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NAME ^

Term::Menus - Create Powerful Terminal, Console and CMD Enviroment Menus

SYNOPSIS ^

use Term::Menus;

see METHODS section below

DESCRIPTION ^

Term::Menus allows you to create powerful Terminal, Console and CMD environment menus. Any perl script used in a Terminal, Console or CMD environment can now include a menu facility that includes sub-menus, forward and backward navigation, single or multiple selection capabilities, dynamic item creation and customized banners. All this power is simple to implement with a straight forward and very intuitive configuration hash structure that mirrors the actual menu architechture needed by the application. A separate configuration file is optional. Term::Menus is cross platform compatible.

Term::Menus is a stand-alone - other CPAN modules are not needed for its implementation ( so it's *easy* to install! ;-) )

Term::Menus was initially conceived and designed to work seemlessly with the perl based Network Process Automation Utility Module called Net::FullAuto (Available in CPAN :-) - however, it is not itself dependant on other Net::FullAuto components, and will work with *any* perl script/application.

Reasons to use this module are:

More examples are in the EXAMPLES section below.

Usage questions should be directed to the Usenet newsgroup comp.lang.perl.modules.

Contact me, Brian Kelly <Brian.Kelly@fullautosoftware.net>, if you find any bugs or have suggestions for improvements.

What To Know Before Using

METHODS ^

pick - create a simple menu
    $pick = &pick ($list|\@list|['list',...],[$Banner]);

Where $list is a variable containing a array or list reference. This argument can also be a escaped array (sending a reference) or an anonymous array (which also sends a reference).

$Banner is an optional argument sending a customized Banner to top the simple menu - giving instructions, descriptions, etc. The default is "Please Pick an Item:"

Menu - create a complex Menu
    $pick  = &Menu ($list|\@list|['list',...],[$Banner]);

Where $pick is a variable containing a array or list reference of the pick or picks.

    @picks = &Menu ($Menu_1|\%Menu_1|{ Label => 'Menu_1' });

Where $Menu_1 is a hash reference to the top level Menu Configuration Hash Structure.

Menu Configuration Hash Structures

These are the building blocks of the overall Menu architecture. Each hash structure represents a menu screen. A single menu layer, has only one hash structure defining it. A menu with a single sub-menu will have two hash structures. The menus connect via the Result element of an Item - Item_1 - hash structure in parent menu %Menu_1:

   my %Menu_2=(

      Label  => 'Menu_2',
      Item_1 => {

         Text   => "]Previous[ is a ]Convey[ Utility",
         Convey => [ 'Good','Bad' ]
      },

      Select => 'One',
      Banner => "\n   Choose an Answer :"
   );

   my %Menu_1=(

      Label  => 'Menu_1',
      Item_1 => {

         Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
         Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
         Result => \%Menu_2,

      },

      Select => 'One',
      Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
   );

Menu Component Elements

Each Menu Configuration Hash Structure consists of elements that define and control it's behavior, appearance, constitution and purpose. An element's syntax is as you would expect it to be in perl - a key string pointing to an assocaited value: key => value. The following items list supported key names and ther associated value types:

Item Congfiguration Hash Structures

Each Menu Item can have an independant configurtion. Each Menu Configuration Hash Structure consists of elements that define and control it's behavior, appearance, constitution and purpose. An element's syntax is as you would expect it to be in perl - a key string pointing to an assocaited value: key => value. The following items list supported key names and ther associated value types:

Item Congfiguration Macros

Each Menu Item can utilize a very powerful set of configuration Macros. These constructs principally act as purveyors of information - from one menu to another, from one element to another. There are currently three available Macros:

USAGE and NAVIGATION ^

Usage of &pick() and/or &Menu() during the runtime of a script in which one or both are included, is simple and intuitive. Nearly everything the end user needs in terms of instruction is included on-screen. The script-writer/developer/programmer can also include whatever instructions s/he deems necessary and/or helpful in the customizable Banner (as described above). There is however, one important feature about using &Menu() with sub-menus that's important to know about.

Forward ' > ' and Backward ' < ' Navigation

When working with more than one &Menu() screen, it's valuable to know how to navigate back and forth between the different &Menu() levels/layers. For example, above was illustrated the output for two layers of menus - a parent and a child:

The user sees ==>

   Choose a /bin Utility :

      1.        /bin Utility - arch
      2.        /bin Utility - ash
      3.        /bin Utility - awk
      4.        /bin Utility - basename
      5.        /bin Utility - bash
      6.        /bin Utility - cat
      7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
      8.        /bin Utility - chmod
      9.        /bin Utility - chown
      10.       /bin Utility - cp

   a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
   f.  Finish.

   93 Total Choices

   Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

   OR "u" to scroll upward  (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

--< 5 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

The user sees ==>

   Choose an Answer :

      1.        bash is a Good Utility
      2.        bash is a Bad Utility

   (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

In the above example, suppose that the user "fat-fingered" his/her choice, and really didn't want to "bash" bash, but wanted to bash awk instead. Is restarting the whole script/application now necessary? Suppose it was a process that had run overnight, and the user is seeing this menu through fogged glasses from the steam rising out of their morning coffee? Having to run the whole job again would not be welcome news for the BOSS. THANKFULLY, navigation makes this situation avoidable. All the user would have to do is type ' < ' to go backward to the previous menu, and ' > ' to go forward to the next menu (assuming there is one in each case):

The user sees ==>

   Choose an Answer :

      1.        bash is a Good Utility
      2.        bash is a Bad Utility

   (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

 --<  >  >-<ENTER>-----------------------------

The user sees ==>

   Choose a /bin Utility :

      1.        /bin Utility - arch
      2.        /bin Utility - ash
      3.        /bin Utility - awk
      4.        /bin Utility - basename
   -  5.        /bin Utility - bash
      6.        /bin Utility - cat
      7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
      8.        /bin Utility - chmod
      9.        /bin Utility - chown
      10.       /bin Utility - cp

   a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
   f.  Finish.

   93 Total Choices

   Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

   OR "u" to scroll upward  (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

Note in the above example the Dash ' - ' in front of item 5. This informs the user that s/he had previously selected this item. To clear the selection, the user would simply choose item 5 again. This effectively deletes the previous choice and restores the menu for a new selection. If the user was satisfied with the choice, and was simply double checking thier selection, they simply repeat the navigation process by typing ' > ' - then <ENTER> - and returning to the child menu they left.

If the child menu was a multiple-selection menu, and the user had made some selections before navigating back to the parent menu, the user would see a ' + ' rather than a ' - '. This informs the user that selections were made in the child menu.

   Choose a /bin Utility :

      1.        /bin Utility - arch
      2.        /bin Utility - ash
      3.        /bin Utility - awk
      4.        /bin Utility - basename
   +  5.        /bin Utility - bash
      6.        /bin Utility - cat
      7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
      8.        /bin Utility - chmod
      9.        /bin Utility - chown
      10.       /bin Utility - cp

   a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
   f.  Finish.

   93 Total Choices

   Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

   OR "u" to scroll upward  (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

View Sorted Items ' % '

When working with numerous items in a single menu, it may be desirable to see the set of choices organized in either descending or reverse acscii order. Term::Menus provides this feature with the Percent ' % ' key. Simply type ' % ' and the items will be sorted in descending ascii order. Type ' % ' again, and you will see the items reverse sorted. Assume that we have the following menus.

The user sees ==>

   Please select all files for immediate transfer:

   *  1.        addr2name.awk has  **NOT**  been transferred
   *  2.        awk.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
      3.        gawk-3.1.4.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
   *  4.        gawk.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
      5.        igawk has  **NOT**  been transferred
      6.        pgawk-3.1.4.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
      7.        pgawk.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
   *  8.        822-date has been transferred
      9.        DllPlugInTester.exe has been transferred
   *  10.       ELFDump.exe has been transferred

   a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
   f.  Finish.

   929 Total Choices

   Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

   OR "u" to scroll upward  (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

--< % >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

The user sees ==>

   Please select all files for immediate transfer:

   *  8.        822-date has been transferred
      9.        DllPlugInTester.exe has been transferred
   *  10.       ELFDump.exe has been transferred
      11.       GraphicsMagick++-config has been transferred
      12.       GraphicsMagick-config has been transferred
      13.       X11 has been transferred
      14.       [.exe has been transferred
      15.       a2p.exe has been transferred
      16.       aclocal has been transferred
      17.       aclocal-1.4 has been transferred

   a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
   f.  Finish.

   929 Total Choices

   Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

   OR "u" to scroll upward  (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

And if we choose to enter ' % ' again

--< % >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

The user sees ==>

   Please select all files for immediate transfer:

      929.      znew has been transferred
      928.      zmore has been transferred
      927.      zless has been transferred
      926.      zipsplit.exe has been transferred
      925.      zipnote.exe has been transferred
      924.      zipinfo has been transferred
      923.      zipgrep has been transferred
      922.      zipcloak.exe has been transferred
      921.      zip.exe has been transferred
      920.      zgrep has been transferred

   a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
   f.  Finish.

   929 Total Choices

   Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

   OR "u" to scroll upward  (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

This submenu of selections works just like any other menu. The user can deselect an item, clear all items, re-choose all items, etc. The choices made here are preserved when-or-if the user navigates back to the original (parent) menu. In other words, if Item 1. is deselected in the sorted menu, Item 1. will also be deselected in the parent menu above.

View Summary of Selected Items ' * '

When working with numerous items in a single menu, it is desirable to see the set of choices made before leaving the menu and committing to a non-returnable forward (perhaps even critical) process. Term::Menus provides this feature with the Star ' * ' key. Assume we have the following menu with 93 Total Choices. Assume further that we have selected items 1,3,9 & 11. Note that we cannot see Item 11 on the first screen since this menu is configured to show only 10 Items at a time.

The user sees ==>

   Choose a /bin Utility :

   *  1.        /bin Utility - arch
      2.        /bin Utility - ash
   *  3.        /bin Utility - awk
      4.        /bin Utility - basename
      5.        /bin Utility - bash
      6.        /bin Utility - cat
      7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
      8.        /bin Utility - chmod
   *  9.        /bin Utility - chown
      10.       /bin Utility - cp

   a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
   f.  Finish.

   93 Total Choices

   Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

   OR "u" to scroll upward  (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

--< * >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

The user sees ==>

   Choose a /bin Utility :

   *  1.        /bin Utility - arch
   *  3.        /bin Utility - awk
   *  9.        /bin Utility - chown
   *  11.       /bin Utility - cpio

   (Press "q" to quit)

   PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

This submenu of selections works just like any other menu. The user can deselect an item, clear all items, re-choose all items, etc. The choices made here are preserved when-or-if the user navigates back to the original (parent) menu. In other words, if Item 1. is deselected in the summary menu, Item 1. will also be deselected in the parent menu above.

EXAMPLES ^

AUTHOR ^

Brian M. Kelly <Brian.Kelly@fullautosoftware.net>

COPYRIGHT ^

Copyright (C) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 by Brian M. Kelly.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License. (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php).