Features and Options for Choice Lists

The following lists the features and options available for choice lists used with data fields.

Appearance Options

You can change the appearance of a choice list by:

• nSetting the active and inactive attributes for the choice list items.
  
  
• nModifying the choice list window by, for example, adding a border title, specifying margins, changing the default border style.
  
  
• nUsing the text extending beyond the highlight bar as explanatory text.

User Interface Options

You can change the default user interface by setting the choice list options. With choice list options you can:

• nEnable first character selection of items.
  
  
• nEnable confirmation of a selection made with first character selection.
  
  
• nAllow the cursor keys to wrap around in the choice list. When the user moves down from the last item in the choice list, the user goes to the first item.
  
  
• nAutomatically pop up the choice list when the user enters the field.
  
  
• nAutomatically move to the next field when an item from a choice list is selected.
  
  
• nChange the system messages displayed to guide the user who is using a choice list.
  
  
• nImplement an on-field choice list, where the choice list window covers the field and the choices appear to scroll in the field itself.
  
  
• nImplement a multiple selection choice list, where the user can select many choices from a single list. User selections are marked by a checkmark (by default) to the left of each selected choice list item.

Programming Options

You can use the following options to control the choice list interface:

• nThe window can be manually sized and placed.
  
  
• nYou can specify the number of the item to be made current when the choice list is activated.
  
  
• nThe key that pops up a choice list for a field can be reassigned to another key.
  
  
• nThe key assignments for choice list processing can be changed.
  
  
• nYou can insert, delete, and replace items in a choice list.
  
  
• nYou can sort the items in the choice list.

If you need more control of choice lists and choice list processing, see Chapter 48, "Using Choice Lists as Stand-Alone Menus."

Choice lists are based on memory files, and many of the memory file functions can be used on choice lists. For more information about memory files, see Chapter 45, "Creating and Viewing Memory Files."