Using the V2 Menu
Related Topics
| Forms | See also |
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V2 forms: |
Overview
The CCLAS menu comes in two styles: the V3 Menu which is .NET-based and the classic V2 Menu. This process addresses the V2 Menu. Also refer to Using the V3 Menu.
The CCLAS EL Version 2 menu allows you to launch all of the individual CCLAS EL Version 2 applications or other frequently-used applications to which you have access.
A number of keyboard shortcuts are available to allow the staff member to log in and out, open another menu file, or close the application.
As the system is learnt, the CCLAS EL menu can be by-passed, although security restrictions are applied still.
Process
Double-click the red and black CCLAS icon 
on the desktop to launch the V2 Menu, that is, the Cclas.exe application.
Note: All CCLAS EL applications can be launched from a shortcut or directly from the command line. Refer to Launching Applications without using the Menu.
When the V2 Menu starts up or when its main window is closed, then the picture defined by the ApplicationPicture GLOBALsetting, located in the folder defined by the PictureDirectory GLOBALsetting, displays.
Which Menu is Used?
The StartMenu CCLAS program setting contains the name of the menu file run for a staff member.
If a menu is not defined for the staff member, then the one defined for the staff member's role is used, and if that one is not defined, then the one defined for CCLASMGR is used, that is, CCLASMGR.MNU.
Menu files are looked for in the folder defined by the LoginDirectory GLOBAL setting.
Menu File Structure
The main menu is a text file with specific structure and tag types:
Directly edit the V2 Menu file
Various menu icons are used on forms where there is a browser containing Folder Items nodes and the list-view panel.
Menu Icons
Menu Window
The MenuTitle CCLAS program setting defines the title or caption of the menu.
The FormBackColour CCLAS program setting defines the background colour of the menu.
The InputBackColour, InputForeColour, LabelBackColour and LabelForeColour CCLAS program settings define the colours used to display input text and labels of CCLAS EL forms.
The FontName and FontSize CCLAS program setting define the font used on CCLAS EL forms.
The SystemFontName CCLAS program setting defines the font to be used by the operating system.
Window Style
The V2 Menu allows for either the classic menu style or for a browser-based style. The browser-based style is a tree-view list style menu, similar to that used in many CCLAS EL applications.
Where the ShowBrowser CCLAS program setting is enabled, then the browser-based menu style is presented, and where disabled, then the classic menu style is presented. The BrowserWindow CCLAS program setting defines the position and size of the CCLAS tree-view browser menu-style window.
If the AllowToggle CCLAS program setting is enabled, then the F8 function key toggles between the two styles.
The Classic Menu Style
The classic menu style allows for the access of CCLAS EL applications via icons in a strip bar. The menu items hold shortcuts to the various CCLAS EL applications.
The Window CCLAS program setting defines the size and position of the Classic Menu style window.
The GroupCaptionColour CCLAS program setting defines the colour used for the group captions in the Classic Menu style.
The ItemCaptionColour CCLAS program setting defines the colour used for the menu items in the Classic Menu style.
The BackgroundColour CCLAS program setting defines the colour used for the background of the Classic Menu style.
The classic menu style allows staff members edit their menu to change properties or add items, etc. Before doing this, ensure that the file is first saved under a new file name, otherwise the original CCLAS EL menu file may become corrupted during the edit process.
Edit the CCLAS 2 Menu via the classic menu style
The Browser-based Menu Style
The biggest advantage of the browser-based menu style is that for each group in the menu, it is possible to host a customised CCLAS EL dashboard within the menu application, so that, as the menu groups are navigated through, in-built dashboards (which could be automatically updated on a timer basis) are presented to the user, for example, to either provide reminders, show important tasks requiring completion, or show key process indicators. These forms are designed and built within the standard CCLAS EL form designer tool.
The CCLAS EL applications are accessed via nodes in the Folder Items panel on the left-hand side of the screen.
When the CCLAS Menu is launched, the groups and item nodes for each CCLAS EL application are constructed and displayed to the user.
CCLAS 2 Menu application logic
The screen (SCR) file defined in the CCLAS EL menu file for the top [CCLAS] node, or in the node for the selected menu group, displays in the right-hand side of the screen, and typically displays relevant to the menu group.
For each application node in the menu, the display on the right-hand side of the menu is customisable by using program settings to select which columns of data from the related table are displayed, to display a query form to allow the user to enter criteria to then filter the records for display, and to apply actions to selected or all records.
The browser-based menu style support the generation of Crystal Reports based upon the records displayed in the browser.
The browser-based menu style gives the staff member no option to edit the menu, to change properties or add items, etc. This can only be done from the classic menu style.
