PUT CURSOR statement

(Character only)

Makes the cursor visible on the screen at a specified position.

In data-handling statements such as UPDATE, SET, PROMPT-FOR, and INSERT, the AVM handles cursor display so the user knows where the cursor is located in the window. However, if data is entered through the READKEY statement, and that statement is not part of an EDITING phrase, you might want to turn the cursor on so the user can see the location of the cursor while entering data.

Note:

Does not apply to SpeedScript programming.

Syntax 

 

PUT CURSOR { OFF | { [ ROW expression ] [ COLUMN expression ] } }

OFF

Ends display of the cursor.

ROW expression

The row in which you want to display the cursor. In the ROW option, expression is a constant, field name, variable name, or expression whose value is an integer that indicates the row where you want to display the cursor. If you do not use the ROW option, PUT CURSOR does not reposition the cursor. Similarly, if you specify a ROW that is outside the screen area, the AVM does not reposition the cursor.

COLUMN expression

The column in which you want to display the cursor. In the COLUMN option, expression is a constant, field name, variable name, or expression whose value is an integer that indicates the column where you want to display the cursor. If you do not use the COLUMN option, PUT CURSOR does not reposition the cursor. Similarly, if you specify a COLUMN that is outside the windows area, the AVM does not repositions the cursor.

Example 

The following procedure uses PUT CURSOR to make the cursor visible in an editor window. When you run the procedure, you see a frame in a window. You can type text into this frame. The procedure reads each key you enter and takes the appropriate action. Then PUT CURSOR places the cursor in the first row and the first column in the editing frame when you first run the procedure. As you type, the cursor continues to be visible. As the procedure passes through the REPEAT loop for each keystroke, it takes action based on each keystroke and moves the cursor as it takes the action.

The procedure stores the information you type in the comments array, one character at a time. When you finish typing, press GO. The procedure displays the array where the AVM stored the typed information.

 

r-cursor.p

DEFINE VARIABLE comment AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO FORMAT "x(30)" EXTENT 4. DEFINE VARIABLE iRow    AS INTEGER   NO-UNDO. DEFINE VARIABLE iCol    AS INTEGER   NO-UNDO. DEFINE VARIABLE lmargin AS INTEGER   NO-UNDO INITIAL 5. DEFINE VARIABLE rmargin AS INTEGER   NO-UNDO INITIAL 34. DEFINE VARIABLE ptop AS INTEGER   NO-UNDO INITIAL 10. DEFINE VARIABLE pbot AS INTEGER   NO-UNDO INITIAL 13. DEFINE VARIABLE r-ofst AS INTEGER   NO-UNDO INITIAL 9. DEFINE VARIABLE c-ofst AS INTEGER   NO-UNDO INITIAL 4.   FORM SKIP(4) WITH WIDTH 32 ROW 9 COL 4 TITLE "Editor".   MESSAGE "Type text into the editor. Press" KBLABEL("GO") "to end.".   VIEW.   ASSIGN   iRow = ptop   iCol = lmargin.

REPEAT:   PUT CURSOR ROW iRow COLUMN iCol.   READKEY.     IF KEYFUNCTION(LASTKEY) = "GO" THEN LEAVE.   IF KEYFUNCTION(LASTKEY) = "END-ERROR" THEN RETURN.   IF LASTKEY = KEYCODE("CURSOR-RIGHT") THEN DO:     iCol = iCol + 1.     IF iCol > rmargin THEN iCol = lmargin.     NEXT.   END.   IF LASTKEY = KEYCODE("CURSOR-LEFT") THEN DO:     iCol = iCol - 1.     IF iCol < lmargin THEN iCol = rmargin.     NEXT.   END.   IF LASTKEY = KEYCODE("CURSOR-DOWN") THEN DO:     iRow = iRow + 1.     IF iRow > pbot THEN iRow = ptop.     NEXT.   END.   IF LASTKEY = KEYCODE("CURSOR-UP") THEN DO:     iRow = iRow - 1.     IF iRow < ptop THEN iRow = pbot.     NEXT.   END.   IF LASTKEY = KEYCODE("RETURN") THEN DO :     iRow = iRow + 1.     IF iRow > pbot THEN iRow = ptop.     iCol = lmargin.     NEXT.   END.

IF LASTKEY = KEYCODE("BACKSPACE") THEN DO:     IF iCol = lmargin AND iRow = ptop THEN NEXT.     iCol = iCol - 1.     IF iCol < lmargin THEN DO:       iCol = rmargin.       iRow = iRow - 1.       IF iRow < ptop THEN iRow = ptop.     END.     PUT SCREEN ROW iRow COLUMN iCol " ".     OVERLAY(comment[iRow - r-ofst], iCol - c-ofst) = " ".     NEXT.   END.   IF LASTKEY >= 32 AND LASTKEY <= 126 THEN DO:     PUT SCREEN ROW iRow COLUMN iCol KEYLABEL(LASTKEY).     OVERLAY(comment[iRow - r-ofst], iCol - c-ofst) = KEYLABEL(LASTKEY).     iCol = iCol + 1.     IF iCol > rmargin THEN DO:       iCol = lmargin.       iRow = iRow + 1.       IF iRow > pbot THEN iRow = ptop.     END.   END. END.   DISPLAY comment WITH FRAME x NO-LABELS   TITLE "Comments Array" 1 COLUMN ROW 09 COLUMN 40.   MESSAGE "Information stored in the comments array.".

Notes 

You must use the PUT SCREEN statement to display data when you use the PUT CURSOR statement. You also have to define a variable for the cursor position, and increment it as the AVM reads the keys entered by the user if you want the cursor to move as the user types.

The PUT CURSOR statement displays the cursor until you use the PUT CURSOR OFF statement to stop the display.

Because a cursor is always displayed in an EDITING phrase, using the PUT CURSOR statement in an EDITING phrase (or if you have not issued a PUT CURSOR OFF statement before the phrase) might cause errors.

See also 

PUT SCREEN statement