Introduction to VAX-11 FMS

This manual serves as an introduction to the VAX-11 FMS (Forms Management System), providing an overview of its components and guiding users through practical exercises. Its primary goal is to enable users to effectively utilize FMS documentation and software.

The document covers the following key aspects:

1. FMS Components: Introduces essential tools such as the Form Editor (for interactive form design), Form Language Translator (for converting text descriptions to binary forms), Form Librarian (for managing form libraries), Form Driver (a set of subroutines for application interaction with forms), Form Tester (for form validation without full application code), and Form Application Aids (for various utility tasks like creating object modules or data definition files).

2. FMS Application Development Cycle: Details the step-by-step process of building an FMS application, which includes:

   • Planning the application.
   • Creating forms and form libraries.
   • Writing the application's source program.
   • Writing user action routines (UARs) for custom logic.
   • Compiling, linking, and running the application.

3. Sample Application Walkthrough: Guides the user through a "Personal Checking Account" sample application to demonstrate FMS features like menus, data entry, data validation, and scrolling. It also includes exercises for creating and modifying forms (like "MENU" and "DEPOSIT") and associating help forms.

4. Programming Features: Explores advanced FMS capabilities that simplify programming, including:

   • Indexing: For managing multiple identical fields efficiently.
   • Scrolling: To display more data than can fit on a single screen.
   • Named Data: Storing application parameters directly with forms, accessible by name or index.
   • User Action Routines (UARs): Custom subroutines invoked by the Form Driver upon field completion, help requests, or specific key presses, allowing for sophisticated data validation and interactive functionality.

5. Advice for New Users: Offers guidelines for designing effective forms that are easy to use and minimize operator errors, covering aspects like information sorting, clear titles and captions, use of check boxes, visual aids (e.g., reverse video), and screen layout.

The manual includes practical examples and exercises, using a subset of the Sample Application, to help users gain hands-on experience with FMS. It also references other FMS documentation for more detailed information on specific topics.