Correct Way to design a menu?

[Ted Giles]

Examples - all done without coding

First is a top line list of items, the others are variations on different themes.
Note the use of HotSpots in the last one. HotSpot goes to the form you want.
alpha5 .pngalpha2.pngalpha4.pngalpha1.pngalpha3.png

[Ted Giles]

Menus are interesting.
In mine, each one triggers a process and displays a Form (with a Browse and possibly Conditional Objects). All done using the built in Action Scripts or an extension of their code.
One app has a choice : Modern or Traditional.
The options are many. Some run along the top menu with dropdowns, some are dockable and either vertical or horizontal.
I reiterate - minimal coding.
Attach a short script to open a Browse to a Menu item and fiddle, but read the instructions as they can be just a tad convoluted.
The Form needs to have the Menu attached. Form Properties Menus.

[Graham Wickens]

Another design problem.

'Date Created: 08-Oct-2021 01:29:25 PM
'Last Updated: 17-Oct-2021 07:24:29 AM
'Created By : Graham
'Updated By : Graham
temp_list = <<%list%
Browse^Aircraft^Aircraft_Compendium
Browse^Aircraft^aircraft_Type_Listing
Browse^Aircraft^aircraft_UAV_Listing
Browse^Air_Arm^Air_Arm_Name
Browse^AMARC^AMARC
Browse^AMARC^AMARC_Abbrev
Browse^AMARC^AMARC_Origin_Id
Browse^Base^Base_Add
Browse^Base^Base_And_Place_Names
Browse^Base^Base_details
Browse^Base^Base_Master_Large
Browse^BGA^BGA
Browse^BGA^BGA1000to5299
Browse^BGA^missing_BGA
Browse^Complete^Complete_Logging_details
Browse^Location^allcountry_postcodes
Browse^Location^location_fleet_browse
Browse^Logging^Christoph_Allocations
Browse^Logging^Complete_Logging
Browse^Logging^Current_Logging
Browse^Logging^logging_Data_input
Browse^Operator^Operator_Air_Arm_Names
Browse^Operator^Operator_and_fleet
Browse^Operator^Operator_ATC_sqn
Browse^Operator^Operator_Edit
Browse^Operator^Operator_IATA
Browse^Operator^Operator_ICAO
Browse^Operator^Operator_Orbat
Browse^Operator^Operator_Orbat_bmps
Browse^Radio^Radio_Freqs_New
Browse^Radio^Radio_Frequencies
Browse^RIAT^Show_Movements_Browse
Browse^RIAT^Show_PPR
Browse^Work_File^Scramble_Update
Browse^Work_File^SeaWavesData
Browse^Work_File^Work_File_Base_List
Browse^Work_file^work_file_oper_list
Browse^Work_file^Work_File_prod_list
Browse^Work_File^Work_File_Reg_List
Browse^Work_File^Work_File_Reg_List
Form^Aircraft^Aircraft_Types_Edit
Form^Base^Base_master_Edit
Form^Location^Location_Listing
Form^Logging^Logging_details
Form^Logging^Logging_Master_edit
Form^Operator^Operator_edit
Form^Operator^Operator_Fleet_Checker
Form^Work_File^Work_file_reg_list
Script^Web^dlg_display_Web_General
Script^Log^dlg_LogCheckerPlus
Script^Log^dlg_Modeless_Lookup
Script^Log^dlg_WrittenLog
Script^Bitmaps^dlg_copy_bitmap_files
Script^Bitmaps^dlg_copy_new_bitmaps
Script^Scramble^Scramble_Update
Script^Web^dlg_post_web_data
%list%
tl = *count(temp_list)
DELETE a_Option
DIM a_Option[tl] as c
main_menu_tree_title = "Main Menu Tree"
a_Option.initialize(temp_list)
a_option.sort("A")
dlg_contracted = <<%dlg%
{Background=#234+234+255}
{can_exit=close}
{position=remember=Main_menu_tree_dialog}
<%T=Rolldown Dialog;I=a5_arrow_purple_down%!Rolldown_Tree_button_click>
{sp}<%T=Close Dialog;I=$$generic.exit%!CloseEvent>
{sp}{'%O={F=Bahnschrift,10,B}{C=Black}Minimised
%dlg%
dlg_expanded = <<%dlg%
{Background=#234+234+255}
{watch=Option!OptionEvent}
{region}
[%S=BLR;D="^"%.40,12Option^<a_Option];
{endregion};
{line=1,0};
{region}
<%T=Close Dialog;I=$$generic.exit%!CloseEvent>
{position=remember=main_menu_tree_dialog}
{sp}<%T=Rollup Dialog;I=a5_arrow_purple_up%!Rollup_tree_button_Click>{sp=2}
{condition=(GoFlag=.t.)}
<%T=Go;O={J=C,C}{C=Brown}{F=Bahnschrift,10,B}{B=Tan}Go%10,0!Go?GoFlag>
{endregion};
{endregion};
%dlg%
event_expanded = <<%code%
if a_dlg_button = "OptionEvent" then
if ("^" $ Option) then
GoFlag = .t.
else
GoFlag = .f.
end if
end if
if a_dlg_button = "CloseEvent" then
ui_modeless_dlg_close(main_menu_tree_title)
end if
if a_dlg_button = "GO" then
select
case word(Option,1,"^") = "Form"
DIM Shared Frm as P
layout_name = word(Option,3,"^")
DIM tempP as p
tempP=obj(":"+object_Name_normalize(word(layout_name,1,"@")))
if is_object(tempP) then
if tempP.class() = "form" then
tempP.activate()
else
Frm = :Form.view(layout_name)
frm.maximize()
end if
else
Frm = :Form.view(layout_name)
frm.maximize()
end if
case word(Option,1,"^") = "Browse"
DIM Shared Bwse as P
layout_name = word(option,3,"^")
DIM tempP as p
tempP=obj(":"+object_Name_normalize(word(layout_name,1,"@")))
if is_object(tempP) then
if tempP.class() = "browse" then
tempP.activate()
else
Bwse = :Browse.view(layout_name)
Bwse.maximize()
end if
else
Bwse = :Browse.view(layout_name)
Bwse.maximize()
end if

case word(Option,1,"^") = "Script"
script_play(word(option,3,"^"))
end select
Option = ""
ui_modeless_dlg_box(main_menu_tree_title,dlg_contracted,event_contracted)
end if
if a_dlg_button = "rollup_Tree_button_click" then
ui_modeless_dlg_box(main_menu_tree_title,dlg_contracted,event_contracted)
a_dlg_button = ""
end if
%code%
event_contracted = <<%code%
if a_dlg_button = "Rolldown_Tree_button_click" then
ui_modeless_dlg_box(main_menu_tree_title,dlg_expanded, event_expanded)
a_dlg_Button = ""
end if
if a_dlg_button = "CloseEvent" then
ui_modeless_dlg_close(main_menu_tree_title)
end if
%code%
ui_modeless_dlg_box(main_menu_tree_title,dlg_expanded, event_expanded)

I want to have a menu that I can use from anywhere that contains all my most used processes. The above sort of works, but loses the titles of any modeless dialogs called.

what am I doing wrong?
What is the best way to create such a menu system ?
thx