|
Next revision
|
Previous revision
|
manual:chapter7:custmenu [2021/10/12 05:07]
jojo1973 created |
manual:chapter7:custmenu [2022/01/18 07:29] (current)
claudio [Creating customized menus] |
| ===== Creating customized menus ===== | ===== Creating customized menus ===== |
| The menu engine in **newRPL** retains the basic concepts of the one used in **userRPL** but provides new features such as help messages and dynamical menu appearance. | The menu engine in **newRPL** retains the basic concepts of the one used in **userRPL** but provides new features such as help messages and dynamic menu appearance. |
| |
| The most important command used to display a custom menu is ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_tmenu|TMENU]]'' which displays the menu on the [[manual:chapter2:menus#using-the-menus-main-active-and-secondary-menus|active menu]] area. It accepts either an integer or a list: the former is used to display a preset [[manual:appendix:menus|system menu]] but here we will discuss about the latter, which allows to display a full customized menu. | The most important command used to display a custom menu is ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_tmenu|TMENU]]'' which displays the menu on the [[manual:chapter2:menus#using-the-menus-main-active-and-secondary-menus|active menu]] area. It accepts either an integer or a list: the former is used to display a preset [[manual:appendix:menus|system menu]] but here we will discuss about the latter, which allows to display a fully customized menu. |
| |
| ==== The menu structure ==== | ==== The menu structure ==== |
| | |
| | The menu is structured as a list of items, where each item defines a softkey: |
| | <code> |
| | { |
| | Item_1 |
| | ... |
| | Item_n |
| | } |
| | </code> |
| | If more than 6 items exist, the menu will be split in pages of 5 softkeys each, and the rightmost softkey of each page will turn into a ''NXT...'' key to display a new page; as usual, pressing any shift and ''NXT...'' will display the previous page. |
| | |
| | Each item can be a single object or a three elements list: in the first case the offect depends on the type of the object: |
| | |
| | * an **identifier** or a **directory** will have all the [[manual:chapter2:menus#the-vars-menu|properties of an entry]] in the ''Vars'' menu; |
| | * a **unit with the numerical part equal to 1** will have all the [[manual:chapter3:units#operating-with-units|properties of an entry]] in the ''Units'' menu; |
| | * a **command** will work as expected and will display an help message (if any) when long-pressed; |
| | * a **string** will be displayed without quotes and returned on the stack whenthe softkey is pressed. No help is displayed when long-pressed; |
| | * any other object will be ''[[manual:chapter6:operators:cmd_ovr_xeq|XEQ]]'''ted when the softkey is pressed. The label on the key is created [[manual:chapter6:string:cmd_todispstr|decompiling the object for display]]. No help is displayed when long-pressed. |
| | |
| | In the second case, each element of the list takes care of an aspect of the softkey: |
| | <code> |
| | { |
| | <Display> |
| | <Action> |
| | <Help> |
| | } |
| | </code> |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
| |
| === The DISPLAY field === | === The DISPLAY object === |
| | |
| | The ''<Display>'' object can be either a single object or a two elements list; if it is a single object: |
| | |
| | * a **program leaving 1 object on the stack** is ''[[manual:chapter6:operators:cmd_ovr_xeq|XEQ]]'''ted and its output is used as label; |
| | * a **graphic object** will be displayed as-is; |
| | * a **string** will be displayed without quotes; |
| | * a **unit with the numerical part equal to 1** will be stripped of the numerical part and the ''_'' delimiter and displayed; |
| | * any other object will be [[manual:chapter6:string:cmd_todispstr|decompiled for display]] and shown on the label. |
| | |
| | If ''<Display>'' object is a two elements list: |
| | <code> |
| | { |
| | <Display> |
| | <Decoration> |
| | } |
| | </code> |
| | the ''<Display>'' part works exactly as above while the ''<Decoration>'' part is an integer interpreted as a binary number: |
| | |
| | * if **bit 0** is set, the label will be shown with its first character shaded, as directories or top-level menus; |
| | * if **bit 1** is set, the color of the label will be inverted: the final effect cumulates with the effect of flags [[manual:appendix:flags#flag-15|-15]] and [[manual:appendix:flags#flag-16|-16]]; |
| | * other bits are ignored. |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
| |
| === The ACTION field === | === The ACTION object === |
| | |
| | The ''<Action>'' object is optional and can be either a single object, a three or a five elements list; if it is a single object: |
| | |
| | * A **command** or **operator** will be ''[[manual:chapter6:operators:cmd_ovr_xeq|XEQ]]'''ted or its name will be inserted in the editor if the command line is active; |
| | * an **identifier** or a **directory** will have all the [[manual:chapter2:menus#the-vars-menu|properties of an entry]] in the ''Vars'' menu; |
| | * a **unit** will have all the [[manual:chapter3:units#operating-with-units|properties of an entry]] in the ''Units'' menu; |
| | * any other object will be ''[[manual:chapter6:operators:cmd_ovr_xeq|XEQ]]'''ted. |
| | |
| | and all these actions will happen whether the softkey is pressed unshifted, shifted or hold-shifted. |
| | |
| | If the ''<Action>'' object is a three elements list: |
| | <code> |
| | { |
| | <Normal_Action> |
| | <Left-Shift_Action> |
| | <Right-Shift_Action> |
| | } |
| | </code> |
| | the user can define three separate actions for unshifted and shifted softkeys. |
| | |
| | If the ''<Action>'' object is a five elements list: |
| | <code> |
| | { |
| | <Normal_Action> |
| | <Left-Shift_Action> |
| | <Right-Shift_Action> |
| | <Left-Shift-Hold_Action> |
| | <Right-Shift-Hold_Action> |
| | } |
| | </code> |
| | the user can define five separate actions for unshifted, shifted and hold-shifted softkeys. |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
| |
| === The HELP field === | === The HELP object === |
| | |
| | The ''<Help>'' object is an optional string that will be displayed in the help area when the softkey is long-pressed; a line break can be inserted using the **RS-DOT** key combination in Alpha mode. |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
| ==== Menus and sub-menus ==== | ==== Menus and sub-menus ==== |
| |
| **newRPL** has two menu areas available to the user which can be exploited to create a two-level menu structure. Since **newRPL** allows the user to choose either **MENU 1** or **MENU 2** as active area, it is more convenient to refer to the two menus not in absolute terms but in __chronological__ terms; in other words, three commands are available to display a custom menu: | **newRPL** has two menu areas available to the user which can be exploited to create a multilevel menu structure. Since **newRPL** allows the user to choose either **MENU 1** or **MENU 2** as active area, it is more convenient to refer to the two menus not in absolute terms but in __chronological__ terms; in other words, three commands are available to display a custom menu: |
| |
| * the already mentioned ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_tmenu|TMENU]]'' which displays the menu on the [[manual:chapter2:menus#using-the-menus-main-active-and-secondary-menus|active menu]] area as controlled by flag [[manual:appendix:flags#flag-11|-11]]; | * the already mentioned ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_tmenu|TMENU]]'' which displays the menu on the [[manual:chapter2:menus#using-the-menus-main-active-and-secondary-menus|active menu]] area as controlled by flag [[manual:appendix:flags#flag-11|-11]]; |
| * ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_tmenuothr|TMENUOTHR]]'' which displays the menu on the area that was **not** used last, be it the active or the secondary area. | * ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_tmenuothr|TMENUOTHR]]'' which displays the menu on the area that was **not** used last, be it the active or the secondary area. |
| | |
| In this way an application can easily create a two-level menu hierarchy and have both levels displayed on the screen at once. Of course, such a structure must be traversed also backwards, therefore three suitable commands are provided: | In this way an application can easily create a multilevel menu hierarchy and have both levels displayed on the screen at once. Of course, such a structure must be traversed also backwards, therefore three suitable commands are provided: |
| |
| * ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_menubk|MENUBK]]'' which displays the previous menu on the [[manual:chapter2:menus#using-the-menus-main-active-and-secondary-menus|active menu]] area; | * ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_menubk|MENUBK]]'' which displays the previous menu on the [[manual:chapter2:menus#using-the-menus-main-active-and-secondary-menus|active menu]] area; |
| * ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_rclmenuothr|RCLMENUOTHR]]'' to recall the menu that was **not** used last. | * ''[[manual:chapter6:flags:cmd_rclmenuothr|RCLMENUOTHR]]'' to recall the menu that was **not** used last. |
| |
| | ---- |
| | |
| | ==== Example: a 3-levels menu template ==== |
| | The following programs build a 3-levels menu: the resulting program is just an empty shell, but demonstrates effectively the following techniques: |
| | |
| | * menu concatenation; |
| | * use of decorations; |
| | * folding and unfolding of third level menu in the secondary area; |
| | * works correctly whether the active area is in **MENU 1** or **MENU 2**. |
| | |
| | ---- |
| | |
| | **__Program__** ''L1'' -- //The top level menu// |
| | <code> |
| | { |
| | { { "File" 1 } :: L2 TMENULST ; "File operations" } |
| | { { "Edit" 0 } :: ; "Edit file" } |
| | { { "Search" 0 } :: ; "Search text" } |
| | { "" } |
| | { "" } |
| | { { "Quit" 0 } :: #00040000h TMENUOTHR #04402000h TMENU ; "Quit application" } |
| | } |
| | </code> |
| | * The ''File'' menu recalls the second level menu, which will be displayed in the same area occupied by the top level menu; |
| | * ''Edit'' and ''Search'' are dummy entries; |
| | * filler softkeys have neither ''<Action>'' nor ''<Help>'' object; |
| | * ''Quit'' restores **MAIN** and ''Vars'' menus. |
| | |
| | ---- |
| | |
| | **__Program__** ''L2'' -- //The second level menu// |
| | <code> |
| | { |
| | { { "New" 0 } :: ; "Create new file" } |
| | { { "Open" 0 } :: ; "Open existing file" } |
| | { { "Save" 1 } :: L3 TMENUOTHR ; "Save file" } |
| | { "" } |
| | { "" } |
| | { "Back" :: { } TMENUOTHR MENUBKLST ; "Back to Main menu" } |
| | } |
| | </code> |
| | * ''Save'' opens the third level menu in the other area, leaving the second level menu still on the screen; |
| | * ''Back'' cleans any third level menu that could have been displayed and restores the top level menu in the same area. |
| | |
| | ---- |
| | |
| | **__Program__** ''L3'' -- //The third level menu// |
| | <code> |
| | { |
| | { "Save" :: ; "Save file" } |
| | { "As..." :: ; "Save with another name" } |
| | { "Copy" :: ; "Save a duplicate" } |
| | { "" } |
| | { "" } |
| | { "Back" :: { } TMENULST MENUBKOTHR ; "Back to Main menu" } |
| | } |
| | </code> |
| | * ''Back'' clears the third level menu and restores the previous menu in the other area which incidentally is the top level menu. |
| | |
| | ---- |
| | |
| | **__Program__** ''MAIN'' -- //Putting everything together// |
| | <code> |
| | « |
| | { } TMENULST |
| | { } TMENUOTHR |
| | L1 TMENU |
| | » |
| | </code> |
| | * The first two lines clean both menus and the third displays the top level menu on the active area. From now on all the execution happens between the menus; |
| | * If flag [[manual:appendix:flags#flag-11|-11]] is toggled the top level menu is displayed in a different area, but the application keeps working in the same way: the first two levels are displayed in one area, the third level is displayed in the other area and when the menus are closed the menu areas are redrawn correctly. |