Using the Panel Files

Locating the Panel Files

Panel files are located in the Component Overview menu by selecting System > System Information. System information contains four frame windows layered in tab format. Here you will find where the file is located in the system, the location of the panel, the version/serial number being used and which environmental variables control the macro files that define paths to each of the panels.

Standard panels and customized panels are in separate panel libraries; both contained in a national library. The national library is the library for the country in which the Planning application is being implemented. For example, the paths for the standard and custom panels in the US library are:

• Standard panel files:      C:\Program Files\APP11.2\US\Panels
• Customized panel files:  C:\Program Files\APP11.2\US\Panels\Custom

How Panel Files are Structured

When you want to customize a panel in a frame window in the Planning application you must define the exact changes you wish to make in the panel file.  For this reason it is important to understand what the panel file is and how it is structured.

The panel file functions as a translator between panel configuration and the system. By changing the syntax in the panel file you change the content of the panel.

The basic elements of the panel file appear in the subsections below:

• Identification headers
• Panel numbers
• The body of the panel file
• Special panel characters
• Starting control characters

The example below shows the structure of a typical panel file from the Scheduling Board, Panel #54. This panel file is taken from the PMGANT__.SKM panel file. The corresponding screen panel is shown after the panel definition.

#54;1;-1;-2;-3;01;00;79; 
					 

@@28;SWT;5;72;100;16;170;Single_Order_Scheduling_-_Selection;
						
					 

@@33;CRPORT00; 
					 

@@29;Orders;0;7;;;G;7; 
					 

@@24;Item_number;1;7;?0;;;R;*403;3;D+7;D+8;D+9;D+11; 
					 

@@31;$827;0;15;?0;;;MLH(15);0; 
					 

@@30;$827;0;7;?40003;"Warehouse";-580;;DH(-15);3;20;100;C;AW;;
						
					 

@@31;$831;0;15;?30827;;;MLTH(-15);0; 
					 

@@24;Order_number;5;7;?0;;;C;*405;1;|;*405;0;D+1; 
					 

@@24;Peg_ID;1;7;?0;;;R;*403;2;D-1;D-2;D-3;D-4;D-5;D+5; 
					 

@@24;Peg_ID_suffix;5;7;?0;;;C;*404;1;|;*404;0;D+1; 
					 

@@24;MO_no____;1;7;?0;;;R;*403;4;D-1;D-2;D-3;D-5;D-6;D-7;D-8;D-9;
						
					 

@@24;All;1;7;?0;;;R;*403;1;D-1;D-3;D-4;D-5;D-7;D-8;D-9;D-10;D-11;
						
					 

@@24;Include_only_non-scheduled_orders;5;7;?0;;;C;$862;X;|;$862;_;
						
					 

@@29;Sort;0;7;;;G;7; 
					 

@@29;Sorting_Method;0;7;;;TL;1; 
					 

@@29;Sorting_Order;0;7;;;TL;1; 
					 

@@24;Item_number,_order_number;3;7;?0;;;R;*407;0; 
					 

@@24;Ascending;2;7;?0;;;R;*406;0; 
					 

@@24;Peg_ID,_order_no,_item_no;3;7;?0;;;R;*407;1; 
					 

@@24;Descending;2;7;?0;;;R;*406;1; 
					 

@@24;Manufacturing_order_number;3;7;?0;;;R;*407;2; 
					 

@@24;Forward_scheduled_sequence;3;7;?0;;;R;*407;4; 
					 

@@24;OK;0;7;?0;;;PD;F0; 
					 

@@24;Cancel;0;7;?0;;;PNPF3;F3; 
					 

@@24;Help;0;7;?0;;;PH; 
					 

$Orders________________________________________________________________&
						
					 

_$Item_number__$827______________________&____$Order_number__~201____&___$827_&_$831__________________&
						
					 

_$Peg_ID_______$815_________&_________________$Peg_ID_suffix_~200__&
						
					 

_$MO_no________$852_______& 
					 

_$All__& 
					 

_$Include_only_non-scheduled_orders& 
					 

_ 
					 

$Sort__________________________________________________________________&
						
					 

_$Sorting_Method_______________$Sorting_Order& 
					 

_$Item_number,_order_number&___$Ascending& 
					 

_$Peg_ID,_order_no,_item_no&___$Descending& 
					 

_$Manufacturing_order_number& 
					 

_$Forward_scheduled_sequence& 
					 

_ 
					 

_$OK____________________&$Cancel_______________&$Help_________________&
						
					 

Identification Headers

The identification header contains the number of the panel file and other parameters that control the panel file syntax. The starting line and position must always be between 1 and 0 respectively.

We recommend you not to change the panel number. If you do all text and panel controls will move and push other relevant information to incorrect positions in the panel.

The example below shows identification header set up in usual way. All parameters are located on a single line with the semicolon (;) as the delimiter. No spaces are accepted before the last semicolon [;]. Nevertheless, if a parameter is equal to 0, then the 0 can be omitted in the header.

The number sign (#) defines the start of a new panel. The string continues until it meets with the next number sign. The next number sign is used to mark the end of the file and to signal that the previous panel has clearly come to an end.

--#--panel number-;-1-;- -1-;- -2-;- -3-;-01-;-00-;-79-;-- 
					 

                    |     |     |     |    |    |    +-(Reserved) 
		

                    |     |     |     |    |    | 
		

                    |     |     |     |    |    +-Starting position 
		

                    |     |     |     |    | 
		

                    |     |     |     |    +-Starting line 
		

                    |     |     |     | 
		

                    |     |     |     +-Color code, unprotected fields
		  
		

                    |     |     | 
		

                    |     |     +-Color code, protected fields 
		

                    |     | 
		

                    |     +-Color code, background text 
		

                    | 
		

                    +-(Reserved) 
		

Panel Numbers

The panel number is a unique number located in the identification header of the panel file and used by the application to identify the specific panel. The table below shows how the Planning application organizes and interprets the panel number.

Panel number	Reserved for
1 - 399	Component panels
400 - 699	General panels
700 - 4999	Error panels
5000 - 9999	General panels

The Body of the Panel File

The body of the panel file consists of one or more lines. Each line ends with the first space character. The body of the panel file begins immediately after the last line in the section of the panel that controls the definition (defined as the first line after the # character that does not begin with a @ character) and ends on the last line before again meeting the number sign. [#]

By making changes to the content in the body of the panel file, you can make direct modifications to panels in a selected frame window. The panel will reflect the changes in layout you specify. (If the panel does not reflect your changes correctly, field positions may have been displaced by field references that exceed their allotted space requirements.)

Spaces located in the text must be written with an underscore [ _ ] and the line length must not exceed 132 characters. You can place comments in any of the character positions between the first space and the end of the line.