Introduction to the Form and Menu Language Interpreter (FMLI)

Navigating in a form

When a form is opened, the cursor is placed in the first character position in the first field of the form. The following list shows some of the keys you can use to navigate in a form:

In a single-line field, <ENTER> or the alternative keystroke sequence <CTRL-m> moves the cursor to the next field, whether it is below the current field or to the right, wrapping from the last field of the form to the first. In a multi-line field, it moves the cursor to the next line, scrolling on the last line if the field is scrollable, stopping and beeping if it is not. That is, you cannot use this key to navigate from a multi-line field.
In a single- or multi-line field, <TAB> or the alternative keystroke sequence <CTRL-i> moves the cursor to the next field, whether it is below the current field or to the right, wrapping from the last field of the form to the first.
In a single- or multi-line field, <BACKTAB> or the alternative keystroke sequence <CTRL-t> moves the cursor to the previous field, whether it is above the current field or to the left, wrapping from the first field of the form to the last.
In a single-line field, <> or the alternative keystroke sequence <CTRL-d> moves the cursor to the next field below the current field, wrapping from the last field of the column to the first. In a multi-line field, it moves the cursor to the next line; on the last line of the field, it moves the cursor to the next field below the current one.
In a single-line field, <> or the alternative keystroke sequence <CTRL-u> moves the cursor to the previous field above the current field, wrapping from the first field of the column to the last. In a multi-line field, it moves the cursor to the previous line; on the first line of the field, it moves the cursor to the previous field above the current one.
<> or the alternative keystroke sequence <CTRL-r> moves the cursor non-destructively one character to the right in a field. It does not wrap to the next field, or the next line in a multi-line field.
<> or the alternative keystroke sequence <CTRL-l> moves the cursor non-destructively one character to the left in a field. It does not wrap to the previous field, or the previous line in a multi-line field.

Multi-page forms and scrollable single- and multi-line fields scroll as necessary.

NOTE: Generally speaking, if a user enters invalid data in a field that has an associated validation test, navigation away from the field is not permitted. With this release, however, if no data have been entered or modified in the field since it became current, validation only occurs if the user attempts to use the <ENTER> key to leave the field. A user can leave the field with some other navigation key (such as one of the arrow keys). In such cases, validation of the field is delayed until the <SAVE> key is pressed. Thus, a user can use a key other than <ENTER> to navigate in a form when, say, leaving the current field blank would cause it to fail a validation test. You may want to point out this change in behavior to users who are familiar with the old behavior.