ECHO OFF applying to MULTIPLE Macros or MODULES!

[JHB]

Hi:

I have a number of macros and modules which call other macros and
modules for special functions. The internal working of these modules
are of no interest to the end useres, and I want to surpress screen
refreshing for ALL of them.. Echo off is clearly one way, but every
time I call another module the echo off condition is reset. Is there
ANY was to have echo off, or some similar command, applied to a whole
bunch of activities by ONE call?. It would be a delight to be able to
surpress screenb updating over the total range of activity controled
by one control module.

Thanks in advance

John Baker

 

[Puppet_Sock]

Hi:

I have a number of macros and modules which call other macros and
modules for special functions. The internal working of these modules
are of no interest to the end useres, and I want to surpress screen
refreshing for ALL of them.. Echo off is clearly one way, but every
time I call another module the echo off condition is reset. Is there
ANY was to have echo off, or some similar command, applied to a whole
bunch of activities by ONE call?. It would be a delight to be able to
surpress screenb updating over the total range of activity controled
by one control module.

The concept is layering. At some point you start things up.
That happens through an entry layer. If it's from a user
clicking a button, then the code the button calls is the
user interface layer. The interface layer calls a security
layer. The security layer turns off what you want off,
then it calls the next layer,which is the working layer.
The working layer does all the
stuff that is supposed to be done. When it finishes, it
returns to the security layer, which turns stuff back
on for the user, then returns to the user interface
layer. The user interface layer makes sure all the
stuff is refreshed as it needs to be, redrawn, refetched
from cells, etc. Then it ends.

This way, working layer stuff can call other working
layer stuff. It never calls stuff outside the working
layer. Security layer stuff calls working layer stuff
only to start a task. And user layer stuff only calls
the working layer through the security layer.

So a security layer routine will turn stuff off, and
another will turn it back on. Then each entry to the
working layer gets a cover in the security layer that
calls the "off" routine, then the working routine, then
the "back on" routine. And the user interface only
calls these covers.

To get this pattern, you need to be able to refactor
your code so that you have your work layer code
arranged neatly into routines that can be called
from outside (which get security covers) and those
that are only called from inside (which don't).
Socks