The validate constant is used to turn the various mechanisms for field and table field column validation checks on and off. (The validation checks themselves are specified for the fields and columns at the time the form is defined in VIFRED.) It sets these validations for the application as a whole, rather than for merely a single form object; therefore, it requires the frs object type. The syntax for this particular variant of the set_frs statement is:

The validation_name describes the type of validation mechanism being set. Value must be either 1 or 0, or the name of an integer variable with the value 1 or 0. The value 1 turns the validation mechanism on; 0 turns it off. The validation_names, their default values and the type of validation mechanism that each controls are listed in the following table:

These validations have a global effect. For example, the statement

causes a validation to be performed for the current field whenever any control, function, or arrow key mapped to an FRS key is pressed. Field validations, once set, apply to every form in the application (that is, they are global to the application).

The following statement turns on all possible field and column validations for every form in the application:

The above is often issued right after the exec frs forms statement.