Configure User Defined Function Keys to External Applications

QTRACS provides the capability to configure special function keys and options that allow the user to invoke a call to a custom EAL program from selected points within the QTRACS user interface. A subsection entitled 'External API Links' is available within the System Configuration option on the QTRACS Main Menu. Within this subsection, the user may define links to external applications from the Vehicle Directory, the Message Directory, the Vehicle Detail Display, and the Message Detail Display.

There are six function keys (F8, F9, F15, F16, F19, F20), and twenty-six options (10, 11, 12, 13, and 40 through 61) that have been reserved for possible configuration as 'bridges' to user-defined host application software.

Each of these keys may be assigned a unique 'name' and 'module to call'. If a key is defined, that key, and its associated name, will become operable from within the appropriate panel. If the key is subsequently pressed by the user, the defined module will be invoked. The same is true for any options that may be defined.

Depending on the context from which the user defined function key or option is triggered, one or more parameters may be desired by the external module. Since it would be not be feasible to create a custom parameter list that would satisfy every external module, the following parameter list will be passed to every program invoked by the user-defined 'bridges'. In some instances, one or more of the parameters may be unspecified. The layout of the parameter list that will be passed is shown in Table 1 32. This parameter list is defined via an external data structure named OMAPIDS.

External Application Bridge Parameters

From-To	Length	Type	Field Name	When Specified
1-10	10	Character	Mailbox ID	Message Directory F-Key
11-20	10	Character	Sender/Receiver ID	Message Directory F-Key
21-25	9,0	Packed	Global Message Handle	Message Directory Option Message Detail F-Key
26-35	10	Character	Vehicle ID	Vehicle Directory Option Vehicle Detail F-Key

External Application Bridge Parameters Passed by Display

	Mailbox ID	Sndr/Rcvr ID	Global Msg Handle	Vehicle ID
Message Directory Option	Always	Always	Always	Applicable
Message Directory F-Key	Always	Always	N/A	N/A
Message Detail Display F-Key	N/A	N/A	Always	Applicable
Vehicle Directory Option	N/A	N/A	N/A	Always
Vehicle Directory F-Key	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Vehicle Detail Display F-Key	N/A	N/A	N/A	Always

The three different dispositions denoted in the table are as follows:

Always	The parameter is always returned when called in this instance
Applicable	The parameter is only returned when an applicable value is available. (In the case of the message directory options and the message detail display function keys, the vehicle id parameter is only passed when a return message from a vehicle is selected.)
N/A	The parameter is never returned when called in this instance