Red x on display file

[Mike55]

Hi,
I have an rpg program that makes use of a display file. When the data is displayed a red X shows bottom left on the telnet session and a ctrl or esc clears it. What could be triggering that in the pgm?
Thanks

[Scott Klement]

It typically means some sort of keying error has occurred. Examples might be:

• Keying text into a position on the screen that's not defined for input.
• Keying letters into a numeric field
• Pressing a function key that's not defined for that screen
• Trying to exit a field that requires the "field exit" key to exit without pressing fieldExit or field+

Those are just examples, there are many other possible keying errors -- if that's even what is happening. Hard to say for sure, since there are many possible explanations, and I surely don't have them all memorized.

[chrispickles]

I am writing a COBOL screen for touch display. The screen has no keyboard. I have tried assigning PF24 to the RESET as a pushbutton. However, when the X appears the pushbutton does not work even though a keyboard PF24 does clear. Is there any way to resolve this please?

[Scott Klement]

There are commercial tools that provide a full 5250 emulator (including all the 5250 buttons like error reset) for touch displays. You'll either need to get one of those, or... stop using 5250 and make a better UI for a touch display.