Custom Menu Names

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Menu names include the names that appear on the MainBoss menu bar and the names of all items that appear on MainBoss menus. For example, Administration and Custom Text are menu names.

Each menu name used by MainBoss has an associated key. This is a string that MainBoss uses internally to identify the name. Typically, the key is the same (or similar) to the English language version of the menu name.

The ampersand (&) character has a special meaning for Windows menu names. Putting an ampersand immediately in front of a character in a menu name makes that character a keyboard shortcut. For example, writing &Administration makes A a keyboard shortcut for the Administration menu. The letter will be underlined in the MainBoss menu bar; it can also be used as a way to open the menu instead of using the mouse. (Press <Alt+A>.)

When you are creating menu names, it is useful to mark a character in each menu name to make a keyboard shortcut. Ideally, each entry in a menu should have a unique keyboard shortcut character. If you want a custom menu name to contain a real ampersand character (as in "Save & Close") you must type two ampersand characters so that the ampersand is not mistaken for a keyboard shortcut. For example, you must type Save && Close if you want the user to see Save & Close.

Every menu and menu entry has associated information:

• The help text is information that appears in the bottom left of the central MainBoss window when the mouse is pointing to a particular menu item. For example, when the mouse is pointing to Units —> Equipment, you will see the help text Browse equipment table. MainBoss lets you customize the help text at the same time you customize the corresponding menu name.
• The help tip can appear in a small yellow "help bubble" when the user is pointing to the speed bar icon that corresponds to the menu item. MainBoss lets you customize the help tip at the same time you customize the corresponding menu name.

To specify a new menu name, you start in the Custom Text window (described in Creating Custom Text). Click the message file whose label you want to change, then click Menus. MainBoss displays a window that contains the following:

• Menu Key: This drop-down list shows all the menu keys used by MainBoss. To change a particular menu name, you must first find the key in this list.
• Menu Text: The default menu name is shown in the "Default" column. To enter a different menu name, clear the checkmark in the associated Use Default box, then type the new name into the "Custom" column.
• Help Tip: The default help tip (if any) is shown in the "Default" column. To enter a new help tip, clear the checkmark in the associated Use Default box, then type the new help tip into the "Custom" column.
• Default Help Text: The default help text associated with the menu name.
• Custom Help Text: The new help text that you want to use. Note that you cannot type in this field until you clear the checkmark in the associated Use Default box.
• Save: Saves any changes you have made, then closes the window.
• Cancel: Closes the window without saving any changes.

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