SAS Companion for the OpenVMS Operating Environment

Using X Resources to Customize the Motif Interface

X clients usually have characteristics that can be customized by the system administrator or by the user; these properties are known as X resources. For example, X resources can be used to define a font, a background color, or a window size. The resources for an application, such as SAS, are placed in a resource database.

The SAS System functions correctly without any modifications to the resource database. However, you may want to change the default behavior or appearance of the interface. There are several ways to specify your customizations. Some methods modify all SAS sessions displayed on a particular X server. Some methods affect all SAS sessions run on a particular host. Other methods affect only a single SAS session. You can use one of the following methods to specify your customizations:

Edit the X resource file. (See Editing the X Resource File.)
Use the Preferences dialog box to modify X resource settings. (See Using the Preferences Dialog Box to Modify X Resource Settings.)
Submit the /XRES command line option. (See the system option XRESOURCES=.)

The following sections describe how to customize the resource database. If you need more information on X Window System clients and X resources, refer to the documentation provided by your vendor.

Specifying X Resources

A resource specification has the following format:

resource-string: value
The resource string usually contains two identifiers and a separator. The first identifier is the client or application name ( SAS), the separator is a period (.) or asterisk (*) character, and the second identifier is the name of the specific resource. The value given may be a Boolean value ( True or False), a number, or a character string, depending on the resource type.

The application name and resource name can both specify an instance value or a class value. A specification for a class applies to a larger scope than a single instance.

The following are sample resource specifications:

SAS.maxWindowHeight: 100
SAS.awsResizePolicy: grow

For more information about resource specifications, refer to your X Window System documentation.

Editing the X Resource File

When you start a SAS session, the SAS interface to Motif calls the X Resource Manager to create a resource database for that session. The interface then examines the resource database for any user-defined X resource definitions.

The X resources for the SAS System are defined in the SAS$XDEFAULTS.DAT resource file in the SYS$LOGIN directory. An example of this file is located in the SAS$ROOT:[TOOLS] directory.

You can change the settings of the X resources in this file without affecting other X Window System applications.

Using the Preferences Dialog Box to Modify X Resource Settings

The Preferences dialog box allows you to control the settings of certain X resources. Changes made through the Preferences dialog box (with the exception of those resources on the General tab) become effective immediately, and the settings are saved in SASUSERPREFS.DAT file in your SASUSER directory.

You can open the Preferences dialog box by issuing the DLGPREF command in the command window, or from the Tools menu, select Options, and then select Preferences. Select the tabs at the top of the window to move between the various settings.

Modifying the General Settings

To modify the General settings, select the General tab in the Preferences dialog box. General Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box shows the default general settings.

General Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box

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The following is an explanation of the settings:

Start Session manager

This setting has no effect in the OpenVMS operating environment.

Startup Logo

specifies whether you want SAS to display an XPM file while your SAS session is being initialized and, if so, which file.

If you select Use Default Logo, SAS uses the default file for your site. If you select No Logo, then no file is displayed. If you select Use Custom Logo, then you can either enter the XPM filename directly in the text field or click on [Select] to open the Startup Logo dialog box. These check boxes set the SAS.startupLogo resource.

Use application workspace

confines all windows displayed by an application to a single application workspace. This check box sets the SAS.noAWS resource. You must exit and reopen the windows for changes to this resource to take effect.

AWS Resize Policy

controls the policy for resizing the application workspace windows as interior windows are added and removed. (For more information, see Understanding SAS in the X Environment and Window Types.)

Grow: The application workspace window will attempt to grow anytime an interior window is grown or moved (to make all of its interior windows visible), but it will not shrink to remove unused areas.
Fixed: The application workspace window will attempt to size itself to the size of the first interior window and will not attempt any further size changes.

This area sets the SAS.awsResizePolicy resource.

After you have changed the settings, click on [OK] to implement your choices or click on [Cancel] to cancel your choices. Click on [Defaults] to return to the default settings. Click on [Help] for help about the Preferences dialog box.

Modifying the DMS Settings

To modify the display manager settings, select the DMS tab in the Preferences dialog box. DMS Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box shows the default display manager settings.

DMS Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box

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The following is an explanation of the settings:

Use menu access keys: activates menu mnemonics. When mnemonics are turned on, you can select menu items by typing the single, underlined letter in the item. This check box sets the SAS.usePmenuMnemonics resource.
Confirm exit: displays the Exit dialog box when you exit your SAS session. This check box sets the SAS.confirmSASExit resource.
Save settings on exit: tells SAS to issue the WSAVE ALL command when you exit your SAS session. This command saves the global settings, such as window color and window position, that are in effect for all windows that are currently open. This check box sets the SAS.wsaveAllExit resource.
Backup Documents: allows you to specify whether you want SAS to automatically save (at the interval specified by the SAS.autoSaveInterval resource) the documents that you currently have open. This check box sets the SAS.autoSaveOn resource.
Help & Documentation Browser - Netscape Path: specifies the location of the web browser executable that you want to use to view the SAS online Help and the CD-ROM documentation. This field sets the SAS.helpBrowser resource.

Modifying the Editing Settings

To modify the Editing settings, select the Editing tab in the Preferences dialog box. Editing Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box shows the default editing settings.

Editing Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box

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The following is an explanation of the settings:

Default paste buffer

defines an alias for the default SAS buffer. The following list describes the paste buffer alias names and the X buffer with which each name is associated:

XPRIMARY: is the X primary selection ( PRIMARY). This is the default.
XTERM: is the exchange protocol used by the xterm client.
XSCNDARY: is the X secondary selection ( SECONDARY).
XCLIPBRD: is the X clipboard ( CLIPBOARD).
XCUTn: is the X cut buffer where n is between 0 and 7, inclusive.

This field sets the SAS.defaultPasteBuffer resource. For more information about paste buffers, see Customizing Cut-and-Paste Operations.

Automatically store selection

generates a STORE command every time that you mark a region of text with the mouse. This check box sets the SAS.markPasteBuffer resource.

Cursor

controls the editing mode in SAS text editor windows. The Insert and Overtype check boxes set the SAS.insertModeOn resource to True and False, respectively.

Modifying the Results Settings

The items in the Results area of the Preferences dialog box control the format of the results that you produce. Results Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box shows the default results settings.

Results Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box

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The following is an explanation of the settings:

Listing specifies that your output is in text format. You can select both Listing and HTML format.

HTML specifies that your output is in HTML format. You can select both Listing and HTML format.

Style specifies the HTML style to use when generating output in HTML format.

Folder specifies the folder in which to store your HTML results. Click [Select] to choose a folder. Select Use WORK Folder to designate your SAS WORK folder as the repository for your HTML results.

Auto navigate during result generation specifies that HTML output is automatically displayed when it is generated. This value cannot be selected if you have selected Password protect HTML file browsing .

Password protect HTML file browsing requires a password when sending HTML files to a browser. This value cannot be selected if you have selected Auto navigate during result generation .

Modifying the Toolbox and Command Window Settings

The items in the ToolBox area of the Preferences dialog box affect both the toolbox and the command window. To modify these settings, select the ToolBox tab in the Preferences dialog box. ToolBox Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box shows the default ToolBox settings.

ToolBox Tab in the Preferences Dialog Box

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The following is an explanation of the settings:

Display tools window

determines whether to display the default toolbox. This check box sets the SAS.defaultToolBox resource.

Display command window

determines whether to display the command window. This check box sets the SAS.defaultCommandWindow resource.

Auto Complete Commands

specifies that commands will be automatically completed as you type the first letters of the command.

Save Commands

specifies the number of commands to be saved. You can change the number by clicking on the up or down arrow next to the number of commands. The default is 25.

Combine windows

combines the toolbar and command window into one window. The toolbar and command window are combined by default. This check box sets the SAS.useCommandToolBoxCombo resource.

Use arrow decorations

adds left and right arrows to either end of the combined toolbox/command window. This check box sets the SAS.useShowHideDecorations resource.

Always on top

keeps the toolbox or the combined toolbar/command window on top of the window stack. This check box is selected by default, which could cause problems with window managers that are not Motif window managers or other applications that want to be on top of the window stack. If you have such a situation, turn off this feature. This check box sets the SAS.toolBoxAlwaysOnTop resource.

Toolbox Persistent

specifies whether the toolbox that is associated with the Program Editor window stays open when you close the window. By default, the Program Editor toolbox stays open whenever you close the Program Editor window. If you deselect this check box, then the toolbox will close if you close the Program Editor window. This check box sets the SAS.isToolBoxPersistent resource.

Tools

The items in the Tools area affect the individual tools in the toolbox:

Use large tools: controls whether tool icons are displayed as 24x24 or 48x48 pixels. The default is 24x24. This check box sets the SAS.useLargeToolBox resource.
Use tip text: specifies whether tool tip text is displayed when you position your cursor over a tool in the toolbox. Some window managers may place the toolbox tip behind the toolbox. If this happens in your environment, deselect this check box. This check box sets the SAS.useToolBoxTips resource.
delay: controls the delay in milliseconds before popping up the toolbox tip. This field sets the SAS.toolBoxTipDelay resource. You can enter a value directly into the field or use the arrows to the right of the field to change the value.

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`Listing`	specifies that your output is in text format. You can select both `Listing` and `HTML` format.
`HTML`	specifies that your output is in HTML format. You can select both `Listing` and `HTML` format.
`Style`	specifies the HTML style to use when generating output in HTML format.
`Folder`	specifies the folder in which to store your HTML results. Click [Select] to choose a folder. Select `Use WORK Folder` to designate your SAS WORK folder as the repository for your HTML results.
`Auto navigate during result generation`	specifies that HTML output is automatically displayed when it is generated. This value cannot be selected if you have selected `Password protect HTML file browsing` .
`Password protect HTML file browsing`	requires a password when sending HTML files to a browser. This value cannot be selected if you have selected `Auto navigate during result generation` .