Activate

This function is used to activate panels. A panel must be activated before it is changed. When activated, the panel is read from the data bank and locked for updating to prevent other users from changing the same panel.

When a panel is active, it is highlighted by a circumscribed rectangle around all subviews in the picture corresponding to the panel. Also a letter on the upper line of the rectangle is drawn. The letter 'S' (stored) means that the panel object in the work area is identical with the one in the data bank. The letter 'M' (modified) means that the panel in the work area has been changed compared to the one on the data bank.

Panels can be activated either by picking them graphically or by giving the name. If Options is given on the indicate panel prompt, a form will pop up giving the possibility to include and exclude panels or blocks given as names with wildcards. A limiting box can also be defined together with the names.

Activation by name can be mixed with activation by picking interactively.

If multiple panels are activated by name they are sorted according to the order in the block they belong to. As this order reflects the order in which the panels were once created, it is likely to be the best approximation in the absence of a proper topological sorting.