Using the GUI PainterProgramming ToolsUsing the Image Editor
 

Using the Menu Editor

Index

 


Introduction

The Menu Editor of ST/X allows you to build hierarchical menu structures for: For all, the components are defined using the same mechanism and operations in the Menu Editor.

The Menu Editor generates a resource method of the menu specification in the category menu specs of the class protocol, which returns a symbolic representation (literal array) of the menus components and their behavior. The menu resource methods are invoked by the UIBuilder when the applications window is created for those widgets which define a menu aspect.
 


Starting the Menu Editor

There are 4 ways to start the Menu Editor:  After startup, a Menu Editor appears as shown in next figure:

A View of a Menu Editor
 


Functions of the Menu Editor

The Menu Editor offers all functions for loading, saving, and modifying menu specifications. The basic functions can be accessed both by the menu and the tool bar. The basic functions are as follows:
 
Menu Button Description
File/Load Opens a dialog to load a menu spec from a class. 
File/Save Saves current menu spec and if modified the help spec. 
Edit/Cut Cuts the selected item(s) and places it to the clipboard.
Edit/Copy Copies the selected item(s) to the clipboard.
Edit/Paste Pastes the contents of the clipboard.
Edit/Move Up Moves the selected item one step up. 
Edit/Move Down Moves the selected item one step down. 
Edit/Move Into Next Moves the selected item into the next item. 
Edit/Move Into Previous Moves the selected item into the previous item. 
Edit/Move Out Moves the selected item out of its parent item. 
Add/Menu Separator Adds a new menu separator. 
Add/Menu Item Adds a new menu item assigned to an action which is performed if the
item is pressed or released (depends on the items behavior). 
Add/Submenu Adds a new submenu; the submenu is fixed and derives from the
menu spec. 
Add/Linked Submenu Adds a new linked submenu; the submenu derives from the application
by calling the user configured selector. 
Add/Delayed Submenu Adds a delayed submenu under the current selected item. 
Add/Delayed Linked Submenu Adds a delayed linked submenu under the current selected item. 
 
 
Further, there are functions from the menu:
 
File Menu Description
File/New Creates a new empty menu spec. 
File/Load Opens a dialog to load a menu spec from a class. 
File/Save As Opens a dialog to select or create a class and selector in order to save
the current menu spec. 
File/Pick A Menu... Changes the cursor to cross hair for moving it over another menu view to
load its menu spec. 
File/Show Menu Spec Opens a Workspace on the current menu spec.
File/Browse Class Opens a System Browser on current class and selector.
File/Exit Exits the Menu Editor.
 
 
Test Menu Description
Test/... Shows a menu preview of the current menu spec.
 
 
History Menu Description
History/... Switch to a menu spec derived from the history of previous loaded specs. 
 
 
The editing of properties of the menu components is described in the next chapter.
 


Description of the Menu

After creating or loading of a menu specification the menu and its components are displayed in the tree view on the left side of the Menu Editor. The root item of the tree represents the menu itself. This single item is always shown, even if no menu is loaded. The only purpose of this item is to hold the menu spec selector. This selector must also be defined as the menu selector of the corresponding component in the GUI Painter.
If the item is selected, the user is able to configure the selector of the menu under which the generated menu spec is saved.

 There are 6 basic menu components from which a menu can be constructed:

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