DougMenu v1.0 released October 15, 1991
(c) Copyright 1991

Features:
Virtually no memory overhead - Uses Batch files
Display up to 10 menu windows at one time.
10 definable color palettes
Cascade/Shadow display options
Built-in screen saver/ timed function execution
Programmable Function Keys
Supports most graphics cards: MDA, Hercules, CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGA, SVGA
Supports most text screens: 40, 80, 132 column
Mouse Support
Controlled exit feature
Can display an ascii file for a background


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Setting up DougMenu

DougMenu Requires the use of 2 files:
DOUGMENU.EXE and DMENU.BAT

When dougmenu is run, it will create a small temporary
batch file called temp.bat.


CONFIGURING DOUG MENU:

To configure DougMenu, two lines need to be edited in DMENU.BAT.

Listing of DMENU.BAT:

@echo off
* set t=C:\TEMP.FIL

:loop
** C:\MENU\DOUGMENU.EXE %1
if errorlevel = 2 %t%
if errorlevel = 1 goto quit
call %t%
goto loop

:quit
set t=

* -- This line should include the path of where you want the temporary
batch files to be stored. A file name must appear after the path, and the
name should end ".fil". If you want to put the temporary files on a
networked drive, I recommend putting the connection number into an environment
variable, and using this variable to name the batch file. This way,
more than one person will be able to use DougMenu a once. Still,
logging out can be difficult it the temporary files are on a networked
drive.
** -- This line should be set to the location of DOUGMENU.EXE on your
hard drive or networked drive.

Keep in mind that this is only a batch file, and can be edited into many
different working configurations. Feel free to add anything to it which will
help your system. I don't take responsibility, though.

________________________________________________________________________

STARTING DOUGMENU

After DougMenu is configured for your system, to start the menu
system, type:

DMENU DRIVE:\PATH\PATH\MENUSCRIPT

where the parameter after DMENU is the path and the name of the menu script.
If DougMenu cannot find your menu script as specified, it will add ".MNU"
to the end of the file name and look for that file.

________________________________________________________________________

WRITING MENUSCRIPTS:


Differences Between DougMenu and Novell Menu:

DougMenu reads menu scripts that are very similar to novell menu scripts.

The only incompatibility is with the string input functions.
Putting @1"Query Title" in a batch file will no longer query for input.
This is done with the #ask command now.

DougMenu does not automatically sort the menus in alphabetical order.

Several more smaller changes.


GUIDE TO MENUSCRIPTS:

Key to Variables:

XX,YY X and Y coordinates; a 255 value means to place in the center of the
screen.
PP A palette between 0-9; 8&9 are the B&W palettes.

BG,FG background and foreground colors
CC A color value between 0-15

0 - black 8 - dark grey
1 - blue 9 - lt. blue
2 - green 10 - lt. green
3 - cyan 11 - lt. cyan
4 - red 12 - lt. red
5 - magenta 13 - lt. magenta
6 - brown 14 - Yellow
7 - lt.grey 15 - White


Descriptions of Commands:
(see sample.mnu for examples)

;A Meaningless Comment
semicolons are for comments.
and line with a semicolon in the first column is a comment.

#include = filename
includes the text from the file "filename.mnu" at this point

#noexit
disables exiting the menu with the escape key.

#palette PP = CC,CC,CC,CC,CC,CC,CC
redefine palette PP with a customized palette
with the colors ordered as such:
Menu Text Title Border Highlighted Selected Selected
BG , FG , FG , FG , Border FG , Item BG , Item FG
This has no effect on computers with B&W monitors.

#shadow [= BG,FG]
Turn on shadow and set the background and foreground colors.
If the colors are left out, the default is a foreground of
8 (dark grey) and a background of 0(black).

#cascade [= XX,YY]
Turns on cascade, resets default placement to 10,4, and
sets cascade vector to 4,1 (unless otherwise declared).

#default placement = XX,YY
Default placement of all menus. This sets the position of the
upper left corner. Values of 255 should be used if you want
centering. The default placement is centered.

#default palette = PP
Default palette of all menus. By default, this value is 0.
This has no effect on computers with B&W monitors.
#header palette = PP
Sets the palette of the header. By default this value is 1.
This has no effect on computers with B&W monitors.
#error palette = PP
Sets the palette of all error boxes. By default this value is 2.
This has no effect on computers with B&W monitors.
#message palette = PP
Default palette of display boxes. By default this value is 3.
This has no effect on computers with B&W monitors.

#backdrop color = BG,FG
Sets the color of the backdrop.
#backdrop char = XX
Set a screen char for the backdrop. e.g. 65 = 'A'
#backdrop file = filename
Displays an ASCII file for the backdrop.
The file pillars.ans has been included as a sample.
Ansi.sys must be a device for pillars.ans to display properly.
#footer color = BG,FG
Set footer colors if using fn keys.

#timer = XXXX
[stuff to do
stuff to do]

Set timer. If indented text lines follow, they will be executed as
any selectable menu item would be. If no lines follow this declaration,
the screen will be blanked until a key is pressed.

#fXX = Title
stuff to do
stuff to do

Define function key XX. The title will be displayed in the footer.
The stuff to do will be executed as any selectable item in a menu
would be.



%Menu Title,XX,YY,PP
Define menu "menu title" to be placed at XX,YY with palette PP.
To center, set xx,yy = 255.

Selectable Item
batch file text Makes a batch file out of this stuff
batch file text and runs it
batch file text

Open a Stupid Menu Opens a menu titled 'stupid menu'.
%Stupid Menu

Dummy Divider If an item has no text, it is displayed
as a divider

Dumb Display Box Display text box at XX,YY using PP
#display,XX,YY,PP Set xx,yy = 255 to center the box.
stuff to display
stuff to display

Dummy Item Define a variable named "VARIABLE"
#ask VARIABLE,MESSAGE,XX,YY,PP opens query menu titled "MESSAGE"
"sdfsdf" = sdfsdf at XX,YY using palette PP
"sdfsdf" = sdfsdf Possible values are in quotes.
batch file text
batch fi%VARIABLE%le text It is inserted into text like this.
batch file text

Dummy Item 2 Define a variable named "VARIABLE"
#ask VARIABLE,MESSAGE,XX,YY,PP opens string box titled "MESSAGE"
batch file text at XX,YY using palette PP
batch fi%VARIABLE%le text It is inserted into text like this.
batch file text

Other Dummy Item
batch file text
batch file text
batch file text
#exit

Exits the menu system after batch file made with batch file text has been
executed. It the temporary batch files are placed on a network drive,
it may cause trouble if you try and logout of login to another server
durring the batch text. To be safe, place all the temporary batch files
on local drives. Besides, you won't bog down the server or the network
that way with needless traffic.