What is a Menu system?

A menu system shows the user a list of available options so that one can be chosen to be activated. This list is usually broken down into a number of menu pages which are linked together in some sort of hierarchy.

When development of an application function has been completed the next step is to make it accessible to the users. As an application may be comprised of dozens or even hundreds of different functions, what is required is some sort of mechanism which presents the user with a list of available functions and allows one to be chosen for activation/execution/processing. This is commonly referred to as a menu system. Presenting all available options in a single list is not considered to be a good idea, so the list is usually broken down into a hierarchy of smaller units or "pages". An option on any page may be an application function or another (sub) menu.

Some menu systems are "static" in that the contents are hard coded and cannot be amended without changing program code. A "dynamic" menu system obtains its contents from a database and usually comes with a set of maintenance screens which allow the menu details to be modified without the need to change any program code. RADICORE uses a "dynamic" menu system which makes options available in two separate sets - menu buttons and navigation buttons.

Because the menu details share common database tables with the security system the RADICORE framework is able to automatically filter out any menu options to which the user does not have access. This means that the same structure of menu screens will appear to have different content to people with different security requirements.

The system used within RADICORE has a design document and a separate user manual.

Published: 09 April 2006