SAS/FSP Software Procedures Guide

Creating an FSEDIT Application

If you are an applications developer, you can use the FSEDIT procedure as the basis for data entry applications and editing applications. The FSEDIT procedure enables you to customize the application environment to suit the needs of your users. Customization can include

redesigning the display
creating special fields
creating a SAS Component Language program to drive the application
assigning field attributes to determine how variable values are presented
setting general parameters that control behavior of the FSEDIT session.

Note: All of the following information about creating FSEDIT applications is equally applicable to creating data presentation applications with the FSBROWSE procedure. [cautionend]

Storing Customization Information

To create a custom FSEDIT application, you must perform the following steps:

Identify the SAS catalog in which information about the customized features is to be stored. Use the SCREEN= option in the PROC FSEDIT statement or the screen-name argument in the FSEDIT command to identify the catalog. The procedure can supply a default name for the SCREEN entry, or you can specify a name.
Issue the MODIFY command in the FSEDIT window (or use the MODIFY option in a PROC FSEDIT statement) to open the FSEDIT Menu window. From there you can choose from several tasks that are involved in creating a customized application.

Information about the features of an FSEDIT application is stored in a SCREEN entry, a SAS catalog entry of type SCREEN. All of the customization information for an application is stored in a single SCREEN entry.

Use the SCREEN= option in the PROC FSEDIT statement or the screen-name argument in the FSEDIT command to identify the catalog and, optionally, the entry name. When the FSEDIT procedure is initiated, the procedure looks in the specified catalog for a SCREEN entry. If the catalog does not exist, it is created. If you do not specify an entry name, the procedure looks for an entry that has the default name FSEDIT.SCREEN. If a SCREEN entry that has the designated name is found, a customized FSEDIT session is initiated. If the SCREEN entry does not exist, the FSEDIT session is initiated without customized features. (The SCREEN entry is not created until the MODIFY command is used.)

For example, if you submit the following statements, the procedure looks for an entry named FSEDIT.SCREEN in the MASTER.SCRSUB catalog:

proc fsedit data=master.subscrib
     screen=master.scrsub;
run;

If the MASTER.SCRSUB catalog does not exist, it is created. If the FSEDIT.SCREEN entry does not exist in the catalog, it is created when the MODIFY command is used for the first time.

If you submit the following statements, the procedure looks for an entry that is named BASIC.SCREEN in the MASTER.SCRSUB catalog:

proc fsedit data=master.subscrib
     screen=master.scrsub.basic.screen;
run;

If the MASTER.SCRSUB catalog does not exist, it is created. If the BASIC.SCREEN entry does not exist in the catalog, it is created when the MODIFY command is used for the first time. To use the customized application in a future session, users must specify the complete three- or four-level name of the catalog entry. (The fourth level, the entry type, can be omitted because the type for SCREEN entries is always SCREEN.)

Creating or Modifying a SCREEN Entry

The SCREEN entry for an FSEDIT application can hold a variety of information, including

the customized display format
a SAS Component Language program
attribute information for all of the fields
the general parameters of the FSEDIT session.

Each of these elements is defined or modified in a separate FSEDIT auxiliary window. You must use the FSEDIT Menu window to gain access to any of the auxiliary windows.

Opening the FSEDIT Menu Window

Issue the MODIFY command in the FSEDIT window to open the FSEDIT Menu window. You can also open the FSEDIT Menu window at the beginning of an FSEDIT session, before the FSEDIT window is opened, by using the MODIFY option with the PROC FSEDIT statement. The FSEDIT Menu Window shows the FSEDIT Menu window.

The FSEDIT Menu Window

[IMAGE]

To select an option from the main menu, type the option number on the command line and press ENTER. Alternatively, you can move the cursor to the desired item number and press ENTER.

Here are brief explanations of the available options:

Option 1 "Information about Screen Modification" provides information about the tasks that are involved in customizing the FSEDIT application. This option opens a Help window; the effect is the same as using the HELP command in the FSEDIT Menu window.

Option 2 "Screen Modification and Field Identification" enables you to redesign the display, to define special fields, and to identify the variable that is associated with each field. This option opens the FSEDIT Modify window. See Modifying Screens and Identifying Fields for more information.

Option 3 "Edit Program Statements and Compile" enables you to create and compile a SAS Component Language (SCL) program. This option opens the FSEDIT Program window. See Editing, Browsing, and Compiling Program Statements for more information.

Option 4 "Assign Special Attributes to Fields" enables you to define or change the attributes of variable fields. This option opens the FSEDIT Attribute window. See Assigning Special Attributes to Fields for more information.

Option 5 "Modification of General Parameters" enables you to define or change the general parameters of your FSEDIT application. This option opens the FSEDIT Parms window. See Modifying General Parameters for more information.

Option 6 "Browse Program Statements" enables you to browse an SCL program without compiling it. This option opens the FSEDIT Program window. See Editing, Browsing, and Compiling Program Statements for more information.

Later sections describe each option and its associated window in greater detail.

Closing the FSEDIT Menu Window

Use the END command to close the FSEDIT Menu window. This command also updates the SCREEN entry and returns you to the FSEDIT window. Any customized features that you define using the options in the FSEDIT Menu window take effect immediately.

Note: Customization information is not saved after the current FSEDIT session unless you specify the SCREEN= option in the PROC FSEDIT statement or the screen-name argument in the FSEDIT command. [cautionend]

Protecting Your Application

You can protect the integrity of your FSEDIT application by assigning a password to the SCREEN entry. Once the password is assigned, a user of the application must specify it with the MODIFY command in order to change customized features. Others can use your application to edit a SAS data set, but the application itself is protected from unwanted changes to the display, the SCL program, the field attributes, or the FSEDIT general parameter settings.

Passwords are assigned in the Modify password field of the FSEDIT Parms window. For details, see Modifying General Parameters.

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Option 1	"Information about Screen Modification" provides information about the tasks that are involved in customizing the FSEDIT application. This option opens a Help window; the effect is the same as using the HELP command in the FSEDIT Menu window.
Option 2	"Screen Modification and Field Identification" enables you to redesign the display, to define special fields, and to identify the variable that is associated with each field. This option opens the FSEDIT Modify window. See Modifying Screens and Identifying Fields for more information.
Option 3	"Edit Program Statements and Compile" enables you to create and compile a SAS Component Language (SCL) program. This option opens the FSEDIT Program window. See Editing, Browsing, and Compiling Program Statements for more information.
Option 4	"Assign Special Attributes to Fields" enables you to define or change the attributes of variable fields. This option opens the FSEDIT Attribute window. See Assigning Special Attributes to Fields for more information.
Option 5	"Modification of General Parameters" enables you to define or change the general parameters of your FSEDIT application. This option opens the FSEDIT Parms window. See Modifying General Parameters for more information.
Option 6	"Browse Program Statements" enables you to browse an SCL program without compiling it. This option opens the FSEDIT Program window. See Editing, Browsing, and Compiling Program Statements for more information.