Category : Network Files
Archive   : FTMENU.ZIP
Filename : SETUP.TXT

Setting Up FT Menu V2.0
-----------------------

Create the following directories on volume SYS:

SYS:\NETMENUS ;holds menu program/menu definitions/temporary batch files
SYS:\NETMENUS\FT ;holds remote batch file list/user screen configs

Use syscon to set the following access rights:

SYS:\LOGIN RF (ie read only)
SYS:\NETMENUS RWCEF (ie read write)
SYS:\NETMENUS\FT should inherit access rights from SYS:\NETMENUS

I believe you must also include in the SHELL.CFG parameter:

READ ONLY COMPATIBILITY = ON


The main batch file for this menu system is called LOGMEIN.BAT. If you are
a network supervisor I needn't explain batch files to you. Take a look
inside. If the SYS: volume of your network is not Drive F:, change the
reference to drive F: in the batch file to whatever you use. I've also marked
the correct place to load/unload TSRs and do printer capture commands if you
like. I prefer to load some TSRs meant for all users in my batch file rather
that fooling around too much with the login scripts. Copy this batch file
into the SYS:\LOGIN directory. Flag it shareable.

The menu program is called FTMENU.EXE. Copy this file to the SYS:\NETMENUS
directory. Flag it shareable.

The menu program uses two text files in it's operation. NETPRINT.TXT defines
the network printer connections you would like your users to choose from.
I've included a sample NETPRINT.TXT for you to look at, but this is how it
should be created:
Each line is 1 printer connection, with several settings in the form
Option=value option=value option=value etc. Text values for name and banner
must not contain spaces, use underscores to represent spaces and they will
automatically be converted when the program uses them.
The following options are available, but not all are required:
Name= description to appear in printer list (up to 35 char)
L= local printer port to be captured (1,2,3)
Q= name of printer queue being captured to
TI= auto endcap time out value in seconds
C= copies
FORM= number of form to use
TAB= tab conversion value
BANNER= text to appear on banner page
FF= automatic form feed required (YES or NO)
If used, copy your NETPRINT.TXT to SYS:\NETMENUS\FT and flag it shareable.

The second text file is FTINFO.TXT. This text file defines up to 3 machine IDs
(discussed further down) that will use the REMOTE.BAT batch file instead of
the LOGMEIN.BAT batch file. I use this to provide unique batch operations for
my dial in users using PC Anywhere IV. When they call in, PC Anywhere runs
REMOTE.BAT instead of LOGMEIN.BAT. FTINFO.TXT lets the menu program know
if it should return control to the LOGMEIN.BAT file or the REMOTE.BAT file.
REMOTE.BAT is simply a modified version of LOGMEIN.BAT which performs
PCAnywhere's awlogoff command in addition to the normal Netware logout. You
can use this for other purposes or ignore it. If you do use it, place your
FTINFO.TXT into SYS:\NETMENUS\FT and flag it shareable.

Next, you must assign a machine ID for each computer to run the menu program.
Simply use the DOS SET command to set the environment variable SETBAT to
some name (up to 8 letters). IE you might use SET SETBAT=386SXA on one
machine and SET SETBAT=386SXB on another and so on. I do this as part of
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The last thing your AUTOEXEC.BAT file should do is
switch to the SYS:\LOGIN directory and execute the command LOGMEIN BOOT. I've
included an autoexec.bat file as an example.

Each user's menu file must be placed in the SYS:\NETMENUS directory. The file
name must be the first 8 letters of their login name with the extension MNU.
ie My login name is Andy so my menu definition is in a file named ANDY.MNU.
The menu definition file takes this form:

%Name to Appear On Main Menu
First Option On Menu|Command to Execute
Second Option On Menu|Command to Execute
%Name to Appear On First Submenu
First option in submenu|Command to Execute
Second option in submenu|Command to Execute
%end <- this ends first submenu, must be typed %END or %end only
Third Option On Menu|Command to Execute
%end <- this ends main menu, must be typed %END or %end only

Indentations are not necessary, they simply make it easier to read. I've
included a sample menu definition. The LOGOUT command is automatically
added to the main menu, the EXIT MENU command is automatically added to
each submenu.

Usually the command to execute is another batch file in a search drive
directory but should work if you simply specify a program name too. I prefer
to call batch files, as the last command in the batch file returns to my
SYS: volume to make sure DOS can still find the launching batch file
regardless of what the user did inside the application program.