Definition files provide information about the known screens in an application. A definition file is an XML file containing information about screen identification and screen mapping (screen fields), and is usually found in the "definitions" directory where Flynet Viewer is installed.
Flynet Viewer provides three key tools to assist in the creation of definition files:
| 1. | The workflow recorder is used to record the way a particular task is carried out by an operator. Descriptive information about the task and screen flow is recorded. Refer to the Screen Workflow Recording Guide help document for more information about this tool. Note that the Recorder 2.0, that can be accessed from the Flynet Start folder is a better tool for most users as it behaves more like a terminal emulator. |
| 2. | The Viewer Studio is a complete Integrated Development Environment that manages not only Screen definitions, but complete development projects with far more properties than those managed in the relatively simplistic definition file format. |
| 3. | The Screen Mapper provides an easy to use interface to create and modify definition files. It uses the screens stored in the workflow recorder files to help identify screens and map the screen fields. |
At runtime, one or more definition files are read into memory by the emulation engine in order to maintain an internal dictionary of screen information. This list of definition files can be maintained by using the Admin Console service settings option by setting the Definition File List, or by using the ScreenDefControl.load method.
By using a definition file a developer reduces the amount of time required to maintain an application. Instead of having to change and recompile code whenever a host screen is changed, only the definition file has to be modified.
