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how_to_create_an_mdi_menu.htm
Navigation:  How To's and Troubleshooting > How to… >====== How to Create an MDI Menu ====== Previous pageReturn to chapter overviewNext page

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Multiple Document Interface applications make special demands upon a program. Often, the program may support a variety of document windows, each of which has a slightly different set of commands from which the user may select.

Normally in this situation, the programmer writes code to monitor which window is active, then changes the menu and toolbar to reflect the options available to the user. Clarion does this automatically.

To create menus for MDI applications:

1.Create a master menu for the APPLICATION frame window.

Most likely, this will include a File menu and a Help menu, since they contain functions that are available even when no document windows are open.

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Clarion's Application Frame procedure template comes with a predefined menu with many of the most common functions already provided for you.

You will use the Window Designer's Menu Editor to create your menus. Be sure to choose the FIRST attribute for the File MENU, and the LAST attribute for the Help MENU from the Position drop down list. This ensures that when Clarion merges this global menu with local menus, File and Help will keep their correct positions.

2.Plan the additional menus for the child windows.

Can they all share the same menu titles? Do they share many of the same commands? Ideally, most of the MENUs and ITEMs can be active in all the child windows. If there are only a few commands specific to certain windows, plan on disabling those MENUs and ITEMs in the windows that don't support them, and enabling them in those that do.

3.Create the menu for the first child window.

Again, you will use the Window Designer's Menu Editor to create the menu. Add any window-specific MENUs to the first child window. That is, the window-specific MENUs the application frame lacks–such as Edit, Insert, etc.

Optionally, add a File MENU to the first child window. This is necessary only if the child window needs an ITEM on the File MENU that is not already included on the application's File MENU. For example, adding a Close command might be appropriate. If so, add the File MENU to the first child window. Add the Close ITEM to the File MENU.

Add the Window MENU to the first child window. Window MENUs are standard for most windows programs. A typical Window MENU includes the following ITEMs: “Arrange Icons,” “Tile,” “Cascade,” plus a document (windows) list that displays all open child windows and allows the user to switch between them. In many cases this entire MENU, including the document list, can be implemented with standard ID's (StdID's).

4.Exit the Menu Editor and save the menu.

5.Test the interaction of these first two menus.

Do they merge the way you planned? Are the correct selections available for the window with focus? Make any adjustments with the Menu Editor.

6.Repeat steps 3 through 5 for other child windows.

how_to_create_an_mdi_menu.htm.txt · Last modified: 2021/04/15 15:57 by 127.0.0.1