Using the BMS Map Editor

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This series of steps guides you through some of the features and capabilities of the BMS Map Editor. For detailed information about procedures and configuration, see the specific topics in the BMS Map Editor helps.

Note: Regularly save any modifications to a map set.
In Developer for z/OS®, the BMS Map Editor is associated with .bms map set files and is available in any perspective. The editor uses the following views:
  • Project Explorer
  • Outline
  • Palette
  • Properties

You can import map set files into certain perspectives, such as Enterprise Service Tools.

You can export maps to a JavaServer Faces Web page and its components.

Creating a project

Map sets can be created only in an existing project. To create a project:
  1. From the main menu, select File > New > Project.
  2. In the New Project wizard that opens, expand General > Project. Click Next.
  3. Type Test project as the project name. Click Finish to close the wizard and create the project.

Test project is listed in the Project Explorer view. To open this view from the main menu, select Window (on Windows) or IBM® Developer for z/OS (on macOS) > Show View > Other and type Project Explorer as the filter text.

Creating a map set

To create a map set in a project:
  1. From the main menu, select File > New > Other.
  2. In the New wizard that opens, enter Map Set as the filter text and select BMS > Map Set from the list of file wizards.
  3. Click Next.
  4. Select Test project as the parent folder.
  5. Type NEWMAPSET as the file name. The .bms extension is automatically added.
  6. Click Finish to accept the default configuration.

The map set file NEWMAPSET.BMS is listed in theTest project project in the Project Explorer view.

Adding maps to the map set

To add and modify maps and fields in the map set:
  1. Open the map in the editor by double-clicking NEWMAPSET.BMS if it is not already open
  2. Start by tagging and dragging the mouse down to and to the right in the Design canvas. Notice the size and position of the map are shown in the pop-up box.
  3. in the Basic drawer of the Palette view, select Map.
  4. Move the cursor to the Design canvas, and click to place the map.

You can use the Select tool in the Default drawer to move and resize the map.

Viewing and modifying map properties

Select a map in the Design canvas. The map properties are shown in the Properties view. The selected map is also highlighted in the Outline view.

To modify map properties from the Design canvas, complete the following steps:

  1. In the Outline view, right-click MAP2. The map is highlighted in the Design canvas.
  2. Click Toggle Black and White Mode, , in the upper-right corner of the Design canvas to view the selected map more easily.
  3. Right-click the highlighted map in the Design canvas and select Map Properties from the menu to modify the settings.

To modify map properties under the Source tab, complete the following steps:

  1. Click the Source tab below the Design canvas.
  2. Locate the Map1 label.
  3. Place the cursor in the source code and change the map size parameters to SIZE=(14,60). This action changes the height of the map to 14 columns and the width to 60 columns. The change is shown in the Properties view.

Adding and modifying fields

To add and modify a label field:
  1. in the Constant Fields drawer of the Palette, select Label.
  2. Click in the Design canvas to place the field. If the location is not valid, for example, outside the boundaries of an existing map, you cannot place the field.
  3. If the label field is not shown with the map in the Outline view, select Show Unnamed Fields, , to show the label field.
  4. Left-click the field in the Design canvas and type a new label value.
  5. Double-click the field in the Design canvas.
  6. Add a name for the label field, and click Apply. Click Show Unnamed Fields again; the field is now shown with its name in the Outline view.
  7. Right-click the field in the Outline view. Select Cut to remove the field from its current map.
  8. Select a different map in the Outline view. Press Ctrl+V to place the field into that map.
To add and modify a password field:
  1. Click the Password field button in the Variable Fields drawer.
  2. Place the pointer in the Design canvas. A drop box is added to the pointer.
  3. Click and hold the left mouse button at the location that you want.
  4. Draw the field to a width of five characters and release the mouse button.
    Note: The height in the pop-up box cannot be greater than two characters; the drawn box can be only 0 or 1 character high.
Align the fields by completing the following steps:
  1. In the Outline view, select multiple fields by holding the Ctrl key and clicking the field icons.
  2. Right-click one of the highlighted fields in the Design canvas, and select Align > Align to Parent > Top. The fields are aligned to the top of the map.

Use the Shift key with the Select tool to grab and move multiple items in the Design canvas. View the maps and fields with the other display options to see how they can assist you in modifying maps and fields.

Filtering and previewing maps

Use the Filters feature to view, prioritize, or hide specific maps within a set:
  1. Click Filters above the Design canvas. The name of the current filter is shown below the button.
  2. Click New to add a filter.
  3. Move maps up or down the filter list, or clear maps.

    Note the changes in the Preview pane. Filters display the enabled maps in order, as you look at the Preview pane or Design canvas (the second map is placed behind the first and the third is placed behind the second).

  4. Click OK to complete the filter modification.
  5. Click the list beside the Filters button and select the newly added filter from the list of available filters. The filtered maps are not shown in the Design canvas or the Outline view.
  6. Click the Preview tab. In Normal mode, the filtered maps are not shown.

The Preview page shows maps and fields in Web and Normal mode. Normal mode provides a terminal-like preview, with full filtering capability. The Web mode shows all maps in a set.