Menu Master
The Ultimate Menu Editor For QuickBBS
Note that this is a beta release and the documentation if far
from complete. This is just to get you started. With that in
mind.....
---First Things First---
STANDARD DISCLAIMER
This product is meant for educational purposes only. Any resemblance
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---Getting Started---
First thing to do is read the disclaimer included.
Next unarc the MM archive into your QuickBBS directory. Run MMC
to set up a configation file. You will be taken into an edit
screen. Here you can change the default colors and such used by
MM. You can come back to that later so just hit ESC to accept the
defaults for now. Now type MM to load Menu Master.
---Selecting Menus To Edit---
Use your cursor keys to highlight the menu you want to edit and
press ENTER. If you prefer, you can hit ESCAPE and type the name
instead of cursoring to it. Entering a name the does not exist
will cause MM to ask you want to create it.
The F1, F2, and F3 keys operate exactly the same as those in
Adam's MenuEdit. To exit to DOS from this screen just hit ESCAPE
a few times.
---The Editor---
Your menu is simulated for you constantly. Every change you make
will update the simulation. The simulation is preset to level
32000 and all flags ON. This is so you can always see exactly
what you have in your menu at all times. If you want to simulate
different levels and flags settings use the 'S' option. You also
have the option of stripping the line numbers so it looks just like
it will on your system.
The top line tells you what menu you are editing, what level and
flags settings the simulation is using.
The 'A' key lets you add entries to the menu. This is the first
key you will use when making a brand new menu.
The 'C' Key will let you change any entry.
The 'D' key will let you delete a single entry or a range of
entries. Note that the ESCAPE key will get you out of most any
option should you decide not to go through with it.
The 'M' key lets you move or copy entries within the menu. It
will delete the source entries after you copy them if you wish.
The 'S' key allows you to simulate any security level and flags
settings. With or without line numbers.
'L' lists your entries with all the data associated with them.
'H' lets you change the highlight colors of the menu. (Anything in
the display string surrounded by ^'s is highlighted)
'I' inserts entries into the menu.
'P' changes the prompt string settings.
---Editing Entrys---
Editing entrys works just the same as menuedit with a few
exceptions. At any time you can hit the F10 key to get pop-up
help with menu types. The keys in use are always shown so you
dont put the same key in twice. You can enter any number for the
menu colors however unpredictable results will occur if you use
values outside of 0-15 for Foreground and 0-7 for background.
You can save the entry with either F1 or the [END] key. [ESC]
takes you out without saving the current changes.
Thats about it. The rest is self explanatory. Please remember that
this is a BETA TEST version and not all the bugs are worked out and
not all the features work yet. Anything with a '*' next to it on the
menu does not work.
---Other Stuff---
Please report all bugs, suggestions, comments, death threats, etc to
me via Netmail or Feedback on The Great Escape BBS.
FidoNet 1:170/211
1-918-585-3763
PLEASE do not use the QuickBBS echo to report bugs. Only compliments.
:-)
Registered users will get the finished version mailed to them along
with the full documentation.
Beta copies will be available for File Request on 170/211 with the
magic filename 'MM'. A new beta version will be released about every
few weeks. You may also call and download from the bbs if you wish. New
users have access to all the QuickBBS file areas.
A few of the features planned:
--Full Simulation mode ie Similar to you being on your own board
--Instant menu creation more on this later
--Global changes to menus
---Update History---
v0.00
-Does what Mr. Hudsons does. Just does it with a little more speed and
color.
-Auto-Simulation added.
v0.01
- Added MMC so the user can customise colors used by MM. You can also
move the main menu somewhere else if its interfering with the
auto-simulation.
- Added flag support in the simulation mode.
- Popup help window in the editor.
- Keys in use are now shown in the editor.
- You can now type a cntrl-A in the key field.
- You can save the menu entry with either F1 or END.
- The SAVE AS feature lets you make copies of the current menu.
- Added a Abort option to load another menu without saving the current one.
- Fixed a major bug that wouldnt let you make more than 4 Changes per loading.
- Fixed the flag routine. It was saving the flags in reverse.
- Cleaned up some of the grafics and colors.
v0.02
-Copyright secured on Menu Master
-Fixed bug in flag simulations
-Changed MMC so the cursor moves more pleasantly.
-Added ability to copy, rename, and delete menus from the directory
screen.
-Beta versions made available to brave Sysops.
v0.30 Major update
Whats New
Before reading this, please print it out. Then load Menu Master and read
this while you play with the new features. Otherwise youll probly be
completely confused by the time you finish reading the creation section and
wont want to use MM at all. I confused myself just writing about all the
new features. Doc writers please apply!
o Directory of menus is now sorted and the .MNU has been dropped from each
file to make it easier to read. Pgdn and Pgup through large directories
is much faster too.
o You can just begin typing the name of the file instead of having to hit ESC
first. ESC will exit the program.
o Highlight colors are now correctly shown in the prompt.
o The simulation mode has been greatly enhanced. The display of the simulation
is about 25% faster on CGA cards and 650% faster on all other cards than
normal TP4 direct screen writes. Unusual menus are correctly simulated.
o The two previous menus are now one. You may want to go into MMC and change
the TopX value of the main menu. 58 seems to be the optimum setting here to
get the menu as far to the right as possible without distorting it.
o Four options on the bottom of the menu do the following:
T - Toggle ASC/ANS simulation mode. So that you can see what your menus
look like to ASCII or ANSI callers.
O - Toggle Data. If toggled on this will give you pertinent information
on each menu entry in place of the associated text.
U - Toggles line numbers in the simulation.
E - Use auto-display toggle. If toggled on and you have auto-executing
type 5,39,40, or 45 menu entries, they will be executed and the
associated text files will be shown. If the current menu doesnt have
any auto-execute commands then this toggle will have no effect.
o Selecting S from the main menu takes you into a QuickBBS type simulation
starting from the current menu. You are free to move through your menus
just as if you were on your own board. While in this mode the following keys
are active:
F1 - Toggle ASC/ANS just like above.
F2 - Toggle Data display
F3 - Toggle line numbers
F4 - auto-display toggle
F10- Go back to main menu with whatever menu you are currently viewing.
ESC- Go back to main menu with whatever menu you started the simulation
with.
o At the top right corner of the screen 4 flags are shown. These flags
represent the four new simulation modes. The first flag will be an A if
ANSI mode if active, the second will be an S if show data is active, the
third will be an L if line numbers are active, the fourth will be a D if
auto-display is active.
o Menus are only re-saved if a change was made to them.
o In the edit entry screen you can center the display line with an F2. The
END key now takes you to the end of the line instead of saving the entry.
The F1 key is the only key that will save any changes now. The fill char
in each field is now an ASCII 176 instead of an underline.
o The Menu Creator
This is a VERY powerfull command. You can create all your message board and
file area menus with just a few keystrokes using the menu creator.
Upon entering the creator you will be asked if you want to make <M>essage or
<F>ile menus.
No matter which one you chose, you will be asked the name of a 'source menu'.
This is a special menu that you must make. All menus that are created
during this creation run will be based on this source menu. The source menu
should look just like any other menu with a few exceptions. If this is a
message area source menu, dont put any board numbers in the data fields of
types 23 through 27. MM will put the correct data in these fields. If you
do put something there, MM will ignore the entry and leave it the same in
each menu it makes. If its a file area source menu, dont put any data
for types 29 through 34. MM will fill in the correct path for each menu
it makes.
Lets say you wanted the same path on a certain command. Like maybe the
<U>pload command. You want all uploads to go to a certain directory. Just
fill in the path for this command in the data field and MM will not change
it for each menu it makes.
On the text line of a menu entry you can put a (Control-A) character and
the creator will put the area name in place of it in each menu it makes.
You can also put the in the prompt of the source menu.
Message Area
Would turn out to be : Hard Drives Message Area
if you happend to have included that message area in your creation run.
Now you are probly wondering, How does it know what information
to put in each menu?
For message menus, it gets the information from Config.BBS. After typing in
your source menu name, it reads the config and presents you with a selection
screen where all your message areas are listed (similar to how Combined
does it). If a board has an ON next to it, it will be created on this run.
If its OFF, it wont be created. You can enter a range of boards to toggle.
ie: 23-45 would toggle boards 23 through 45. You can also turn all OFF at
once or all ON at once or enter each board number you want to toggle.
Separate each board number, range, or ONOFF command with a space.
When you have chosen all the boards that you want to create hit C to begin.
Each menu will be simulated as it is made. MM will put the board name as
defined in Qconfig everywhere you put a in the source menu and the board
number in the data field everywhere it finds a type 23-27 command in the
source menu. It will NOT put the board number in the data field if you
already have something there.
ie: you might want the option <L>eave Feedback on each message menu.
That is a type 27 (post message). You could enter the appropriate
board number in the data field along with /T=Your_Name and MM will not
change it in each menu it makes.
MM will name each message menu MESSxxx Where xxx is the board number
defined in Qconfig.
The menu it makes for board 4 would be called MESS2.MNU.
Now, for file menus MM gets the information for a control file. Each line
of the control file should have the following format.
<path> <junk> <AreaName>
Look familiar? Yes you can use your FLSEARCH.CTL file for the control file.
Only the first and third 'words' are used by MM. The middle word can be
whatever you want but for flsearch.ctl this would be a security level.
The areaname and path should contain NO SPACES. Put _underlines_ instead.
After specifing the control file name, you will be presented with a
selection screen similar to the message area one. Toggle the file areas
ON that you want to create and hit C to make em. MM will put the AreaName
as defined in the control file everywhere it finds a and will put the
path everywhere it finds a type 29-34. It will save the menu with the name
FILExxx where xxx is the line number in the control file. Up to 200 file
area menus can be defined in one control file. This should help those
with CD-ROM drives make thier menus quickly. Two sample source menus are
enclosed.
I know this sounds complicated but once you play with it a little, theres
nothing to it. Experimentaion is the key to success with the creator.
Create a few menus then load them in and list them out or simulate them.
Youll get the idea of how powerfull this feature is. The is the key to
making each menu LOOK different and the data fields are the key to making
each menu operate differently. You can have several control files and
several source menus if you like. I have one source menu for echo areas,
one for local areas, one for private areas, etc.. If I want to make a certain
change on all my message board menus, I just make the change to each source
menu and then make 3 runs of the creator toggling the appropriate boards
ON of OFF for each source menu and I have 70 new menus in a matter of a
few seconds. Its up to you to add commands to your other menus to access
the message and file menus but I may fix that problem in the next version.
o Beta testers can recive a BIG discount on registration. See register.doc
for details. This _IS_ a beta version.
Latest versions can be obtained from The Great Escape BBS
918-481-1188 Fidonet 170/211
o Please report all bugs to Rob Fletcher at the above BBS via netmail. Please
dont pollute the QuickBBS echo with bug reports on this software.
v0.31 Function key fix for .30
v0.32 Minor bug fix in simulation mode.
Thanks for testing Menu Master.
Rob Fletcher
Data 918-585-3763 (170/211)
Menu Master
REGISTRATION
Copyright (C) 1988 Rob W. Fletcher
Name ___________________________
Address ___________________________
___________________________
City, State ___________________________
Zip ___________________________
Country ___________________________
Where did you obtain Menu Master?
Computer Model and Equipment:
Comments:
The registration cost is $15.00. You will receive version 1.00 when complete
via US Mail along with the complete docs. Beta testers can register for
$7.50 by sending 10 suggestions for imporvements and/or constructive
critisisms of the software.
Please Make checks payable to Rob Fletcher.
No of copies required: _____ X $15.00 = $ _____
Beta Tester copies required: _____ X $7.50 = $ _____
Total Enclosed = $ _____
Thank-you for your support and testing Menu Master.
Rob Fletcher
6774 S. Atlanta
Tulsa OK, 74136
DATA: 918-585-3763