Newbie question on Tracefields and Inputs

First time posting in the Datasuite section of the forum...

So we used to have Datapage/RT and now have Datapage + 2011MR1.

All our programs used to have tracefields set up in them and now we still have the tracefields, but we've also been doing inputs (where the input is reported on the .pdf report) and in the tracefield using the c1.input, c2.input, etc. in the tracefield itself.

So when I'm looking in Datapage this results in having the same information of the input and the tracefield (machine # twice, cmm operator # twice, shift twice etc.)

So going forward do we still need the tracefield anymore (utilizing just the input commands)?? What really is the difference between them now??

TIA,

4/1/96

April, I've only done a little bit of testing, but from what I can tell, the tracefield imported into DataPage is directly from the comment input, rather than having to use a variable.

C1         =COMMENT/INPUT,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,
            Input Part Number:
C2         =COMMENT/INPUT,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,
            Input Part Name:
C3         =COMMENT/INPUT,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,
            Input Part Revision:
C4         =COMMENT/INPUT,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,
            Input Customer Name:
C5         =COMMENT/INPUT,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,
            Input Operator Name and Title:
            ASSIGN/V1=C1.INPUT
            ASSIGN/V2=C2.INPUT
            ASSIGN/V3=C3.INPUT
            ASSIGN/V4=C4.INPUT
            ASSIGN/V5=C5.INPUT

This is in all of my programs. From my limited testing, you can remove all of the assignments, and the tracefields import normally into DataPage. I haven't gotten around to double and triple checking that this is the case though, so all of my programs still have the comments and variables. Those 5 extra lines aren't hurting anything, so I'm not really in any hurry to do so.

VinniUSMC,

This is what we've been using in our programs. I guess if the input/comment is going into datapage (and on the .pdf) I'm not seeing the need for the 3 tracefield lines afterwards. It just seems like they are a continuation from when we used to used datapage/RT and are no longer needed. I plan on doing more testing with this but based on your message, and what I'm seeing Datapage, it looks like this is the case. Can anyone else comment on this??

EXTERNALCOMMAND/NO_DISPLAY, NO_WAIT ; C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\WAI\DATAPAGE+ 2011 MR1\DATAPAGESTATS.EXE
C1 =COMMENT/INPUT,YES,FULL SCREEN=NO,
MACHINE
C2 =COMMENT/INPUT,YES,FULL SCREEN=NO,
STATION
C4 =COMMENT/INPUT,YES,FULL SCREEN=NO,
CMM OPERATOR CLOCK NUMBER :
TRACEFIELD/DISPLAY,LIMIT=15 ; MACHINE : C1.INPUT
TRACEFIELD/DISPLAY,LIMIT=15 ; STATION : C2.INPUT
TRACEFIELD/DISPLAY,LIMIT=15 ; CMM OPERATOR : C4.INPUT

UPDATE:

After further testing of removing the tracefields the duplicate information is gone. The data entered by operators in the input field records in Datapage and works (disclaimer: for what we're doing now.)

4/1/96