Anguilla Library Computer Club
Resources

Menu Lesson #2

Menu lesson 1 taught you how to create a simple menu of DOS programs. This lesson gives you the details you need to create an entire menu of choices for a new computer donated to the club.

Activity: Create a Complete Menu

Before you start you will need to find the diskettes containing the install files for all the club programs.

Pkunzip.exe goes in \DOS
Menu tool (Use registered version if available, or shareware version: menu210.zip)
Typing Made Easy (tme.zip)
Spreadsheet (alite.zip)
Googol Math Arcade (googol20.zip)
QuickBasic (qbasic.exe and qbasic.hlp) go in \DOS
DOS Edit (edit.com) goes in \DOS
Thankyou files go in \LCC
Basic02.bas and Basic03.bas files to go in \LCC for Basic Lessons 2 and 3.
Basic Demo/Tutorial (basic04.zip)

You will also need a printed copy of the Club's Resource Document which has installation tips for each lesson. If the computer has EGA/VGA graphics, find the Word Rescue, Math Rescue, and Wonder Word diskettes as well.

Here are some more tips on maintaining the Computer Club's menus:

The bat file should always be called clubmenu.bat and invoke a menu called club in the \clubmenu directory. The Install program will create files called club.bat and club.dat in that directory. Only modify the DAT file!
The first line of the dat file is the title. Change it to Anguilla Computer Club Menu. The first line is followed by three asterisks instead of two ***.
The last line of the club.dat file is the exit message. Modify it to read Type CLUBMENU to re-enter the menu.. The second to last line is a command to be executed on exit from the menu. Leave it as CLS (clear screen). These two lines are separated from the menu items by a line of three asterisks ***.
The batch file is installed in the \DOS or \WINDOWS\COMMAND or \WINDOWS directory, or some other directory that is on the PATH.
Modify the clubmenu.bat to pass /Pointer as a parameter to club.bat:
```
 C:\CLUBMENU\CLUB.BAT /F1 /Cls /Pointer %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
```
This puts a little arrow pointer next to the currently selected menu item, which is useful on many of our mono screens.
Install software in sub-directories of \CLUBMENU, as in \CLUBMENU\TME for Typing Made Easy. Then add the menu choice for that program. Normally the directory path should be the one containing the EXE file.
```
**
Typing Made Easy
C:\CLUBMENU\tme
tme.exe
**
```
Remember that there are two asterisks between menu choices, with three before the first and after the last one. After adding each menu choice, save your modified DAT file and test the menu again.
The sample menu that is created by the Install program demonstrates how you can include text documents as choices using the Show command/program.
You can now remove the four sample menu choices that were created by Install.
Some programs must be initiated with a BAT file. Use the CALL command in the menu. For example, the Basic Demo/Tutorial basic04.zip must be started using learn.bat:
```
**
Basic Demo and Tutorials
\clubmenu\gwbasic
call learn.bat
**
```
When the menu overflows 9 items, use the Install program to create a sub menu. The sub-menu should be named club2 with a batch file of clubm2.bat. Call it from the main menu as the last menu choice:
```
**
More programs...
c:\clubmenu
call c:\clubmenu\clubm2.bat
***
```

You should now have a club menu with all of the software tools needed for the lessons. And you are prepared to add new software to the computer with new menu choices.