# Graphical user interface like pc manner **URL:** \ **Category:** Forum\ **Tags:** Adabas-Natural, Natural, Natural-on-Mainframes, Natural-on-Windows-Unix\ **Created:** [August 15, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/graphical-user-interface-like-pc-manner/200493 "2018-08-15T15:19:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Javier\_Gonzalez2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/javier_gonzalez2/32/6988_2.png) [@Javier\_Gonzalez2](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Javier_Gonzalez2)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/graphical-user-interface-like-pc-manner/200493/1 "2018-08-15T15:19:19Z")
Hello. I want to construct my mainframe online natural application like pc manner. I would like to know examples especially using %WA in order to keep previous windows when next program screen IO is greater. Please, help. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Robinson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/steve_robinson/32/107_2.png) [@Steve\_Robinson](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Steve_Robinson)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/graphical-user-interface-like-pc-manner/200493/2 "2018-08-15T17:47:44Z")
In addition to %WA and %WZ there are something like 25-30 other %W commands. See the Natural documentation under Terminal Commands. The biggest problem you will face has to do with the “interface units”. Mainframe Natural’s unit of interface is a full screen; PC Natural (and PC interfaces in general) has a unit of interface of a single keystroke. Thus, on a PC Natural screen it is simple to have a field where the user is supposed to enter a surname. If the user enters an R, you can show the user a dropdown with last names that start with R. You can sort of do this on a mainframe, but it is “messy”. You can show the user a screen with a one character input field. The user must enter a letter, then hit enter. Now you can show them all the R’s. But with PC Natural you can have a more powerful facility where the dropdown list is dynamically updated as the user enters characters. Trying to do this on a mainframe is very tedious, and not nearly as user friendly as is possible on a PC. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Robinson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/steve_robinson/32/107_2.png) [@Steve\_Robinson](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Steve_Robinson)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 12:10pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/graphical-user-interface-like-pc-manner/200493/3 "2018-08-16T12:10:30Z")
When I read over my earlier posting I realized I omitted some important information which might prove confusing. > [@](#): > > Mainframe Natural’s unit of interface is a full screen; PC Natural (and PC interfaces in general) has a unit of interface of a single keystroke. The quote above is for PC Natural Dialogs, not Maps. PC Natural Maps work just like Mainframe Natural Maps, namely, the unit of interface is a screen not a keystroke. > [@](#): > > But with PC Natural you can have a more powerful facility where the dropdown list is dynamically updated as the user enters characters. The quote above is referring to the use of PC Natural Dialogs, not Maps. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/graphical-user-interface-like-pc-manner/200493/4 "2021-04-02T15:41:13Z")