Designing MFS messages for IMS with the MFS Editor

MFS Screen Design is a function of the MFS Editor. This tool allows for visual creation and modification of MFS messages and device format definitions. By using the MFS Editor, you can create Information Management System (IMS) applications that deal with simple logical messages instead of device-dependent data.

MFS functions as an interface between the format of messages at a terminal and the I/O formats in your program. By using MFS, you can create well-designed screens that improve operator efficiency and accuracy. With the MFS Editor, you can create and modify MFS messages and device format definitions visually.

Editor features

The Palette view of the editor provides both click-and-drop and drag-and-drop access to the format definition components. MFS macros are added and edited using the Outline and Properties views.
The MFS Editor provides the following pages for designing a device format definition.
  • Design

    Contains the Design canvas and display customization options, including map filtering. More formatting and display options are opened in the Properties view when a MFS macro is selected.

  • Source

    Provides a text editor for editing the MFS source code directly.

  • Preview

    Provides terminal-style and web preview modes of MFS source code.

Object properties

To see the properties of an object, select the item in the Outline view. The properties are displayed in the Properties view. You can also view and configure a format definition component by using the Design page menu.