Desktop Application Menus

Dictionary-IV Menu selections can now execute from either the WorkStation Manager Applications option, the Windows Start button, the Desktop, or from within the VIP GUI Server Menu Bar.

Introduction to Desktop Application Menus

Selecting a Menu option from the Windows Start button executes Thoroughbred Basic with the values of the menu name and menu selection to be executed. The menu selection values are then passed to OOWEB for processing by the host.

If you execute menu selections from the VIP GUI Server Menu box, exiting the Menu selection goes back to the OO or ID menu program. The Thoroughbred Basic session remains active while at an input field. If you are running graphically, the GUI Server window remains visible and application menu selections can be made without starting another Thoroughbred Basic session. To exit the session press F4.

If you execute menu selections using any other method, exiting the Menu selection ends the Thoroughbred Basic session.

When executing your menu selections from the workstation, the Dictionary-IV/OPENworkshop startup program must be OOWEB. This must be added to the iplooweb.txt file.

IPL 1,2,T0,OOWEB

For more information see AutoLogon.

Creating Desktop Application Menus

To create your application menu selections for the workstation, you must convert your Dictionary-IV screen menu definitions to pop-up menu definitions. Once this is done a data file
(IDDBDWB), containing all menu selection information and structure, must be generated. Utilities have been provided for this purpose.

1. Start Thoroughbred Basic using a standard IPLINPUT file. RUN”OO” and select Utilities.
2. Select Build Menu Headers. Select the All or Select Libraries option. This builds pop-up menu headers for your Dictionary-IV Menu libraries. If you choose Select Libraries, the system prompts for the library names. You may list multiple libraries separated by commas (L1, L2, L3, Ln).

3. Select Build List Box Menus and select your Dictionary-IV Menu Libraries. Enter a list of 2-character menu libraries or a list of menu names delimited by a comma ( , ). This generates pop-up menu definitions based on the selected Dictionary-IV menu libraries or menu definitions.

The system creates Help modules matching the Screen menu name and overwrites Help modules with like names. The system creates multiple help names for Screen menus containing sub-headings. These are Menu entries with a blank Selection value and have SH: as the first 3 characters of the library/screen menu specification. Following is the window that appears:

Enter [SH:](LL,LL) or [SH:](LLM1,LLM2,LLMn)

___________________________________________________________________

Enter list of two character library names or menu names (LLMMMMMM)
delineated by commas. Combinations of library names and full menu names
will be allowed.

Note: Help modules matching the Screen Menu name will be created and will
overwrite help modules with like names. Multiple help names will be
created for Screen Menus containing Sub-headings (menu entries with a
blank selection value and SH: was first three characters of library/screen
menu specification). A menu help module will be created containing the
Sub-headings and one containing the Selections subordinate to each sub-
heading. The manes of the help modules will be as follows:


  LL    LLMM, LLMM0, LLMM1, LLMMn

  LLM1  LLM1, LLM10, LLM11, LLMMMn

4. Select Build Start Menus. This option generates the IDDBDWB file, which contains your menu structure and all the necessary information to process your application selections.

The system displays a view of all libraries. Scroll to the desired library name and press Enter to select it.

The system displays a view of all pop-up menu definitions. Scroll to the desired menu definition and press Enter to select it.

At this point you have two options:

• Press Enter to generate the menu selection data and preserve your menu tree structure. (This generates a context or window menu for each menu referenced by the root menu. This emulates the same menu structure or menu paths as in Dictionary-IV.)
• Press F2 to generate one single context or window menu. (This generates a single context menu containing all menu selections for each menu.)

Select Set Start Menu. The system displays a view of menus that have been processed by the Build List Box Menus option and the Build Start Menus option.

If you are using Dictionary-IV menus (ID), you will need to modify the text found in the Action column. Move the cursor to the Act column and press Enter. Add the following to the end of the first line of text.

EXEC=ID

The first line of text in the Action column for a Dictionary-IV menu should be similar to the following:

CONNECT MENU menu-name EXEC=ID

Return to the Menu Name column. Press F1 to add the menu to both the WorkStation Manager Applications and to the Windows Start button. Press F2 to add the menu to the GUI Server Menu Bar.

You can now press F4 to exit Basic.

Create an IPLINPUT file to be used with the Start button, WorkStation Manager, or Desktop shortcuts. In the Thoroughbred home directory (i.e**. \TBC**), copy IPLINPUT to IPLWEB. Edit IPLWEB and make the following changes.

Change the startup program from ID to OOWEB. See the example below.

IPL 1,2,T0,OOWEB

If you are running on a Remote Host

Define an AutoLogon entry on the WorkStation Manager Options tab.

If you are running on a Local Host

Be sure you have properly modified the Tbred.ini file for the startbasic entry as described in Installation.

WorkStation Manager Options

Note

Before executing your application menus, verify that the WorkStation Manager options are setup properly. To get started, check the Host Type (Remote or Workstation) and the Presentation Mode (Character or VIP).

From the VIP for Dictionary-IV Reference, version 8.9.1. Open this page in the PDF