Requesting a Screen
In
order to make the most of limited development resources, and in order to
expedite the creation of screens in Datatel it is important to approach screen
needs in a methodical way. The more
planning done in advance will make the screen easier to provide and of greater
value.
Types
of Screens: Frontend Screens (for
reports and processes)
Inquiry
only screens – all fields on the screen are inquiry only
Maintenance
screens – you can maintain data on the screen
Why
Create New Screens: To display/
maintain user fields
To
display/ maintain fields in new files
To
display datatel database information (combine screens etc)
What Tech Services
Needs:
Provide Background What
is screen needed for?
When is screen needed
by? (As much lead time as possible, better for dev and testing)
How will it be
used? (when on phone with applicant)
Who will be using the
screen? (Staff, Students, etc)
Screen format? (Used
in Datatel by staff, web screen)
Define Specification for Screen: Include example screen layout.
Where
do you want the fields?
For
multi valued fields how many lines do you want displayed?
What
mnemonic do you want for this screen? (will be on XUSR screen)
What
screen Name do you want?
How
many screens are needed? (Detail to
multiple screens)
Define
Specifications for Fields: Is
field inquiry only or can the data be maintained?
Is
the field a data field or a calculated field?
If data field, we need field name and file the field is in?
If
field is calculated, we need calc specifications?
Do
you want a default value in the field?
What
is field size for display?
Is field required or not?
Does field need conversion? (Date/Time etc)
What edits need to be performed on the field? (upshift, zero fill)
What
values can the field have? (Y/N, U/A
etc.)
What
fields have valcodes associated with them?
What valcode tables need to be created? Define codes and desc.
What processing do you need done: Update date’s and user login
Important Last Step: Testing … Testing … Testing …
After screen is
defined and developed, the last step is testing.
The screen will be installed in
COLTEST for you to test it.
Ó Copyright 2002