BLANK

You use a BLANK statement in input and output processes to display an item as entirely blank. A typical use occurs when entering key values to retrieve associated descriptions from a related file (for example, when entering a transaction type and displaying the description). If a matching key is not found on the “description” file, you may want to blank any previously displayed description.

    ••••• BLANK    ••• •••••••••••••••••••••• ••• (AT APPEARANCE # •••)
    (1)            (2) (3)                    (4)                  (5)

Using the Statement

The appearance number can be used if the same field appears more than once on the image. If the application ID, field name, occurrence number, and appearance number are not specified (left blank), the BLANK statement affects all of the items painted on the associated image.

BLANK is one of the characteristic-type statements. Refer to the common attributes of all the statements in this category in the Characteristic-Type Statements section of this manual.

The operation of a BLANK statement affects only the next generation of an image. In other words, the item characteristics are reset each time an image is produced.

The system ignores any BLANK statements specified in non-image related event points.

Related Statements

BLINK, BOLD, BRIGHT, COLOR, DIM, DISPLAY, FONT, INVERSE, NO BOLD, NO ULINE, NORMAL, PICTURE, ULINE

Example

In the following example, if the customer number entered on an order is not a valid customer, the customer name displays as blank.

          SET      TAR CUSTOMER NO                =  TAR ORDER CUSTOMER NO
          READ     TAR CUSTOMER               HOLD 0 FT 0 BY CUSTOMER NO
    F     BLANK    TAR CUSTOMER NAME              (AT APPEARANCE #    )