Thanks Brian & Hal,
I'll have a go!
Regards,
Michael
Brian Hancock wrote:
Hi Michael,
I have done something like this before using STR-MGR.COM and
STE-BASE.STR where I grafted a menu on to a different menu.
If you are not familiar with STR-MGR and the STE-BASE.STR it at first
can seem a little daunting... Firstly STE-MGR.COM reads an existing
.STR file, and creates an file in the form of a Synthetic Transaction
Log. This file include the definition of panels, fields, indexs etc
and Menu text and options.
You can make CAREFUL changes to part of the database, but not for the
feint hearted. You require an understanding of the impact that changes
might have so for example if you changed a panels specification that
affects indexes, or its data file then you can cause all sort of
headaches... On the reports Menu there is a standard "Produce .STE
file", which you can then use with an .STE file which using DPIMP you
can concert back to a .STR file... On the other hand if you do not
get too wild you can change Menu's without too much problem.
I use it all the time, but for documenting databases, and sadly when
needed converting them to Access, or SQL server. I occasionally have
changed formulas, which I could have just as easily done with a text
editor on an STE file... The menu grafting was one of the biggest but
possibly easiest things I have used it for.
I usually just copy the original .STR file into an empty folder
together with DP.EXE, DP.SYS, DPIMP.EXE, STE-MGR.COM and the
STE-BASE.STR. You do not need the original data files, .IND or .TXX
etc...
The Way I would approach your problem, is that I would create a new
Menu option on your existing Main Menu. (This eventually will be come
the new (2nd level) Main Menu and copy and paste the Menu Text from
your existing main menu... You can use any menu number for this, just
remember that you will need to start the application with /z=n where n
is whatever menu number you have chosen... Mind you you can change
this later with STE-BASE.STR. Do not both about creating any of the
menu options for this, these can be easily repointed later.
This should give you an STR with just one empty menu, containg just
the Text for what will become your new main menu. Use STR-MGR.COM to
export a TLog file .{L} and then Run DP.EXE using the STR-BASE.STR...
Allow it to re-create its .TXX and Index files, and you will get a
list of panels. Open any panel and Import the TLOG created by STR-MGR
(Shift-F9 - 8 (Import Transaction Log). This will populate all the
various panels with your database information.
The Two panels of interest to you will be the STE-BASE.MEN abd
STR-BASE.OPT panels. Start with the STR-BASE.MEN panel.. You should
find that you original Main Menu has MenuID of <Blank> whereas all the
submenu's have numbers. Go to the last Menu which should be your new
Main Menu (text only) and note its Menu ID. Exit the .MEN panel.
Open the STE-BASE.OPT panel and locate all the menu items for the Menu
with ID <blank> ie these are the Main Menu items, and for menu items
except the one that you created ealier to point to your new submenu
(ie your new Main Menu at the 2nd level), and change their MenuID to
that of the MenuID you noted in the previous panel.
Once you do this, you should have moved all the Menu Items over to
your new Main Menu, and if you wish to can change the Menu option for
selecting your submenu, and changes it option number to say 1.
If you wanted to preserve the original panel, you copy the Options
record and change it rather than the original...
Once you run the report to create the .STE file... and then use DPIMP
to create the .STR file. I generally copy back the new .STR file and
delete the .TXX and .IND and then when starting the application let DP
recreate them.
To change a menu with about 20 items, take about 10 minutes, and is a
lot easier than rebuilding from scratch. I should have to mention
this, but make sure all your original stuff is backed up, and that you
test it all before deployment.
Normally if you create a sub-menu from a menu, you get an empty menu
with a new id... I have often wondered if instead of this, if you
could change the SubMenu id in the Options menu, to point to an
existing menu. I have often frequently need structures where I find I
am creating menu identical to another menus especially when I have
different roles needing to access certain part of the application, but
then need a common set of menu items somewhere else. The STE-BASE
certainly doesn't stop you from doing it, but it has always made me
nervous... It would be interesting if someone more knowledgeable
could tell me if omeone did that, would it be like "crossing the
streams" and then having "all life as you know stopping instantly and
every molecule in yor body exploding at the speed of light", which
obviously would not be a good thing, or is having two submenu option
pointing to the same submenu an ok thing to do.
Bye
Brian
----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Iannantuoni"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Dataperfect Users Discussion Group" <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 9:13 AM
Subject: Re: [Dataperf] Exiting from menu
Hi Brian,
Is there an easy way to do this or will I have to redefine my menu
(now sub menu) settings & reports?
Regards,
Michael
Brian Hancock wrote:
Hi Michael,
Exactly... The first one just controls the access, the submenu is
the first (and last) menu the user sees...
Regards
Brian
----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Iannantuoni"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Dataperfect Users Discussion Group" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 8:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Dataperf] Exiting from menu
Hi Brian,
Thanks for the suggestion - I tried /z=1 which bypasses my menu and
takes me to panel 1 but exiting exits completely without going to
the menu.
Were you suggesting moving my menu to a sub-menu and having an
effectively dummy main menu?
Regards,
Michael
Brian Hancock wrote:
I think there is...
The /z=n where n is a menu item on the first menu take the user to
that menu item which of course can be a submenu, or directly to a
panel etc. and when the user exits that menu item exits out
without going through the Create New Database etc screen... Its a
way of hiding everything but the menu options you choose from the
user...
Regards
Brian
----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Iannantuoni"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "DataPerfect Users Discussion Group" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 12:10 AM
Subject: [Dataperf] Exiting from menu
Is there a way of directly exiting from a menu without going
through the "Create New database/Change Directory" screen when a
DataPerfect database is not running under Shell and therefore
unable to use macros?
Thanks,
Michael
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