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Form-only fields are fields that are defined only on the form. They allow you to request from the user data that is not linked to a VA FileMan field. You might use a form-only field to control the flow of data input. For example, when the user presses the Enter/Return key at a form-only field, you might branch to a "pop-up" page (window) or branch only if the user enters a certain value. You might also use a form-only field to request data from the user, store the response in a local or global variable, and process the response after the user exits the form.
When you define a form-only field, you specify parameters that look like the VA FileMan Reader (^DIR) parameters. In addition, you can define Save Code, code that is executed when the user issues the "Save" command. You might use the Save Code to store the value entered by the user in local or global variables.
The following chart describes the field properties that pertain only to Form-only fields. See the "Reader: ^DIR" section for more detailed information about the Reader parameters:
| Form-only Field Property | Description |
| Read Type | This property defines the type of the form-only field.
Valid values are:
|
| Parameters | This property corresponds to the parameters that can be used in the first ^-piece of the DIR(0) input variable to ^DIR. The "O" parameter has no effect, since the Required property can be used to make a field required. |
| Qualifiers | This property corresponds to the second ^- piece of the DIR(0) input variable to ^DIR. |
| Help (WP) | The lines in this word processing field correspond to the nodes in the DIR("?",#) input array to ^DIR. |
| INPUT Transform | This property corresponds to the third ^-piece of the DIR(0) input variable to ^DIR. |
| Screen | This is M code that sets the variable DIR("S"). |
| Save Code | This is M code that is executed when the user issues a "Save" command and ScreenMan hasdetected a change to the value of the form-only field. |
Reviewed/Updated: March 4, 2007