2







                             
                             
                             
                        MenuFinder
                             
                             
                             
                        Version 3.2
                             
             For the OpenVMS operating system
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                       User's Guide
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
             i3 - Italian Internet Information
       
       
       
       
       
       Copyright 1991-96 by S.Polato - Solesino (PD) Italy
       Copyright 2000 by i3 Italian Internet Information  -
       Vigonza (PD) Italy
                           http://itre.com/mf/
       
       All rights reserved
       Copying is prohibited
       
       NOTE:  MenuFinder is packaged for distribution using
       Info-ZIP's  compression  utility.  The  installation
       program  uses  UnZip  to read  zip  files  from  the
       distribution  kit  CD. Infor-ZIP's  software,  (Zip,
       UnZip  and  related utilities) are free and  can  be
       obtained as source code or executables from  various
       bulletin  board services and anonymous - fpt  sites,
       including    CompuServe's    IBMPRO    forum     and
       ftp.uu.net:/pub/archiving/zip/*
       
       First edition: September 1992
       
       VAX,  OpenVMS,  VMS,AXP  and DECnet  are  registered
       trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation  IBM  is
       a  registered  trademark  of International  Business
       Machines Corporation


1.                                            INTRODUCTION             5

 1.1.                                  What Is MenuFinder	       5

 1.2.                                Main Characteristics	       5



2.                                            HOW TO BEGIN	       7

 2.1.                                      The Tutor Menu	       7

 2.2.                              Structure Of The Guide	       7



3.                                     HOW TO USE THE MENU	       8

 3.1.                                   The Function Keys	       8

 3.2.                      The Meaning Of The Menu Fields	       8

 3.3.                              How The Help Key Works	       9

 3.4.                             How To Select An Option	       9

 3.5.                      Note Of Last Option  Requested	       9

 3.6.                             Visualization Of A Text	       9

 3.7.                      How To Jump Directly To A Menu	       10

 3.8.               How To Search For A Word In The Menus	       10

 3.9.                           How To Enter DCL Commands	       11

 3.10.                                       Special Keys	       11

 3.11.                             How To Exit MenuFinder	       11

 3.12.                  How To Copy The Screen To A Queue	       11

 3.13.                   How To Copy The Screen To A File	       11



4.                                                 THE MDF	       12

 4.1.                                       What Is A MDF	       12

 4.2.                           The Description Of A Menu	       12

 4.3.                                The NAME Instruction	       13

 4.4.                              The TITLE  Instruction	       14

 4.5.                              The SCREEN Instruction	       14

 4.6.                              The OPTION Instruction	       15

 4.7.                         The DESCRIPTION Instruction	       15

 4.8.              Groups Of Instructions For The Options	       15

 4.9.                                The TEXT Instruction	       15

 4.10.                         The PROCEDURE  Instruction	       15

 4.11.                               The HELP Instruction	       16

 4.12.                            The COMMAND Instruction	       16

 4.13.                             Blank Lines In The MDF	       16

 4.14.                                    Comments In MDF	       17

 4.15.              Abbreviated Forms Of The Instructions	       17


5.                                 THE MENUFINDER COMMANDS	       18

 5.1.                               The Edit Command (;E)	       18

 5.2.                              The Print Command (;P)	       19

 5.3.                             The Delete Command (;D)	       19



6.                    PERSONALIZATION OF THE LOGICAL NAMES	       20

 6.1.                              What is A Logical Name	       20

 6.2.                        The File SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF	       21

 6.3.                       The Logical Name MENU$DEFAULT	       21

 6.4.                           The Logical Name MENU$TOP	       22

 6.5.                          The Logical Name MENU$EDIT	       22

 6.6.                        The Logical Name MENU$DELETE	       22

 6.7.                         The Logical Name MENU$PRINT	       23

 6.8.                          Logical Names Of The Menus	       23

 6.9.                       Logical  Names of a Directory	       24

 6.10.                             Reserved Logical Names	       24

 6.11.                   How To Modify The File LOGIN.DMF	       24



7.                               HOW TO CALL-UP MENUFINDER	       25

 7.1.                                   Calling-up A Menu	       25

 7.2.                       Calling-up The Last Used Menu	       25

 7.3.                                Searching For A Menu	       25

 7.4.                                   Displaying A Text	       26

 7.5.                                     Creating A Menu	       27



8.                      STEPS IN CREATING A MENU STRUCTURE	       28

 8.1.                                          Objectives	       28

 8.2.                        How To Create The First Menu	       28

 8.3.                             How To Create A Submenu	       31

 8.4.                                How To Create A Text	       32

 8.5.                          How To Create A Batch File	       33

 8.6.                           How To Create A Help Text	       33

 8.7.                    Define A Logical Name For A Menu	       34

 8.8.                      Define The Root Of A Structure	       34

 8.9.                             Define The Default Menu	       35



9.                                 ADVANCED USER FUNCTIONS	       36

 9.1.         The COMMAND Instruction With The # Variable	       36

 9.2.                           The Global Symbol MFPAUSE	       37

 9.3.                         Composition Of DCL Commands	       37

 9.4.              Cut And Paste Of Options Between Menus	       39

 9.5.                                The EXIT Instruction	       39

 9.6.                     The Logical Name MENU$SCREENQUE	       40

 9.7.                    The Logical Name MENU$SCREENFILE	       40

 9.8.                      The Logical Name MENU$BORDER_M	       40

 9.9.                      The Logical Name MENU$BORDER_T	       41

 9.10.                     The Logical Name MENU$OPT_TYPE	       41

 9.11.                    The Logical Name MENU$OPT_RIGHT	       42

 9.12.                           Reading Global Variables	       43

 




_1.     INTRODUCTION







1.1.What Is MenuFinder


MenuFinder is a menu generator for OpenVMS systems (VAX
and AXP).

MenuFinder has been created to give a simple but effective
answer  to the requirement of presenting the user  with  a
set of functions via a menu interface.
In particular, MenuFinder is an ideal instrument to
 
 - build  on-line  guides for the users of  the  computing
   centre
 
 - document  and  utilise  management  procedures  of  the
   system manager or the operator.
 
 


1.2.Main Characteristics


Types of option in the menus

DCL  commands,  text  files, data files,  programs,  batch
files and submenus can be associated with the options.

Association of programmes or commands to files.

For  example, the program used to write a document can  be
associated with the latter: choosing the document from the
menu,  activates  that  program  to  read  or  write   the
document.

Help text on the menu options

A   user   may   have  to  use  many  programs,   although
infrequently:  it is not easy therefore, to remember  even
the  simplest functions of a product. Often, shortcuts and
contrivances  are  forgotten  after  a  while.  MenuFinder
allows the possibility to associate a help text with  each
option  of  a menu, in which can be inserted instructions,
annotations  and useful indications both for  oneself  and
other users.

The   means   of  accessing  the  menus  are  particularly
powerful.

Apart  from  being  able to use the  classic  hierarchical
submenu  structure, it is also possible to jump  from  one
menu  to another specifying its name or supplying  one  or
more  words  to  search  for in  the  description  of  the
options. This capability is available not only from within
MenuFinder, but also from the OpenVMS prompt ($).

The navigation line

Records the last 10 menus called-up, allowing an extremely
rapid means to recall them.

Rapid return to the last used menu

In  case  it  is necessary to exit MenuFinder  and  return
completely  under  the  control of OpenVMS,  it  is  still
possible to recall immediately the last menu used.

It's simple to construct a menu

MenuFinder is an easy to use product: it is sufficient  to
know a few DCL commands, be able to use EDIT, the standard
OpenVMS  editor  and know the few (10 or so)  instructions
for  the  generation of the menus. The construction  of  a
menu  is  interactive and every change  has  an  immediate
effect on the screen.

Logical Names

The  use of Logical Names both for the personalization  of
MenuFinder  and for the definition of logical directories,
makes  the  management of the product  extremely  flexible
even in a cluster environment.


2.



    HOW TO BEGIN







2.1.The Tutor Menu


The  best way to understand MenuFinder is to use the TUTOR
menu. Through a series of demonstration sessions the TUTOR
menu  allows  the  user  to  gain  a  broad  view  of  the
capability of the product and to learn to create menus.

To call-up the TUTOR menu, enter the command:

$ MENU TUTOR

then:

CHOICE: 2

press  the Enter key and follow the instructions given  in
the course of the session.




2.2.Structure Of The Guide


This guide is structured so as to offer a gradual learning
process  for MenuFinder and, as such, the various sections
should be read in order.

Section  8 provides a complete example of the construction
of a menu (and can be carried out at the computer).

The  advanced user functions are described in  section  9.
Although  not  essential, their use  permits  the  optimal
management of the product.


3.



    HOW TO USE THE MENU





3.1.The Function Keys


The  last  line  of  the  menu lists  the  numbers,  which
indicate the Function-keys used with MenuFinder. Let's see
which   Function-keys  they  correspond   to   and   which
alternative keys can be used:

Number        Corresponding   Equivalent       Other
Indicated on  Function Key    Numeric          Equivalent
Last Line                     Keypad	       Keystrokes

KP1           F11             1                Ctrl-I
KP2           F12             2
KP3           F13             3                LeftArrow
KP4           F14             4                RightArrow
KP5           F15             5
KP6           F16             6
KP7           F17             7                PageUp
KP8           F18             8                PageDown
KP9           F19             9
KP0           F20             0                Ctrl-Z

The  numeric  keypad makes the activation of the  function
keys  particularly simple when a terminal  emulator  on  a
personal computer is used.




3.2.The Meaning Of The Menu Fields


If the F11 or KP1 key is pressed and in the field

CHOICE:

there  is  no  data,  MenuFinder displays  a  sequence  of
windows  which show the significance of the  menu  fields,
together with some elementary instructions on their use.

Try it!






3.3.How The Help Key Works


Pressing  the  KP1 key at any time causes  a  text  to  be
displayed, which indicates the possible functions and  the
way in which to effect them.

In particular, if in the field

CHOICE:

an   option  of  the  menu  has  been  entered,  and   the
corresponding menu item on the screen is indicated with  a
"?",  then pressing F11 or KP1 key displays the associated
help text.




3.4.How To Select An Option


In  order  to select an option, you must enter it  in  the
field

CHOICE:

and then press the Enter or Return key.

The  UpArrow and DownArrow keys may also be used to select
and option.

After  an option has been executed the menu from which  it
was requested is displayed again.




3.5.Note Of Last Option  Requested


A  symbol is always placed by the side of the last  option
requested as a note for the user.




3.6.Visualization Of A Text


If  the option is of type "t;" it indicates that the  text
can  be displayed by MenuFinder. The text must be in plain
ASCII  form,  that  is,  without  the  control  characters
typical   of   documents  produced   with   word-processor
programs. The text may extend over more than one page.  To
understand how to move through the pages you can press the
KP1  help key. By pressing the KP9 key the entire text can
be printed with one of the eight proposed commands.




3.7.How To Jump Directly To A Menu


This function allows the user to call-up a menu simply  by
specifying a logical name or the name of the relative  MDF
(see the section THE MDF).

For example, to call-up the menu GAMES it is sufficient to
press the KP5 key, type in the field:

Menu Name: GAMES

and the press the Enter key.

It is also possible to jump directly to this menu from the
OpenVMS prompt by typing the command:

$ MENU GAMES


3.8.How To Search For A Word In The Menus


MenuFinder  offers  a search function which  displays  the
menus  according  to the phrases present  in  the  options
window.  Using the KP6 function you can make a request  to
MenuFinder of the type:

"Show  me  the  menu  that has, in the description  of  an
option, the word CIRCULAR."

To  obtain this result, you must first press the  KP6  key
then write in the field:

Word to search: CIRCULAR

and  press the Enter key.

MenuFinder  will then propose all the menus in  which  the
word CIRCULAR is found. When the desired menu is displayed
confirm it with the KP9 key and the menu can then be used.
Also,  the  first  option of the menu that  satisfied  the
search  is placed in the CHOICE field, ready for immediate
selection  with the Enter key. You can also ask MenuFinder
to  search  for  the options in whose descriptions  appear
either  one  or  both,  of two specified  words.  If,  for
example, you wanted to find the options in which both  the
word COMPUTER and the word INVOICING are present, you  can
enter in the field:

Word to search: COMP AND INVOIC

If,  however, you wanted to find an option in which either
the  word  POST  or  the  word  MAIL  is  present  in  the
description, you could enter in the field:

Word to search: POST OR MAIL




3.9.How To Enter DCL Commands


By  pressing the KP9 key it is possible to enter  any  DCL
command  or  request the execution of any program  or  DCL
procedure.


3.10.    Special Keys


By  pressing the Ctrl key and the B key together, the last
eight commands or menu options entered will be displayed.

Pressing  the  Ctrl and W keys simultaneously  causes  the
entire  screen  to be re-displayed. This function  may  be
useful  to  refresh the display if, for example,  messages
have overwritten the screen with the REPLY command.




3.11.    How To Exit MenuFinder


To  exit  MenuFinder you can press the F20 key or the  KP0
key on the numeric keypad.


3.12.    How To Copy The Screen To A Queue


By  pressing the Ctrl and V keys simultaneously a copy  of
the screen image is sent to a print queue. The name of the
print  queue  can be personalised (see the paragraph  "The
Logical Name MENU$SCREENQUE").




3.13.    How To Copy The Screen To A File


By  pressing the Ctrl and F keys simultaneously the screen
image is copied into a file. This, for example allows  the
user,  to include copies of the menu in the documentation.
The  name  of  the  file  can  be  personalised  (see  the
paragraph "The Logical Name MENU$SCREENFILE").


4.



    THE MDF








This section describes how a menu is defined. Knowledge of
the  concepts presented here is necessary for the creation
or modification of menus.




4.1.What Is A MDF


MDF is the acronym for Menu Description File.

A  menu is described in a standard text file in which  are
inserted  some simple instructions. MenuFinder is  capable
of  directly interpreting this text and of displaying  the
described menu on the screen.

The  instructions  can be written in either  uppercase  or
lowercase and the syntax is very simple.




4.2.The Description Of A Menu


The following details the MDF USER.MEN which generates the
menu USER, as used in the demo sessions.

This MDF is used as a reference for the description of all
the instructions.

NAME=USER

TITLE=+Foreign Relations Office
TITLE=

SCREEN=
! Example of comment with the "!" character

OPTION=1
DESCRIPTION=General Utilities
MENU=DUA0:[DEMO]GENERAL.MEN

SCREEN=

OPTION=2
DESCRIPTION=Notes on work to be done
TEXT=DUA0:[DEMO]USERTODO.TXT

SCREEN=

OPTION=3
DESCRIPTION=Fax received during the day
PROCEDURE=DUA0:[DEMO]FAX.COM
HELP=DUA0:[DEMO]FAX.HEL

SCREEN=

OPTION=4
DESCRIPTION=Documents Editor
COMMAND=EDITDOC

OPTION=6
DESCRIPTION=Games
MENU=DUA0:[DEMO]GAMES.MEN
SCREEN
SCREEN=Contact Mr. Pasquale 4589 for information




4.3.The NAME Instruction


NAME=USER

This  line specifies the name to appear on the first  line
of  the menu and in the navigation line. The name must not
be  longer than 7 characters (if it is longer the name  is
truncated).

RULE:  The  instruction NAME, if used, must be  the  first
instruction in the MDF.

Note:  The name indicated by this instruction is only  for
descriptive purposes in the menu and can only be  used  to
access the menu via the "Jump to Menu" function if USER is
defined as a logical name.










4.4.The TITLE  Instruction


TITLE=+Foreign Relations Office
TITLE=

The  titles specified by these instructions appear on  the
second and subsequent screen lines. The + sign (after  the
=  sign) indicates that the text is to be centre justified
on the line.

The  second  instruction generates a  blank  line  on  the
screen. Up to four title lines can be defined in this way.

RULE: The TITLE instruction if used, must follow the  NAME
instruction.  If  the  NAME instruction  is  not  present,
"TITLE", must be the first instruction in the MDF.




4.5.The SCREEN Instruction


With  this instruction MenuFinder is requested to write  a
phrase in the window where the options appear.

In  the  following line, no phrase is specified,  however,
this does not cause a blank line to be displayed.

SCREEN=

With  the  following  line,  MenuFinder  is  requested  to
display the specified phrase:

SCREEN= Contact Mr. Pasquale 4589 for information

The position of the SCREEN instruction determines on which
line the phrase is displayed.

The  instruction can also be used to display on subsequent
lines the continuation of a long option description, or to
display a title for a group of options in the menu.

The  phrases specified by the SCREEN instruction are  also
searched  during  the  execution  of  the  "Search   Word"
function to find a menu.










4.6.The OPTION Instruction


The   name  of  an  option  may  be  up  to  8  characters
(alphanumeric).




4.7.The DESCRIPTION Instruction


This is used to associate a description with an option.




4.8.Groups Of Instructions For The Options


To display an option on the menu it is necessary to use  a
group  of  instructions to define the name of the  option,
the description and the option type.

In each group the first instruction must be OPTION.




4.9.The TEXT Instruction


OPTION=2
DESCRIPTION=Notes on work to be done
TEXT=DUA0:[DEMO]USERTODO.TXT

To  associate  a text with an option it is  sufficient  to
specify the text file name using the TEXT instruction in a
group of instructions.




4.10.    The PROCEDURE  Instruction


OPTION=3
DESCRIPTION=Fax received during the day
PROCEDURE=DUA:[DEMO]FAX.COM

To  associate a procedure with an option it is  sufficient
to  specify the  file name using the PROCEDURE instruction
in  a  group  of  instructions.  Parameters  can  also  be
specified  after the file name.




4.11.    The HELP Instruction


OPTION=3
DESCRIPTION=Fax received during the day
PROCEDURE=DUA:[DEMO]FAX.COM
HELP=DUA0:[DEMO]FAX.HEL

This  instruction associates with an option (in this  case
option 3) a file that contains help text.

The  instruction causes the "?" character to be  displayed
to  the  right of the option, indicating to the  user  the
presence of a help text.

The  text  can be called-up using the KP1 key  (after  the
option has been entered in the "CHOICE" field).

Help text can be associated with any option type.




4.12.    The COMMAND Instruction


OPTION=4
DESCRIPTION=Documents Editor
COMMAND=EDITDOC

Unlike  the  PROCEDURE instruction, where the  command  or
program name must be embedded in a batch file, the COMMAND
instruction allows direct specification of  the command or
program in the MDF.

Parameters  can also be specified with command  ;  in  the
following example DUA0:[DEMO]MANUAL.DOC is the parameter:

COMMAND=EDITDOC  DUA0:[DEMO]MANUAL.DOC




4.13.    Blank Lines In The MDF


A  blank  line  in the MDF has no effect on the  generated
menu.  It  can  be  used  simply to  separate  instruction
groups, and therefore, to improve legibility of the MDF.






4.14.    Comments In MDF


! Example of comment with the "!" character

A  line that begins with an exclamation mark is ignored by
MenuFinder and therefore has no effect on the menu. It can
be  used  by  the  author of the MDF to insert  notes  and
comments.




4.15.    Abbreviated Forms Of The Instructions


Instead  of the full instruction names, it is possible  to
use abbreviated forms, as follows:

    Complete Name     Abbreviated Form
    SCREEN=           S=
    OPTION=           O=
    DESCRIPTION=      D=
    MENU=             M=
    TEXT=             T=
    PROCEDURE=        P=
    COMMAND=          C=
    NAME=             N=
    TITLE=            I=
    HELP=             H= or ?=
    EXIT=             E=

The  abbreviated forms can be interpreted by all  national
versions of MenuFinder.


5.



    THE MENUFINDER COMMANDS








The MenuFinder commands allow the user & administrator  to
create, modify, delete and print MDF files, text files and
batch  files directly, without having to manually  specify
their names.

Three types of command are defined:

        ;E  to create or modify a file

        ;P  to print a file

        ;D  to delete a file

The  command must always be preceded by the semicolon  ";"
character.

The  commands may be relative to the file associated  with
an  option (e.g. DCL procedure) or to the MDF of the  menu
currently displayed.




5.1.The Edit Command (;E)


If the menu USER is currently being displayed, then:

CHOICE: 2;E   Activates  the  editor  for  the  text  file
              associated with option 2.

CHOICE: 3;E   Activates  the  editor for  the  batch  file
              associated with option 3.

CHOICE: 3;E?  Activates the editor for the help text  file
              associated with option 3.

CHOICE: ;E    Activates the editor for the MDF of the menu
              currently  displayed  (on  exit   from   the
              editor,  the menu is immediately updated  to
              reflect any changes made).










5.2.The Print Command (;P)


If the menu USER is currently being displayed, then:

CHOICE: 2;P    Prints the text associated with option 2.

CHOICE: 3;P?   Prints the help text file associated with
               option 3.

CHOICE: ;P     Prints the MDF of the current menu.




5.3.The Delete Command (;D)


If the menu USER is currently being displayed, then:

CHOICE: 2;D   Deletes, after requesting confirmation,  the
              text associated with option 2.

CHOICE: 3;D?  Deletes, after requesting confirmation,  the
              help text file associated with option 3.

CHOICE: ;D    Deletes, after requesting confirmation,  the
              MDF of the current menu.

The  editor,  the  type  of deletion  and  all  the  print
commands can be personalised (see the following section).


6.



    PERSONALIZATION OF THE LOGICAL NAMES








The  personalization of MenuFinder by the user is achieved
through the file SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF.

This file is a standard DCL procedure, where the values of
the logical names for MenuFinder management are defined.




6.1.What is A Logical Name


A logical name can represent the value of a parameter, the
name of a file, the name of a directory or the name of  an
MDF.

The syntax for defining a logical name is the following:

$ DEFINE logical_name value_represented

For  example,  to  associate the file  DUA0:[MENU]TEST.MEN
with  the  logical name MENU$DEFAULT, you should  use  the
definition:

$ DEFINE MENU$DEFAULT DUA0:[MENU]TEST.MEN

If  the  value represented is expressed by more  than  one
word, then it must be enclosed in double-quotes:

$ DEFINE MENU$EDIT "EDIT/EDT "

Understanding  and using logical names is  very  important
for  the  correct use of MenuFinder. The  use  of  logical
names by the user who creates menus is not obligatory  but
can,  however, bring many benefits in terms of simplifying
management.












6.2.The File SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF


The personal customisation of MenuFinder is achieved using
the   configuration  file  LOGIN.DMF  in  a  user's  login
directory.

LOGIN.DMF is a standard DCL command file, where values for
a  series  of logical names can be defined. The  user  can
modify  this  file  to insert logical  names  of  personal
menus,  to define the root of his/her menu tree, to change
the editor, etc.

The   SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF  file  is  not   essential   for
MenuFinder  to function; in its absence the logical  names
defined by the MenuFinder administrator remain active.

In   the   succeeding   paragraphs,  we'll   discuss   the
configuration  logical names and the menu  logical  names,
using the following LOGIN.DMF file as an example:

$ DEFINE MENU$DEFAULT      DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN
$ DEFINE MENU$TOP          DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN
$ DEFINE MENU$EDIT         "EDIT/EDT #"
$ DEFINE MENU$DELETE       "DEL #"
$ ! Print Commands
$ DEFINE MENU$PRINT_C1     "PRINT #"
$ DEFINE MENU$PRINT_D1     "PRINT Command"
$ DEFINE MENU$PRINT_C2     "PRINT /QUE=LN03 #"
$ DEFINE MENU$PRINT_D2     "PRINT Command on LN03"
$ ! Menu Logical names
$ DEFINE USER              DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN
$ DEFINE GAMES             DUA0:[DEMO]GAMES.MEN




6.3.The Logical Name MENU$DEFAULT


$ DEFINE MENU$DEFAULT  DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN

The   definition  of  this  logical  name   indicates   to
MenuFinder  which menu should be displayed,  if  the  user
does not specify any name when launching MenuFinder.

With the logical name defined as above, if the user enters
the command:

$ MENU

the menu described in the file DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN will be
displayed.

During the installation of MenuFinder, a predefined MDF is
set  for MENU$DEFAULT in order to allow the users to call-
up an initial menu.




6.4.The Logical Name MENU$TOP


$ DEFINE MENU$TOP     DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN

The  logical name MENU$TOP is defined in order to indicate
to MenuFinder the root of a menu structure.

The  definition of the root is essential for  use  of  the
"Search   word"  function  to  find  a  menu.   MenuFinder
initiates  its  word  search from the root  and  continues
through  all  the menus of the tree structure hanging  off
the root menu.

Standalone menus can be created, which are not inserted in
the  tree  structure, however, the "Search word"  function
will ignore them.




6.5.The Logical Name MENU$EDIT


$ DEFINE MENU$EDIT    "EDIT/EDT   #"

With  this logical name, the DCL command is defined  which
is used by MenuFinder to activate the editor following the
command ;E.

Before   executing   the  command  indicated,   MenuFinder
substitutes the # symbol with the name of the file.

If  the # symbol is not present, the file name is appended
at the end of the command.




6.6.The Logical Name MENU$DELETE


$ DEFINE MENU$DELETE   "DEL   #"

This  line  defines  for MenuFinder  the  DCL  command  to
generate  when  a  file  is to be cancelled  with  the  ;D
command.  Before executing the command, MenuFinder  always
asks for confirmation.

The same considerations apply to the # symbol as indicated
for the logical name MENU$EDIT.




6.7.The Logical Name MENU$PRINT


$ ! Print Commands
$ DEFINE MENU$PRINT_C1     "PRINT #"
$ DEFINE MENU$PRINT_D1     "PRINT Command"
$ DEFINE MENU$PRINT_C2     "PRINT /QUE=LN03 #"
$ DEFINE MENU$PRINT_D2     "PRINT Command on LN03"

Whenever   MenuFinder  is  requested  to  print  something
(whether by the KP9 key while displaying a text, or by the
;P  command  in the "CHOICE" field), a list of  predefined
commands  is  displayed on the screen. A particular  print
option is chosen by entering a number between 1 and 8.

To  add a command to the list it is necessary to define  a
pair of logical names.

In  the  above example, to display the first line  in  the
list
              
                  1 - PRINT Command
                  2 - PRINT Command on LN03
                  Choose a number: 1

the  description is defined by MENU$PRINT_D1 (D stands for
description  and 1 is the position in the  list)  and  the
command  is defined by MENU$PRINT_C1 (C stands for command
and 1 is the position in the list).

The same considerations apply to the # symbol as indicated
for the logical name MENU$EDIT.

During  installation  a list is predefined  that  contains
only the PRINT command to the system queue.




6.8.Logical Names Of The Menus


$ ! Menu Logical names
$ DEFINE USER    DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN
$ DEFINE GAMES   DUA0:[DEMO]GAMES.MEN

Without  these logical names directly calling a menu  from
OpenVMS  or  with  the function "Jump to  menu"  could  be
problematic since the full name of the MDF would  have  to
be specified.

For  example,  to call-up the menu USER from  the  OpenVMS
prompt requires the command:

$ MENU DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN

The presence in SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF of the line:

$ DEFINE USERDUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN

allows the user the simpler command option:

$ MENU USER


6.9.Logical  Names of a Directory


It  is  also  possible  to  define  logical  names  for  a
directory.   The   use   of  such  logical   names   makes
administration and travel between menus more  flexible  as
it  eliminates the necessity to always remember  the  full
directory path and name as they are held internally in the
MDF,  Advantages of this facility are for example,  it  is
possible to substitute all of the relative files of a menu
in  another directory or in another disk, thus to swop all
of   the  files  in  the  directory  DUA0:[DEMO]  for  the
directory A$DUA3:[TEST]. Normally, this would require that
you   substitute  all  of  the  strings  DUA0:[DEMO]  with
A$DUA3:[TEST], however, with MenuFinder it  is  sufficient
simply  to  modify the LOGIN.DMF file as  follows,  simply
change the line,

$DEFINE   A$DEMO  DUA0:[DEMO]

to

$DEFINE   A$DEMO   A$DUA3:[TEST]

and the problem is solved without modifying the MDF.


6.10.    Reserved Logical Names


Logical  names  which  begin with MENU$  are  reserved  by
MenuFinder.  To  avoid conflict it is  thus  advisable  to
refrain from creating new logical names with this prefix.




6.11.    How To Modify The File LOGIN.DMF


To modify one's own LOGIN.DMF it is sufficient to give the
command:

$ EDIT SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF

To  enable  the  modifications, it is  then  necessary  to
execute the file with the command:

$ @SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF


7.



    HOW TO CALL-UP MENUFINDER









7.1.Calling-up A Menu


With  the command MENU, one can request a display  of  the
default menu ($ MENU) or a specific menu ( $ MENU USER)




7.2.Calling-up The Last Used Menu


The  command LMENU (Last Menu) calls-up the menu that  was
being displayed the last time MenuFinder was exited.

The command to give is simply:

$ LMENU

The menu is redisplayed as it was left before exiting.




7.3.Searching For A Menu


The  search for a menu is activated when one or two  words
are  searched  for in the option descriptions  or  in  the
phrases defined with the SCREEN instruction.

The  word search can be activated not only from within the
program with the KP6 key, but also from the OpenVMS prompt
with the FMENU command Find Menu).

For example, with the command

$ FMENU TEST

MenuFinder  is requested, to find all the menus  in  which
the word TEST appears.

Abbreviated words can also be specified,  for example:

$ FMENU TES

In  this case, the menus identified are the same as  those
found  with  TEST, plus also all the others in  which  the
character sequence TES appears within a word. The command:

$ FMENU TEST CONNEC

requests that all the menus are identified in which, in at
least one line, the sequence

TEST CONNEC appears (intended as two words, separated by a
space). It is also possible to request a search using  the
logical operators AND and/or OR.

For example, the command:

$ FMENU PRO A FLOWER     (where "A" stands for AND)

requests all menus to be identified in which, in the  same
line,  are present both the word PRO and the word  FLOWER;
in  this case AND is interpreted as a logical operator and
not as a word to be searched for.

However, the command

$ FMENU PRO O FLOWER    (where "O" stands for OR)

requests all menus to be identified in which, in at  least
one  line, appears either the word PRO or the word FLOWER.
Commands of the following type are also possible:

$ FMENU COMMAND LIST O FLOWER

which,  requests  a search for the menu in  which,  in  at
least  one line, appears the sequence COMMAND LIST or  the
word FLOWER.


7.4.Displaying A Text


The  command  SFILE  (Show  FILE)  allows  a  text  to  be
displayed  on the screen just as if the request  had  been
made  from  within a menu (instruction TEXT=)  and  it  is
therefore possible to request the printing of the text  in
the same way.

The command to give, is simply:

$ SFILE file_name








7.5.Creating A Menu


To  create  a  menu  from the OpenVMS  prompt,  MenuFinder
provides the command CMENU (Create MENU).

Normally  menus  are  created  and  modified  from  within
MenuFinder, but to create the first menu (or to  create  a
completely new menu tree) CMENU may be useful.

The syntax of the command is:

$  CMENU file_name

where "file_name", is intended as the name of the MDF that
is to be created.

With   this  command  MenuFinder  creates  the  MDF   file
indicated  and  inserts example lines  to  facilitate  the
definition of the menu.

In  the following sections, all the phases for creating  a
menu  are  considered,  starting right  from  the  command
CMENU.


8.



    STEPS IN CREATING A MENU STRUCTURE









8.1.Objectives


We  propose to recreate a part of the menu structure  seen
in the demo session.

Therefore, we must:
         
         - Create the MDF of a menu USER;
         
         - Define USER as a logical name;
         
         - Define  the menu USER as the root node  of  the
           tree structure;
         
         - Define  the  menu USER as the menu that  should
           be  displayed when the MENU command is  entered
           from OpenVMS without specifying anything else.

These  objectives allow us to follow all phases  that  are
normally performed to create a menu structure.

The  steps  described  can  be executed  directly  at  the
terminal.




8.2.How To Create The First Menu


First of all, we create the sub-directory in which all the
files  of the menu structure will be placed. Therefore  we
enter the following OpenVMS command:

$ CREATE/DIRECTORY DUA0:[DEMO]

$ CMENU DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN

The   CMENU   command  copies  to  the  description   file
DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN a reference MDF and displays the  menu
so obtained.

Now, the MDF DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN must be modified.

The   modifications  can  be  made  with  the   MenuFinder
commands:

CHOICE:;E

This  command activates the editor defined by the  logical
name MENU$EDITOR.

The contents of the file DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN are displayed
on the screen as follows:

NAME=Example

TITLE=

TITLE=+Sample of centered title (with + character)

TITLE=

! This line is a comment

! Message line on the screen

SCREEN=Sample of message line

! Blank line on the screen



SCREEN=



OPTION=1

DESCRIPTION=Description of the DCL procedure option

PROCEDURE=sys$login:sample.com

HELP=sys$login:sample.hel



! Blank line on the screen

SCREEN=



OPTION=2

DESCRIPTION=Description of the text option

TEXT=sys$login:sample.txt



SCREEN=



OPTION=3

DESCRIPTION=Description of the menu option

MENU=sys$login:sample.men

[EOB]



Modifications  must  be  made  in  order  to  obtain   the
following file:

NAME=USER

TITLE=+Foreign Relations Office
TITLE=
SCREEN=


OPTION=1
DESCRIPTION=General Utilities
MENU=DUA0:[DEMO]GENERAL.MEN

SCREEN=

OPTION=2
DESCRIPTION=Notes on work to be done
TEXT=DUA0:[DEMO]USERTODO.TXT

SCREEN=

OPTION=3
DESCRIPTION=Fax received during the day
PROCEDURE=DUA:[DEMO]FAX.COM
HELP=DUA0:[DEMO]FAX.HEL

SCREEN=

OPTION=4
DESCRIPTION=Documents Editor
COMMAND=EDITDOC

OPTION=6
DESCRIPTION=Games
MENU=DUA0:[DEMO]GAMES.MEN
SCREEN
SCREEN=Contact Mr. Pasquale 4589 for information

Once the text has been modified and the editor exited  the
updated menu will immediately be displayed on the screen.

Let's continue with our construction of the menu.






8.3.How To Create A Submenu


To create the submenu relative to option 6 it is necessary
to  activate  once again the editor, specifying  that  you
intend to work with the file associated with option 6. The
command to give is:

CHOICE: 6;E

MenuFinder identifies the name of the file to use with the
editor  by  analysing  in the current  MDF  the  group  of
instructions relative to option 6, and determines that the
file name is DUA0:[DEMO]GAMES.MEN

The  editor  displays the empty file and it  is  therefore
necessary to add the following instructions:

NAME=Games
TITLE=%
SCREEN=
SCREEN=      GAMES

OPTION=1
DESCRIPTION=Tetris
PROCEDURE=DUA0:[DEMO]GAME1.BAT

OPTION=2
DESCRIPTION=Chess
PROCEDURE=DUA0:[DEMO]GAME2.BAT

OPTION=3
DESCRIPTION=Battleships
PROCEDURE=DUA0:[DEMO]GAME3.BAT

OPTION=4
DESCRIPTION=The cat on the wall
PROCEDURE=DUA0:[DEMO]GAME4.BAT

When the text has been completed you can exit the editor.

Now that option 6 has been defined it can be used. Enter:

CHOICE: 6

a press the Enter key.

The GAMES menu is displayed as described above.

To  be  able to call-up the option of the GAMES  menu  you
should now transfer to the DUA0:[DEMO] directory the batch
files that contain the relative game programs.

Obviously  it  is  also  possible  to  call-up  the  games
directly  from the directory where they are installed  (it
is  sufficient to put in the MDF the complete paths of the
respective command files).

Note  also that, if the game can be run simply by entering
the  program  name, it is not necessary to use  a  command
file: it is sufficient to change the instruction PROCEDURE
to  COMMAND and insert in this instruction the name of the
program prefixed with the directory name.

Note  that  we  have  created a  submenu  without  leaving
MenuFinder.

In the same way, we can create all the other submenus.




8.4.How To Create A Text


Let's return now to the menu USER to prepare option 2.

To  achieve  this just press the LeftArrow key (to  select
the  menu  to the left of the navigation line)  and  press
Enter.

You must now again call the editor. Enter:

CHOICE: 2;E

The editor displays the empty file DUA0:[DEMO]TODO.TXT. We
must enter the following text:
       
       Monday 12th
       *   Close the annual activity plan
       *   Telephone RICTEL to confirm quotation
       
       Tuesday 13th
       Prepare report on new initiatives
       
       Wednesday 14th
       Doctors appointment at 16:00
       
       Thursday 26th
       Accompany visitors
       
       Friday 27th
       Prepare for move on Monday
       
       Monday 30th
       Move

having  left  the  editor, the text just  entered  can  be
displayed with the command:

CHOICE: 2




8.5.How To Create A Batch File


The  batch file associated with option 3 is created in the
same way as a text file. The command to give in this case,
however, is:

CHOICE: 3;E

In  the empty file that is displayed, you must insert  the
necessary  commands  to call up the  hypothetical  program
that displays faxes.




8.6.How To Create A Help Text


The  help text associated with option 3 is created in  the
same way as a text file. The command to give in this case,
however, is:

CHOICE: 3;E?

In  the empty file that is displayed, you must insert  the
necessary  instructions  on how to  use  the  hypothetical
program for displaying the faxes.

At the end, to display the help text, just enter:

CHOICE: 3

and then press the KP1 key.








8.7.Define A Logical Name For A Menu


We  must now define the name USER such that the menu  just
created  can  be  called directly from the OpenVMS  prompt
with the command:

$ MENU USER

and from MenuFinder with the KP5 "Jump to menu" key:

Name of menu: USER

To  define the logical name USER, we must modify the  file
LOGIN.DMF with the command:

$ EDIT SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF

to insert the line:

$ DEFINE USER DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN

To  enable the logical name just inserted we must give the
command:

$ @SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF

To verify all is as it should be, enter the command:

$ MENU USER

The menu USER will be displayed.




8.8.Define The Root Of A Structure


We  define the menu USER as the root of the menu structure
in  order to be able to use the "Search word" function. We
must again modify the LOGIN.DMF file with the command:

$ EDIT SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF

to insert the line:

$ DEFINE MENU$TOP DUAO:[DEMO]USER.MEN

To  enable the logical name just inserted we must give the
command:

$ @SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF

To verify all is as it should be, enter the command:

$ FMENU TETRIS

MenuFinder  proposes as a result the menu  with  the  game
TETRIS. It is sufficient to confirm the menu with the  KP9
key and then press Enter to run the game.




8.9.Define The Default Menu


All  that  remains now is to define the menu USER  as  the
default  menu, that is the menu that should  be  displayed
when the command MENU - without parameters - is given from
the OpenVMS prompt.

We  must  once  again modify the file LOGIN.DMF  with  the
command:

$ EDIT SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF

to insert the line:

$ DEFINE MENU$DEFAULT DUA0:[DEMO]USER.MEN

To  enable the logical name just inserted we must give the
command:

$ @SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.DMF

To verify all is as it should be, enter the command:

$ MENU

MenuFinder will display the menu USER.


9.



    ADVANCED USER FUNCTIONS









9.1.The COMMAND Instruction With The # Variable


We  have  seen in section 4 how it is possible to  pass  a
parameter to a program or to a command with an instruction
of the form:

COMMAND=EDITDOC DUA0:[DEMO]MANUAL.DOC

The   file  DUA0:[DEMO]MANUAL.DOC  is  however   seen   by
MenuFinder as a simple parameter to pass to the batch file
EDITDOC and, as such, is not able to perform any operation
on  this  file such as activation of the editor, printing,
copying, etc.

The  way  in  which  to insert the file parameter  amongst
those  which  MenuFinder  can  manage  is  to  insert  the
filename in the instruction # as shown in the example:

#=DUA0:[DEMO]MANUAL.DOC
COMMAND=EDITDOC #

With  this  instruction, MenuFinder completes the  EDITDOC
command substituting the # symbol with the file name.

The  #  symbol in the second line is essential only if  in
the  command other parameters are inserted after the  file
name.

In  case no other parameters are present and the #  symbol
is  missing, MenuFinder always adds the value of # to  the
end of the command line.

Utilizing  this pair of instructions, the type  of  option
that  appears in a menu changes from "C" to "#" to  denote
that  the  file  name used as parameter  can  be  used  by
MenuFinder.










9.2.The Global Symbol MFPAUSE


When MenuFinder is activated, the global symbol MFPAUSE is
defined, this is useful if the user wishes to pause at the
end of a command before returning to the menu.

The syntax to utilise the MFPAUSE symbol is:

COMMAND=MFPAUSE par1 par2 ... par8

If, for example, the following instruction is used:

COMMAND=MFPAUSE SHOW TIME

at  the  end of the command SHOW TIME, MenuFinder requests
the user to press the Return key, before it returns to the
menu.




9.3.Composition Of DCL Commands


We  have  seen that with the KP9 function key,  MenuFinder
makes  it possible to execute any program, DCL command  or
batch file.

This  functionality is very powerful as it  allows  direct
insertion  in the command line of the names of  the  files
present in the MDF.

This  allows,  for  example, copying  of   the  text  file
associated with a menu option to the file associated  with
an  option of another menu; or it is possible to  use  the
cut  and paste functions on options between menus (see the
EMENU command in the following paragraph).

Some  simple  examples will serve as an illustration  (see
the  TUTOR menu for an interactive demonstration  of  this
functionality):

Suppose we want to see how many bytes the MDF file of  the
currently displayed menu occupies.

Pressing KP9 the command line is shown:

$

Type in the line the command DIR/SIZE followed by a space.
Then press the KP6key.

In the command line we thus obtain:

$ DIR/SIZE DUA0:[MENU]USER.MEN

Pressing  the  UpArrow or DownArrow  keys  to  select  the
various  options, the description of the KP6  key  changes
according to the option selected.

In particular, if the description of KP6 is:
       
       M File     the  name  of  the file is  that  of  the
                  current MDF being displayed on the screen;
       
       t File     the  name  of the file is  that  of  the
                  text file associated with the option;
       
       p File     the  name  of  the file is  that  of  the
                  batch-file associated with the option;
       
       m File     the  name of the file is that of the  MDF
                  of the sub-menu associated with the option;
       
       # File     the  name  of  the file is  that  of  the
                  variable associated with the option (see the
                  previous section);

No description is displayed, however, when the option type
is a simple command and the # instruction is not used.

In  case  a  help  text file is also associated  with  the
option, then the description of the function key   KP5  is
"?  File". If you want to insert the name of the help text
file in the DCL command line, then you must press KP5.

While  constructing the command line the KP5 and KP6  keys
can be pressed as many times as required.

For  example, to construct the COPY command of a text file
associated with an option to another text associated  with
a different option, you could move to the first option and
press  the  KP6  key; then move to the second  option  and
press again KP6.

While  constructing a command, you can also  change  menu,
utilising  the  navigation keys LeftArrow and  RightArrow.
This  way  it  is possible, for example, to  copy  a  file
associated  with  an  option  in  one  menu  to  the  file
associated with an option in a different menu.












9.4.Cut And Paste Of Options Between Menus


When a menu structure begins to get complex, it may become
necessary to reorganise it. For example, some options of a
menu  could  be regrouped as a submenu. To  copy  or  move
options  between menus the EMENU command is  useful.  This
command requires as parameters the names of the two  MDF's
of the menus involved.

In  practice EMENU activates the editor  EVE  on  the  two
files:  the cut and paste functions are actually those  of
this  editor. To activate EMENU with the names of the  two
MDF's  the composition functions for DCL commands detailed
in the previous section can be utilised.

This  way it is very simple to construct a command of  the
form:

$ EMENU MYMENU:BACKUP.MEN MENU$MINE:SAVEALL.MEN

and  perform the cut and paste operations between the  two
buffers containing the Menu Description Files.

For  those not familiar with the EVE editor, note that  to
activate one of the buffers of the list proposed by EMENU,
just  select it with the up or down arrow and  then  press
Return.

To  redisplay the buffer list, press the DO key  and  then
enter the command:

Command: SHOW BUFFER


9.5.The EXIT Instruction


Inserting  the  EXIT instruction in a  group  in  which  a
COMMAND  or  PROCEDURE  instruction is  present,  requests
MenuFinder  to  return  to the OpenVMS  environment  after
execution of the command or batch file associated with the
option. For example, with the following instruction group:

OPTION=3
DESCRIPTION=Read Faxes received today
PROCEDURE=DUA0:[DEMO]FAX.COM
HELP=DUA0:[DEMO]FAX.HEL
EXIT=Y

after  having chosen option 3, at the end of execution  of
the command file, the menu is not redisplayed, instead you
are returned to the OpenVMS environment.






9.6.The Logical Name MENU$SCREENQUE


This  logical name allows the user to personalise the name
of  the print queue utilised for printing the screen image
following a CTRL-V. For example:

$ DEFINE MENU$SCREENQUE "LN03$QUEUE"

If  this  logical  name is not defined,  the  print  queue
utilised is SYS$PRINT.




9.7.The Logical Name MENU$SCREENFILE


This  logical name allows the user to personalise the name
of  the file to which the screen image is copied following
a CTRL-F. For example:

$ DEFINE MENU$SCREENFILE "OUTPUT.TMP"

If  this  logical  name  is not  defined,  the  file  name
utilised is SYS$LOGIN:MENU$SCREEN.LIS.




9.8.The Logical Name MENU$BORDER_M


Using  this  logical name it is possible to eliminate  the
menu  window side borders. In the case of terminals  which
function  with only a low line speed, this  is  useful  to
speed up the display of a menu.

For example:

$ DEFINE MENU$BORDER_M  NO

If  this  logical name is not defined or if the associated
value  is  "YES",  the menu window side  borders  will  be
displayed.

If  this characteristic is required only for certain menus
it  is  sufficient  to  insert in the  corresponding  MDF,
before any instructions, the line:

BORDER_M=N

The  value  specified  in  this  line  (whether  Y  or  N)
overrides the value of the logical name MENU$BORDER_M,  if
any.




9.9.The Logical Name MENU$BORDER_T


Using  this logical name it is possible to eliminate  text
window  side borders (instruction TEXT=). In the  case  of
terminals which function with only a low line speed,  this
is useful to speed up the display of a menu.

For example:

$ DEFINE MENU$BORDER_T  NO

If  this  logical name is not defined or if the associated
value  is  "YES",  the text window side  borders  will  be
displayed.

If  this characteristic is required only for certain menus
it  is  sufficient  to  insert in the  corresponding  MDF,
before any instructions, the line:

BORDER_T=N

The  value  specified  in  this  line  (whether  Y  or  N)
overrides the value of the logical name MENU$BORDER_T,  if
any.




9.10.    The Logical Name MENU$OPT_TYPE


Using  this logical name it is possible to eliminate  from
the  menus  the option types (c, p, m, #, t)  and  replace
them with the character "-".

Example:

$ DEFINE MENU$OPT_TYPE NO

If  this  logical name is not defined or if the associated
value is "YES", the option types will be displayed.

If  this characteristic is required only for certain menus
it  is  sufficient  to  insert in the  corresponding  MDF,
before any instructions, the line:

OPT_TYPE=N

The  value  specified  in  this  line  (whether  Y  or  N)
overrides the value of the logical name MENU$OPT_TYPE,  if
any.




9.11.    The Logical Name MENU$OPT_RIGHT


Utilising  this  logical  name  it  is  possible  to  left
justify, instead of right justify, the option name in  all
menus.

This   definition  permits  the  user,  for  example,   to
structure more clearly, in a menu, the paragraphs of an on-
line manual.

Example:
                   
                   1   Introduction to the computer centre
                   1.1   Working hours
                   1.2   People to contact
                   2   Available products
                   2.1   Programming languages
                   2.2   CAD products

To define this logical name, use the command:

$ DEFINE MENU$OPT_RIGHT NO

If  this  logical name is not defined or if the associated
value is "YES", right justification occurs.

If  this characteristic is required only for certain menus
it  is  sufficient  to  insert in the  corresponding  MDF,
before any instructions, the line:

OPT_RIGHT=N

The  value  specified  in  this  line  (whether  Y  or  N)
overrides the value of the logical name MENU$OPT_RIGHT, if
any.


9.12.

    

    Reading Global Variables



To report internally to the Descriptive File of a menu the

value  of  a  global symbol it is sufficient to initialise

the  symbol,  for  example  in  the  LOGIN.COM,  with  the

command,



$ flag = = " "



and  insert  {flag} internally in the MDF in  the  correct

position as desired.



For example, it could be used to create a check list for a

Menu,



OPTION=1



DESCRIPTION={flag} execute JOB1



COMMAND=@JOB.COM ;flag = = "!"



The execution of option 1 is now achieved with the special

customised symbol "!".



N.B.  the  character ";" semicolon is used to  concatenate

several commands together. It must be preceded by at least

one space.



other examples of the use of global symbols are present in

the menu PUBLIC.