Tech Tip: How to use WINP in ACLs

[Piesenecker_Alexander]

When you code an ACL in TPX to automate the logon process for an user to an application the first statement likely is WINP (Wait INPut). This statement lets the ACL wait for the application to send the first datastream.

The ACL continues processing after a datastream was reached from the application and the keyboard is unlocked. Then the ACL processes the next statement. That likely will search the data stream for content and then enter data depending on the received data stream.

The ACL will send the input to the application using one of the “Key pressing simulator”-Commands ENTER, PF n, PA n and CLEAR. You need to be aware that all these Commands send the appropriate key to the application AND wait for the next datastream as response from the application.
There is no need for an additional WINP! So if you code

 

ENTER

 

the application processes the screen and returns a new data stream. Until that data stream the ACL pauses.

But if you would code the two lines

 

ENTER

WINP

 

the ACL waits for a second data stream from the application. As that second data stream will not appear the ACL is in a deadlock.

[Piesenecker_Alexander]

Additional information: ACLs might hang in Dead Lock situations when they wait for a data stream from the application which never will be send or if they interpret the dtat stream incorrect. To avoid that your ACL hangs due to any reason you may code this Statement at the beginning where nnn is a number of seconds:

 

OPTION WAIT,nnn

 

When this Option is used the ACL wait not more than nnn seconds for completion of this statement. If that time is reached, the ACL continues processing.