Source page

Use the Source page to view and modify the MFS source statements directly in a text editor.

Note: Use the Show Source option from the Design page right-click menu to view the .mfs source in a read-only mode while still in the Design canvas.
When you select a line of MFS source in the Source page, the MFS element that corresponds to the macro is highlighted in the Outline view. If the Properties view is also open, then the properties of the macro are also populated and displayed. Changes that are made directly to the source are immediately reflected in the Design page and Preview pages.
Note: Manual changes done to the MFS source are not validated for semantic and logical correctness. For example, modifying the length of a field such that it overlaps another, existing field, does not cause a validation error. Therefore, it is recommended to modify MFS source through the Design page, Outline view, and Properties view.

Standard editing features are provided, such as Find/Replace, Undo/Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete.

Additional editor features are as follows:
  • Customized color highlighting

    Items such as MFS statement keywords, attribute names and values, strings, and comments are colored differently, to help you differentiate parts of an MFS source statement. You can customize the colors in the Preferences dialog.

  • Line numbers

    Line numbers are displayed in the left margin of the editor window. You can hide line numbers by modifying the Preferences .

  • Error markers

    If syntax errors are encountered during a save or a validation and build operation, an error icon is displayed in the left margin of the line that contains the error. Errors also are displayed in the Problems view. MFS device format source files that contain syntax errors cannot have an MFS message definition that is appended to them until the syntax error is resolved.