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Documentation > MAC-PAC Reference and Help > Technical Support > Key Concepts and Procedures > Menu Authorization > Fast Path And Mnemonic Codes

Fast Path And Mnemonic Codes

 

 

The Menu Authorization utility maintains three types of fast path functions:  mnemonic codes, fast path codes, and fast path for command keys.  A fast path is a method of selecting options without using menus by entering a specific code on the command line to execute an option.  The paths or maps necessary to perform these functions are maintained on the Menu Fast Path File (CT135M).  Each option defined in the system contains a fast path map in this file.  When a mnemonic or fast path code is selected on a command line, or a command key is pressed, the Menu Fast Path File is accessed to determine the necessary path of options that need to be executed to reach the desired option or menu.

Mnemonic codes are short, easy to remember codes defined for a specific option in the Option Maintenance Conversation.  See the Options section of this overview for more information on defining mnemonic codes.  If you enter a mnemonic code on a command line, the fast path associated with the option is retrieved from the Menu Fast Path File to execute the option.

For example, the mnemonic code associated with the option to display the Customer Service Rep. Menu is CSMENU.  Assume this code is entered on the command line of the Accounts Receivable Menu, see the figure below.

 

Accounts Receivable Menu                          

                                                                               

 Select one of the following:                                                   

                                                                               

   Invoice Processing                   Inquiry Processing                     

      1. Invoice and DR/CR Memo Entry     10. Account Master Inquiry           

      2. Invoice, DR/CR Memo Roster Sel                                         

      3. Batch Open Item Post Confirm   Credit Management Function             

                                          11. Credit Mgt Report Selection      

   Payment Processing                     12. Dunning Processing and Letters   

      4. Payment Entry and Application    13. Dunning Reports                  

      5. Payment Register Selection       14. Calculate Avg Days Late/Pay      

      6. Corp/Multi-Cust Payment Entry    15. Expected Payments                

      7. Batch Payment Entry Confirm                                           

                                        Accounting Function                    

   Inquiry Processing                     16. Period-to-Date Acctg Reports     

      8. Accounts Receivable Inquiry      17. End-of-Period Acctg Reports      

      9. Currency Rate Inquiry            18. VAT History Report              +

                                                                               

 Selection or command                                                          

 ===> CSMENU                                                                 

 F3=Exit             F4=Prompt           F9=Retrieve         F15=Mnemonic List 

 F19=Mnemonic Dsp

                                                             

        The Accounts Receivable Menu with the Mnemonic Code for the New Customer

          Service Representative Menu Entered on the Command Line.

 

When the Enter key is pressed, the fast path for the customer service menu is retrieved from the Menu Fast Path File and executed.  The next screen displayed is the Customer Service Rep. Menu, see the figure below.

 

Customer Service Rep. Menu                        

                                                                               

 Select one of the following:                                                  

                                                                               

   Customer                             Other Options                          

     01. Customer Master Maintenance      89. Return                           

     02. Customer Master Inquiry          90. Signoff                           

                                                                               

   Account Balance                                                             

     03. Accounts Receivable Inquiry                                           

                                                                               

   Availability                                                                

     04. Lot Availability Inquiry                                              

                                                                                

   Order Processing                                                            

     05. Order Processing                                                      

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

 Selection or command                                                           

 ===>                                                                          

 F3=Exit             F4=Prompt           F15=Mnemonic List   F19=Mnemonic Dsp  

                                                                               

                                                                               

 

 The Customer Service Representative Menu.

 

Fast path codes also execute an option, but they are entered differently on a command line.  To use a fast path code, you enter a series of user option numbers, separated by commas.  The first number entered is read as a user option number (the number displayed on the screen next to an option description) from the user's initial menu.  Each number after that corresponds to a user option number on the next menu level.  The path needed to reach each of these options is retrieved from the Menu Fast Path File, beginning with the option on the initial menu. 

For example, assume you want to access the Accounts Receivable Inquiry Conversation off the Customer Service Rep. Menu, and your initial menu is the system menu shown in the figure below.

 

                             System Application Menu                           

                                                                               

 Select one of the following:                                                  

                                                                               

   Common Functions                     Manufacturing                           

      1. Design Engineering               12. Shop Floor Control               

                                          13. Capacity Planning                

   Manufacturing                          14. Inventory Accounting             

      2. Manufacturing Engineering        15. Just-In-Time                     

      3. Bill of Documents                16. CONBON                           

      4. Job Control                      17. Manufacturing Inquiry            

      5. Job Costing                                                           

      6. Product Costing                Distribution                           

      7. Material Planning                18. Customer Service Rep.                 

      8. Material Control                 19. Synchro                          

      9. Inventory Analysis               20. Sales Analysis                   

     10. Master Scheduling                21. Purchasing                       

     11. Requirements Planning            22. Transfer Control                +

                                                                               

 Selection or command                                                          

 ===>                                                                          

 F3=Exit             F4=Prompt           F15=Mnemonic List   F19=Mnemonic Dsp  

                                                                               

 Copyright 1991, Andersen Consulting. All rights reserved. Patent pending.     

The System Application Menu.

 

The customer service menu is accessed from the initial menu as shown, with user option number 18; therefore, the first number in the fast path would be 18 since fast path codes are decoded beginning with the initial menu.  To enter a fast path code to access this option, you would enter 18 as the first number in your fast path. 

The second number would be the user option number for Accounts Receivable Inquiry on the customer service menu.  As seen in Figure 25, this number is 3, making the second number entered in the fast path a 3.  The entire fast path code can be entered on any command line and would be entered as 18,3 (with no spaces) to access the Accounts Receivable Inquiry Conversation.  See the figure below for an example of this fast path entered from the System Processing Menu.

 

SYSTEM PROCESSING MENU                            

                                                                               

 Select one of the following:                                                  

                                                                               

   System Processing                    Other Options                          

      1. All Pending Operations           90. Signoff                          

      2. Pending Operations By Module                                          

      3. File Support                                                          

      4. File Compatibility Check                                               

      5. System Support                                                        

      6. Menu Authorization                                                    

      7. Recovery Management                                                   

      8. Initiate/Cancel Monitors                                              

      9. Help Facility                                                         

                                                                                

   Other Options                                                               

     88. Work With Spooled Files                                               

     89. Return                                                                

                                                                               

 Selection or command                                                          

 ===> 18,3                                                                         

 F3=Exit             F4=Prompt           F9=Retrieve                           

                                                                               

     The System Processing Menu with a Fast Path Code Entered on the

           Command Line.

 

When the Enter key is pressed from the screen shown in Figure 27, the fast path code is processed, and the Accounts Receivable Inquiry Function Select Screen is displayed as shown in figure below.

 

WILLIAMS                  ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE INQUIRY                  9/10/92

 DSP01                              SELECTION                                  

                                                                               

 Co Loc                                                                        

 Customer                                                                      

                                                                               

 Document Type                                                                 

 Acct Date                                                                      

 Currency Code                                                                 

                                                                               

 Company/Location                                                              

 Document/Payment                                                              

                                                                               

                                                                                

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                                

                                                                               

 F2=Command          F3=Exit             F4=Prompt 

                           

                                                                               

 The Accounts Receivable Inquiry Function Select Screen.

 

By using a fast path code, you may bypass the normal routine of exiting each menu level in order to access a new conversation from your initial menu. 

Fast path codes are defined on the Menu Fast File (CT135M), and are generated for user option numbers by selecting Fast Path Generation from the Menu Authorization Menu.  This conversation prompts you to submit a batch job that creates fast paths for user options.  These fast paths are, essentially, maps of options that need to be followed to access a particular conversation or menu.  In the example, the Menu Authorization utility determined the proper "map" for the fast path entered on the System Processing Menu for the user and "followed" that map to reach the Accounts Receivable Inquiry Conversation.

For reasons of data integrity, some programs must be ended before calling another program (such as an inquiry calling a maintenance program).  To create a direct link between such programs, fast paths can be created to allow command keys to directly call a program by defining mnemonic codes for the program in the Fast Path Maintenance Conversation.  This conversation prompts you for the name of a program for which you wish to create a mnemonic and writes it to the Fast Path Control File (CT130M).  The mnemonic code is used to determine the path of options to be followed on the Menu Fast Path File (CT135M) when the command key is pressed to access the program.  When such a command key is pressed, processing of the current conversation is ended, the menu authorization utility retrieves the mnemonic associated with the called program, and executes the fast path for the new conversation.

Command key fast path is often found in inquiry conversations to allow you to enter the associated maintenance conversation.  For example, in the Sales Order Inquiry Conversation, you may perform maintenance by pressing F9 and entering the Sales Order Maintenance Conversation, see the figure below.

 

WILLIAMS                      SALES ORDER INQUIRY                      9/10/92

 DSP01                                                                   SELECT

      Selected Order                                                           

         Order Number                                                           

         Line Number                                                           

                                                                               

      Orders By Customer                                                       

         Customer                        Co      Loc                           

         PO Number                                                             

         Company/Warehouse                                                      

         Order Type                                                            

         Order Status                                                          

         Hold Code                                                             

                                                                               

      Orders By Part                                                           

         Part Number                                                           

         Configuration Code                                                    

         Customer                        Co      Loc                           

         Company/Warehouse                                                     

         Order Type                                                            

         Line Status                                                           

 F2=Command          F3=Exit             F4=Prompt           F9=Maintenance    

 F15=Rekey Data      F23=Cfg Template                                           

  The Sales Order Inquiry Function Select Screen.

  By pressing F9 - Maintenance from this screen, you will go directly to the maintenance

  conversation.

When the F9 key is pressed, the Menu Authorization utility ends the inquiry conversation, retrieves the mnemonic code associated with the Sales Order Maintenance Conversation, and executes the control program for the maintenance conversation.  The mnemonic codes used in this process are maintained through the Fast Path Control Maintenance Conversation.  To enter this conversation, select Fast Path Control Maintenance from the Menu Authorization Menu to display the Fast Path Maintenance Function Select Screen (MA180S01).  When the screen is displayed, you are prompted to enter a program name and a maintenance code, see the figure below for a function select screen to perform fast path maintenance for the Sales Order Maintenance Program.

 

WILLIAMS                    MENU AUTHORIZATION                         1/13/92

 DSP01                      FAST PATH MAINTENANCE               FUNCTION SELECT

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                   Program Name         OP100E                                 

                                                                                

                                                                               

                   Maintenance Code     1                                      

                                                                               

                                        1 - Add                                

                                        2 - Delete                             

                                                                                

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                                

                                                                               

 F3=Exit             F4=Prompt                                                 

                                                                               

                                                                               

         The Fast Path Maintenance Function Select Screen (MA180S01).

 

After the Enter key is pressed and the data is validated, the Fast Path Maintenance Detail Screen (MA180S02) is displayed to allow you to enter a mnemonic code for the program, see the figure below.

 

WILLIAMS                    MENU AUTHORIZATION                         1/13/92

 DSP01                      FAST PATH MAINTENANCE                      ADDITION

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                                

                 Program Name              OP100E                              

                                                                               

                                                                               

                 Fast Path Mnemonic        SLSORDMNT                          

                                                                               

                                                                                

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                                

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                               

 F3=Exit                                 F10=Function Select                   

                                                                               

           The Fast Path Maintenance Detail Screen (MA180S02).

 

Once the Enter key is pressed and the data is validated, the mnemonic code for the program is created and written to the Fast Path Control File (CT130M).  When a command key is set up to call a program, this mnemonic code is used to access the Menu Fast Path File (CT135M) to execute the command.

In the sales order example, when F9 is pressed, the mnemonic code (SLORDMNT) associated with the maintenance conversation (OP100E) is retrieved from the Fast Path Control File (CT130M) and used to access the Menu Fast Path File (CT135M) for the "map" to the maintenance conversation.