Use key function syntax

Syntax

keyfunction(key-label) = sequence:

keyfunction

The name of a key function.

key-label

The key label as it appears on the keyboard.

sequence

The characters transmitted when the key is pressed.

As in other sections of the PROTERMCAP file, string values are assigned using an equal sign (=) and the field is terminated with a colon (:). For example:

RECALL(F7)=^AF\r:

This field in a PROTERMCAP terminal entry defines the F7 key as transmitting a CTRL+A followed by a capital F followed by a carriage return, and associates use of F7 with the RECALL function.

The following field defines SCROLL-DOWN to act like PAGE-DOWN:

PAGE-DOWN(SCROLL-DOWN)=\021:

If you assign the same key label to two or more different key functions, you get a warning message when you start OpenEdge. For example, "You cannot use DELETE for both DELETE-CHARACTER and BACKSPACE."

If you use a key in the ABL ON statement or GO-ON option only, and do not have to assign it to a standard action, then use the following syntax in the PROTERMCAP entry:

(key-label)=sequence:

For example, the following entry indicates that pressing F16 sends a capital O followed by a carriage return:

(F16)=O\r:

If any of the control code sequences sent when you press a key on the keyboard begin with a control key, you cannot use that control key on your keyboard and the key does not have its normal OpenEdge meaning. For example, if you specify CTRL+F in a control code sequence when creating a key mapping, you can no longer use CTRL+F for FIND. You have to map another key to the FIND action.

The key labels that the UNIX stty command specifies for FLUSH and SUSPEND override the PROTERMCAP file's use of the same key labels. For example, if the stty settings for FLUSH and SUSPEND are CTRL+Q and CTRL+S, you cannot map these key labels to key functions in the PROTERMCAP file. If you do, you receive no warning; the labels assume their stty meanings at run time and OpenEdge ignores them.