Database Server (DBS) API

Obtaining Formatted Text from the Arrays

If you want the text from any of the three arrays, the call in Figure 101 extracts it from the structures described in the "Contents of Arrays" section.

Figure 101: Database Server (DBS) API—Obtaining Formatted Text from the Arrays: Input

    >D MSG^DIALOG(flags,.output_array,text_width,left_margin,input_root)

It does either of the following:

• Writes it to the screen.
  
  
• Puts it into a local array for further use.

The flags for the MSG^DIALOG call:

• Control whether the text is written to the current device or moved into the output_array specified in the second parameter.
  
  
• Direct whether the source arrays are saved or deleted, and which kinds of dialog (e.g., errors, help, or other messages) are processed.
  
  
• Support some formatting of text.

REF: For details of its use, see the description of the MSG^DIALOG(): Output Generator API.

Reviewed/Updated: May 2026