for operation.

EZFORMAT: The Wang EZFORMAT utility can be run from MENUGEN.

EDITOR: The Wang EDITOR can be run to edit the generated program source.

User Instructions

MENUGEN creates a COBOL menu program from EZFORMAT files. Source files, object files, or both may be generated. After the source is created, the EDITOR can be called to edit the source file. An optional link to the SMF utility (described elsewhere) provides run-time statistics for all items run from that menu.

To use, enter the name and location of the screen file to be used for input. This file should have been previously created with the MENU option of EZFORMAT; if so, MENUGEN will show the PF key selections and allow any desired changes. (Note the differences in syntax from EZFORMAT: 'USERPROG' must be changed to 'RUN' and 'RETURN' to 'EXIT'.) After these items are entered, the options for source and object file locations are presented. Finally, the Wang EDITOR may be called to edit the COBOL program produced by the utility.

Like EZFORMAT menus, programs generated by MENUGEN will look for the program to be run in the current library of execution, then in the system library. Typically, this means that the object file must be placed in the same library as the programs it will run.

Programmer Instructions

Much of MENUGEN must be run interactively, but GETPARMs are used for the input and output file specifications.

INPUT       Enter information and press (RETURN) to continue,
            or press PF(09) to run EZFORMAT, PF(13) for more
            information, PF(14) to display the screen image,
            or PF(16) to exit the program.

  FILE      (blank)     The name and location of an existing
  LIBRARY   [uid]+SAVE  EZFORMAT screen file, created using
  VOLUME    [invol]     the MENU option.  If no file exists,
                        select PF(09) to create one.

SOURCE      Press (RETURN) to continue, PF(01) to return to
            the prior screen, PF(13) for additional
            information, or PF(16) to this screen without
            creating source.

  FILE      (blank)     The name and location of the COBOL
  LIBRARY   [uid]+SRC   source file to be created by the
  VOLUME    [outvol]    program.

OBJECT      Press (RETURN) to continue, PF(01) to return to
            prior screen, PF(09) to run the program after
            generation, PF(13) for more information, or
            PF(16) to exit with creating an object file.

  FILE      (blank)     The name and location of the object
  LIBRARY   [uid]+OBJ   file to be created.
  VOLUME    [outvol]

Example of use

Can be used to replace Assembler EZFORMAT menus with COBOL versions. Link to SMF provides easy job accounting and run statistics.

Comments

Good menu system for those familiar with COBOL.

If using SMF job accounting from the generated menu, be sure to manually link SMFLINK to the program, as most copies of the MENUCODE subroutine contain an obsolete version of this key subroutine. (For further information on job accounting, see the SMF entry.)