A normal requirement from "standard" computer software is the need for "custom" routines. Although specific custom routines may NOT be compatible with future releases, there are times when a custom routine is the correct solution. The traditional problem with custom routines is that there is not a way to select the custom routines in the standard software. The APS menu structure has the capability to add those routines as part of the regular menu display. This means that when an APS menu is displayed there is an additional selection that is the custom selection. The custom selection may be a single routine or another menu that has multiple selections.
To use the custom menu capability, create a text file by the name of APMENU.TXT. Each of the APS menus looks for the APMENU.TXT file and then if it is found, it is read looking for a custom line for that particular menu. If a custom menu line is found, the menu then adds the extra line to the menu screen display. This feature allows a store to add a line onto one specific menu, but keep the display of all the other menus unchanged. An entry in the APMENU.TXT file consists of three fields separated by two backslashes "\". For example:
MM \ MSTR1.CMD \ Special routine for loans
The first field is a menu code that tells the system which menu is to have the custom line. The second field is the command file to execute when selected. The third field is the text to display on the screen, the maximum length of the text string is 32 characters. A comment may be entered to the right of the text by putting a semicolon ";" at the end of the text. The valid first field codes and the menu that will display the text are:
Code Menu Name
MM Master Menu
DB Daily Business
DP Display / Print
IF Inventory / Firearm
SM Store Management
SS Store & System Utilities
Following is a sample APMENU.TXT file; it has entries for all six of the menus of the APS software. Note that a semicolon ";" defines a comment and the rest of the line is ignored. A semicolon in column one of a line, makes the entire line a comment.
Sample APMENU.TXT
;===========================================================
; Sample APMENU.TXT file
; +----- Field one, the menu code, a two character code:
; | +-- Field two, the command to execute when selected.
; | | A 'DO' file may exist in the MPPN ie [135,1],
; | | the LIB ie [135,0],
; | | or the CMD ie DSK0:[2,2]
; | | A 'CMD' must exist in the MPPN ie [135,1]
; | | +-- Field three is the text to be displayed.
; | | |
; | | | Maximum of 32 characters in the text
; / | |
MM \ CUSTC1.CMD \Custom Master Menu ; past the
DB \ CUSDAY.DO \Custom Daily business text. ; semicolon is
DP \ CUSTD1.DO \Custom Display / Print ; a comment
IF \ INVFIR.DO \Custom Inventory / Firearms
SM \ STRMGT.DO \Custom Store Management
SS \ STRSYS.DO \Custom System Menu
;
; The command or do file in the second field will execute a
; program and when complete, the command file should execute
; the menu program in order to redisplay the original menu.
; In the lines above, the command CUSTC1.CMD, is selected from
; the Master Menu. Below is a three line example of CUSTC1.CMD.
; The command will run the custom program and then run
; the Master Menu program.
;
:T ; Use the TRACE command to display all lines.
RUN CUSPGM ; Custom program
RUN PWN110 ; Restart the Master Menu program.
; End of sample command file.
