Menu Bars without Pull Down Menus

[daly.michael@verizon.net]

I am trying to create a DSPF interpretation of a "tabbed notebook" GUI element for our company control file maintenance program. I want the program to work as if each page in the notebook (DSPF screen) were accessed by selecting the tab for that page. I was looking into using a menu bar at the top of the screen to represent the tabs, but I don't want any pulldowns for this menu bar. I just want selecting a menu bar item to bring up a new screen from the DSPF. Can this be done, or are pulldowns mandatory for menu bars? Maybe I should use a single choice selection field instead, eh? What do you think? MichaelD

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href="http://www.freshpoint.com"> color="#408080"> The Fresh Produce Experts Michael Daly, Sr. P/A (972) 392-8169

[David Abramowitz]

On Tuesday, June 01, 1999, 01:36 PM, Michael Daly wrote: I am trying to create a DSPF interpretation of a "tabbed notebook" GUI element for our company control file maintenance program. I want the program to work as if each page in the notebook (DSPF screen) were accessed by selecting the tab for that page. I was looking into using a menu bar at the top of the screen to represent the tabs, but I don't want any pulldowns for this menu bar. I just want selecting a menu bar item to bring up a new screen from the DSPF. Can this be done, or are pulldowns mandatory for menu bars? Maybe I should use a single choice selection field instead, eh? What do you think? MichaelD

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I have never used a menu bar without pulldowns, but I don't see why it can't be done! A single choice selection field might be a better method. David Abramowitz

[Guest.Visitor]

Michael, I know it is sort of an antiquated method, but I've done this sort of thing using multiple command/function keys. Optionally, you could arrange them along the top (i usually stick with the bottom). Also, if you're using a decent emulator you can use the "Hotkey" feature where the F-Keys are turned into GUI objects that can be "clicked" and executed with a mouse. Best of luck to you.

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[daly.michael@verizon.net]

On Wednesday, June 02, 1999, 07:32 AM, David Abramowitz wrote: I have never used a menu bar without pulldowns, but I don't see why it can't be done! A single choice selection field might be a better method. David Abramowitz

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David, DDS won't let you specify a menu-bar without specifying a pull-down menu. At least I can't find any way to do it. Maybe I just haven't hit upon the correct combination of keywords that allow this. What I've decided to do is to have a one-option menu-bar, with the pull-down menu consisting of the tabs, or page names, for the other pages in the "notebook" where the user can jump to. Thanks for you input. MichaelD

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href="http://www.freshpoint.com"> color="#408080"> The Fresh Produce Experts Michael Daly, Sr. P/A (972) 392-8169

[G.Gaunt]

I use Dynamic Screen Manager (not DDS) to give my users a menu bar with no pull-down windows. Pressing the ATTN key displays the menu bar and positions the cursor in the currently active item. Each menu bar item is a short "word" describing a nursing function in a group job, e.g.

 Review Procedure Diagnosis Form Drug Medicode

This works like the Windows95 task bar. So our nurses work on AS/400 by flipping between group jobs all day. They use the dynamic menu bar to navigate. They use the ATTN key and mnemonic "short cut" letters in menu bar items to quickly jump to other group jobs. I use the *GDA to store menu bar item information and cursor positions.

[Guest.Visitor]

I am doing the same type of thing as Gene using an overlay window written out by an attention program. Each option on the window can then work differently. One option might transfer to a group job while others display a pull down. Mark McCall

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On Wednesday, June 30, 1999, 07:29 AM, Gene Gaunt wrote: I use Dynamic Screen Manager (not DDS) to give my users a menu bar with no pull-down windows. Pressing the ATTN key displays the menu bar and positions the cursor in the currently active item. Each menu bar item is a short "word" describing a nursing function in a group job, e.g.

 Review Procedure Diagnosis Form Drug Medicode

This works like the Windows95 task bar. So our nurses work on AS/400 by flipping between group jobs all day. They use the dynamic menu bar to navigate. They use the ATTN key and mnemonic "short cut" letters in menu bar items to quickly jump to other group jobs. I use the *GDA to store menu bar item information and cursor positions.

[daly.michael@verizon.net]

On Wednesday, June 30, 1999, 07:29 AM, Gene Gaunt wrote: I use Dynamic Screen Manager (not DDS) to give my users a menu bar with no pull-down windows. Pressing the ATTN key displays the menu bar and positions the cursor in the currently active item. Each menu bar item is a short "word" describing a nursing function in a group job, e.g.

 Review Procedure Diagnosis Form Drug Medicode

This works like the Windows95 task bar. So our nurses work on AS/400 by flipping between group jobs all day. They use the dynamic menu bar to navigate. They use the ATTN key and mnemonic "short cut" letters in menu bar items to quickly jump to other group jobs. I use the *GDA to store menu bar item information and cursor positions.

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Gene, I have never written a program using the DSM. I would appreciate it if you would email some source code examples of the above-mentioned technique to me. Thanks, MichaelD

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href="http://www.freshpoint.com"> color="#408080"> The Fresh Produce Experts Michael Daly, Sr. P/A (972) 392-8169

[G.Gaunt]

The following DSM code fragment in RPG will create this menu bar:

 Job1 Proc ICD9 Drug ----------------------

 D Major DS D 5I 0 inz(%size(Major)) length D 1A inz(X'D9') class D 1A inz(X'50') type D 3A inz(X'060C00') flags D 1A inz(X'01') menu bar D 3A inz(X'F1F2F3') GUI/NWS device D 2A inz(*loval) reserved D 1A inz(X'06') choice text size D 1A inz(X'01') number of rows D 1A inz(X'04') number of columns D 1A inz(X'02') pad length between D 1A inz(*loval) numeric seperator D 1A inz('/') selection character D 1A inz(*loval) mouse pull-down AID D Colors DS D 1A inz(X'0F') length D 1A inz(X'01') type D 1A inz(X'E0') flags D 2A inz(X'2323') color if available D 2A inz(X'2323') color if selected D 2A inz(*loval) color if unavailable D 2A inz(X'3838') color if available D 2A inz(X'2323') color if unavailable D 2A inz(*loval) color if selected D Choice1 DS D 1A inz(X'0A') length D 1A inz(X'10') type D 3A inz(X'0800E0') flags D 1A inz(X'03') mnemonic offset D 4A inz('Job1') choice text D Choice2 DS D 1A inz(X'0A') length D 1A inz(X'10') type D 3A inz(X'0800E0') flags D 1A inz(X'00') mnemonic offset D 4A inz('Proc') choice text D Choice3 DS D 1A inz(X'0A') length D 1A inz(X'10') type D 3A inz(X'0800E0') flags D 1A inz(X'00') mnemonic offset D 4A inz('ICD9') choice text D Choice4 DS D 1A inz(X'0A') length D 1A inz(X'10') type D 3A inz(X'0800E0') flags D 1A inz(X'00') mnemonic offset D 4A inz('Drug') choice text D SeperatorLine DS D 1A inz(X'07') length D 1A inz(X'09') type D 1A inz(X'00') flags D 1A inz(X'01') start column D 1A inz(X'50') end column D 2A inz(X'3838') seperator color C callb 'QsnWrtSFMaj' C parm Major C parm MajorLength C parm FieldID C parm Row C parm Column C parm Buffer C parm LowLevel C parm ErrorCode C callb 'QsnWrtSFMin' C parm Colors C parm MinorLength C parm Buffer C parm LowLevel C parm ErrorCode C callb 'QsnWrtSFMin' C parm Choice1 C parm MinorLength C parm Buffer C parm LowLevel C parm ErrorCode C callb 'QsnWrtSFMin' C parm Choice2 C parm MinorLength C parm Buffer C parm LowLevel C parm ErrorCode C callb 'QsnWrtSFMin' C parm Choice3 C parm MinorLength C parm Buffer C parm LowLevel C parm ErrorCode C callb 'QsnWrtSFMin' C parm Choice4 C parm MinorLength C parm Buffer C parm LowLevel C parm ErrorCode C callb 'QsnWrtSFMin' C parm SeperatorLine C parm MinorLength C parm Buffer C parm LowLevel C parm ErrorCode 

[daly.michael@verizon.net]

On Wednesday, June 30, 1999, 12:10 PM, Mark McCall wrote: I am doing the same type of thing as Gene using an overlay window written out by an attention program. Each option on the window can then work differently. One option might transfer to a group job while others display a pull down. Mark McCall

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Mark, Could you give a little more information here? I'm not sure what you mean by "Each option on the window can then work differently." Why? What does putting a menu-bar inside a window and overlaying the current screen have to do with how a menu-bar works? Doesn't it work the same no matter which record you put it in? I'm confused. MichaelD

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href="http://www.freshpoint.com"> color="#408080"> The Fresh Produce Experts Michael Daly, Sr. P/A (972) 392-8169

[Guest.Visitor]

Michael, I don't use a menu bar at all. It is simply an overlay window that simulates a menu bar. I set this up before the menu bar support was added to DDS. One benefit is that I am not restricted to using pull downs. With this technique, you can put choice fields or push buttons directly within the window. Mark McCall

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On Thursday, July 01, 1999, 12:34 PM, Michael Daly wrote: On Wednesday, June 30, 1999, 12:10 PM, Mark McCall wrote: I am doing the same type of thing as Gene using an overlay window written out by an attention program. Each option on the window can then work differently. One option might transfer to a group job while others display a pull down. Mark McCall

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Mark, Could you give a little more information here? I'm not sure what you mean by "Each option on the window can then work differently." Why? What does putting a menu-bar inside a window and overlaying the current screen have to do with how a menu-bar works? Doesn't it work the same no matter which record you put it in? I'm confused. MichaelD

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href="http://www.freshpoint.com"> src="http://www.freshpoint.com/graphics/footerlogo.GIF" border="0" width="162" height="48"> The Fresh Produce Experts Michael Daly, Sr. P/A (972) 392-8169