A field can have a message string associated with it. That message string appears in the message window whenever the user goes into the field. You can change the appearance of the message window. The message for a field is defined either in the Designer or in the call to mnf_def().
Designer: The Designer creates a message window for a form when the form is created. The Designer uses its system defaults to initialize the message window form structure.
Code: A default message window is initially defined in vv_init() as a window with no border. The default message window covers the last row of the screen, and the window attribute is LMESSAGE. The #defined name for this message window is MSG_WNP.
When a form is defined, memory is allocated for a message window structure, and values of the MSG_WNP window structure members are copied to this new window structure. A pointer to the copy is placed in the form structure.
General: If the MNMSGAUTOPLACE option is ON for the menu, the message window is automatically placed just below the active menu window. Automatic placement of the menu message window is a menu-level option and can be turned off either in the Designer or with the call:
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where mfmp is the menu form whose message window you want to change. If you turn automatic placement of the message window OFF, the menu message will appear by default on the bottom row of the screen. The set menu options function, smn_opt(), is described in more detail in Chapter 22, "Using Menu Options and Features."
The message window is on the screen only if there is a message to display for the currently highlighted menu field. If there is no message associated with a menu field, the message window is removed (unset) from the screen. Thus, if you do not want the message window displayed for a menu field, specify NULLP as the message.
Modifying the Message Window Associated with a Menu Form
Changing the Default Message Window
