Creating, converting, and modifying menu files

Menus create a simple front end to the users' working environment. They make it easy to access network resources by presenting a list of options instead of requiring the user to enter cryptic DOS commands.

Menus can be shared by multiple users, requiring the creation of fewer menus. Or, for the unique requirements of some users, custom menus can be easily created as needed.

In NetWare 4, NMENU.BAT replaces the MENU.EXE utility included in earlier versions of NetWare. The NMENU files are easy to script, require less memory, and run faster than did the old MENU utility files.

Existing menu files from earlier NetWare versions can be easily converted for use by the newer NMENU program (see ``Converting old menu files''). The NMENU utility works on all versions of NetWare 2, NetWare 3, and NetWare 4.

Because NMENU relies on special files to execute, (and those files that are dependent upon a few special commands) this topic focuses on use of the scripting commands that make up a menu file.

This topic is organized as follows:

• Guidelines for planning your menus are located in ``Planning your menus''.

• Commands and their usage are explained in ``Using the NMENU commands''.

• Several example programs are given in ``Creating a menu file''.

• Making menus available to users is explained in ``Setting up the user environment''

• Converting old menu files is explained in ``Converting old menu files''.