NAME

    Term::Menus - Create Powerful Terminal, Console and CMD Enviroment Menus

SYNOPSIS

    "use Term::Menus;"

    see METHODS section below

DESCRIPTION

    Term::Menus allows you to create powerful Terminal, Console and CMD
    environment menus. Any perl script used in a Terminal, Console or CMD
    environment can now include a menu facility that includes sub-menus,
    forward and backward navigation, single or multiple selection
    capabilities, dynamic item creation and customized banners. All this
    power is simple to implement with a straight forward and very intuitive
    configuration hash structure that mirrors the actual menu architechture
    needed by the application. A separate configuration file is optional.
    Term::Menus is cross platform compatible.

    Term::Menus is a stand-alone - other CPAN modules are not needed for its
    implementation ( so it's *easy* to install! ;-) )

    Term::Menus was initially conceived and designed to work seemlessly with
    the perl based Network Process Automation Utility Module called
    Net::FullAuto (Available in CPAN :-) - however, it is not itself
    dependant on other Net::FullAuto components, and will work with *any*
    perl script/application.

    Reasons to use this module are:

    * You have a list (or array) of items, and wish to present the user a
      simple CMD enviroment menu to pick a single item and return that item
      as a scalar (or simple string). Example:

         use Term::Menus;

         my @list=('First Item','Second Item','Third Item');
         my $banner="  Please Pick an Item:";
         my $selection=&pick(\@list,$banner);
         print "SELECTION = $selection\n";

      The user sees ==>

         Please Pick an Item:

            1.        First Item
            2.        Second Item
            3.        Third Item

         (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 2 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

      The user sees ==>

         SELECTION = Second Item

    * You have a large list of items and need scrolling capability:

         use Term::Menus;

         my @list=`ls -1 /bin`;
         my $banner="   Please Pick an Item:";
         my $selection=&pick(\@list,$banner);
         print "SELECTION = $selection\n";

      The user sees ==>

         Please Pick an Item:

            1.        arch
            2.        ash
            3.        awk
            4.        basename
            5.        bash
            6.        cat
            7.        chgrp
            8.        chmod
            9.        chown
            10.       cp

         93 Total Choices

         Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

         OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --<ENTER>--------------------------------------

         Please Pick an Item:

            11.       cpio
            12.       csh
            13.       cut
            14.       date
            15.       dd
            16.       df
            17.       echo
            18.       ed
            19.       egrep
            20.       env

         93 Total Choices

         Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

         OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 14 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

      The user sees ==>

         SELECTION = date

    * You need to select multiple items and return the selected list:

         use Term::Menus;

         my @list=`ls -1 /bin`;
         my %Menu_1=(

            Item_1 => {

               Text    => "/bin Utility - ]Convey[",
               Convey  => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],

            },

            Select => 'Many',
            Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
         );

         my @selections=&Menu(\%Menu_1);
         print "SELECTIONS = @selections\n";

      The user sees ==>

         Choose a /bin Utility :

            1.        /bin Utility - arch
            2.        /bin Utility - ash
            3.        /bin Utility - awk
            4.        /bin Utility - basename
            5.        /bin Utility - bash
            6.        /bin Utility - cat
            7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
            8.        /bin Utility - chmod
            9.        /bin Utility - chown
            10.       /bin Utility - cp

         a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
         f.  Finish.

         93 Total Choices

         Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

         OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 3 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

      --< 7 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

      The user sees ==>

         Choose a /bin Utility :

            1.        /bin Utility - arch
            2.        /bin Utility - ash
         *  3.        /bin Utility - awk
            4.        /bin Utility - basename
            5.        /bin Utility - bash
            6.        /bin Utility - cat
         *  7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
            8.        /bin Utility - chmod
            9.        /bin Utility - chown
            10.       /bin Utility - cp

         a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
         f.  Finish.

         93 Total Choices

         Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

         OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< f >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

      The user sees ==>

         SELECTIONS = /bin Utility - awk /bin Utility - chgrp

    * You need sub-menus:

         use Term::Menus;

         my %Menu_2=(

            Label  => 'Menu_2',
            Item_1 => {

               Text   => "]Previous[ is a ]Convey[ Utility",
               Convey => [ 'Good','Bad' ]

            },

            Select => 'One',
            Banner => "\n   Choose an Answer :"
         );

         my %Menu_1=(

            Label  => 'Menu_1',
            Item_1 => {

               Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
               Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
               Result => \%Menu_2,

            },

            Select => 'One',
            Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
         );

         my $selection=&Menu(\%Menu_1);
         print "\n   SELECTION=$selection\n";

      The user sees ==>

         Choose a /bin Utility :

            1.        /bin Utility - arch
            2.        /bin Utility - ash
            3.        /bin Utility - awk
            4.        /bin Utility - basename
            5.        /bin Utility - bash
            6.        /bin Utility - cat
            7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
            8.        /bin Utility - chmod
            9.        /bin Utility - chown
            10.       /bin Utility - cp

         a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
         f.  Finish.

         93 Total Choices

         Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

         OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 5 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

         Choose an Answer :

            1.        bash is a Good Utility
            2.        bash is a Bad Utility

         (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 1 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

      The user sees ==>

         SELECTIONS = bash is a Good Utility

    * You want to use perl subroutines to create the text items and/or
      banner:

         use Term::Menus;

         sub create_items {

            my $previous=shift;
            my @textlines=();
            push @textlines, "$previous is a Good Utility";
            push @textlines, "$previous is a Bad Utility";
            return @textlines;
                   ## return value must NOT be an array
                   ## not an array reference

         }

         sub create_banner {

            my $previous=shift;
            return "\n   Choose an Answer for $previous :"
                   ## return value MUST be a string for banner

         }

         my %Menu_2=(

            Label  => 'Menu_2',
            Item_1 => {

               Text   => "]Convey[",
               Convey => "create_items(]Previous[)",

            },

            Select => 'One',
            Banner => "create_banner(]Previous[)",

         );

         my %Menu_1=(

            Label  => 'Menu_1',
            Item_1 => {

               Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
               Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
               Result => \%Menu_2,

            },

            Select => 'One',
            Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
         );

         my @selection=&Menu(\%Menu_1);
         print "\n   SELECTION=@selection\n";

      The user sees ==>

         Choose a /bin Utility :

            1.        /bin Utility - arch
            2.        /bin Utility - ash
            3.        /bin Utility - awk
            4.        /bin Utility - basename
            5.        /bin Utility - bash
            6.        /bin Utility - cat
            7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
            8.        /bin Utility - chmod
            9.        /bin Utility - chown
            10.       /bin Utility - cp

         a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
         f.  Finish.

         93 Total Choices

         Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

         OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 5 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

         Choose an Answer for bash :

            1.        bash is a Good Utility
            2.        bash is a Bad Utility

         (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 1 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

      The user sees ==>

         SELECTION = bash is a Good Utility

    * You want to use perl closures to create the text items and/or banner:

         use Term::Menus;

         my $create_items = sub {

            my $previous=shift;
            my @textlines=();
            push @textlines, "$previous is a Good Utility";
            push @textlines, "$previous is a Bad Utility";
            return \@textlines;
                   ## return value must an array reference

         };

         my $create_banner = sub {

            my $previous=shift;
            return "\n   Choose an Answer for $previous :"
                   ## return value MUST be a string for banner

         };

         my %Menu_2=(

            Label  => 'Menu_2',
            Item_1 => {

               Text   => "]Convey[",
               Convey => $create_items->(']Previous['),

            },

            Select => 'One',
            Banner => $create_banner->("]Previous["),

         );

         my %Menu_1=(

            Label  => 'Menu_1',
            Item_1 => {

               Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
               Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
               Result => \%Menu_2,

            },

            Select => 'One',
            Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
         );

         my @selection=&Menu(\%Menu_1);
         print "\n   SELECTION=@selection\n";

      The user sees ==>

         Choose a /bin Utility :

            1.        /bin Utility - arch
            2.        /bin Utility - ash
            3.        /bin Utility - awk
            4.        /bin Utility - basename
            5.        /bin Utility - bash
            6.        /bin Utility - cat
            7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
            8.        /bin Utility - chmod
            9.        /bin Utility - chown
            10.       /bin Utility - cp

         a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
         f.  Finish.

         93 Total Choices

         Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

         OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 5 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

         Choose an Answer for bash :

            1.        bash is a Good Utility
            2.        bash is a Bad Utility

         (Type "quit" to quit)

         PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

      --< 1 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

      The user sees ==>

         SELECTION = bash is a Good Utility

    More examples are in the EXAMPLES section below.

    Usage questions should be directed to the Usenet newsgroup
    comp.lang.perl.modules.

    Contact me, Brian Kelly <Brian.Kelly@fullautosoftware.net>, if you find
    any bugs or have suggestions for improvements.

  What To Know Before Using
    * There are two methods available with Term::Menus - &pick() and
      &Menu(). "&Menu()" uses "&pick()" - you can get the same results using
      only "&Menu()". However, if you need to simply pick one item from a
      single list - use "&pick()". The syntax is simpler, and you'll write
      less code. ;-)

    * You'll need to be running at least Perl version 5.002 to use this
      module. This module does not require any libraries that don't already
      come with a standard Perl distribution.

METHODS

    pick - create a simple menu
            $pick = &pick ($list|\@list|['list',...],[$Banner]);

        Where *$list* is a variable containing a array or list reference.
        This argument can also be a escaped array (sending a reference) or
        an anonymous array (which also sends a reference).

        *$Banner* is an optional argument sending a customized Banner to top
        the simple menu - giving instructions, descriptions, etc. The
        default is "Please Pick an Item:"

    Menu - create a complex Menu
            $pick  = &Menu ($list|\@list|['list',...],[$Banner]);

        Where *$pick* is a variable containing a array or list reference of
        the pick or picks.

            @picks = &Menu ($Menu_1|\%Menu_1|{ Label => 'Menu_1' });

        Where *$Menu_1* is a hash reference to the top level Menu
        Configuration Hash Structure.

  Menu Configuration Hash Structures

        These are the building blocks of the overall Menu architecture. Each
        hash structure represents a *menu screen*. A single menu layer, has
        only one hash structure defining it. A menu with a single sub-menu
        will have two hash structures. The menus connect via the "Result"
        element of an *Item* - "Item_1" - hash structure in parent menu
        %Menu_1:

           my %Menu_2=(

              Label  => 'Menu_2',
              Item_1 => {

                 Text   => "]Previous[ is a ]Convey[ Utility",
                 Convey => [ 'Good','Bad' ]
              },

              Select => 'One',
              Banner => "\n   Choose an Answer :"
           );

           my %Menu_1=(

              Label  => 'Menu_1',
              Item_1 => {

                 Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
                 Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
                 Result => \%Menu_2,

              },

              Select => 'One',
              Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
           );

   Menu Component Elements

    Each Menu Configuration Hash Structure consists of elements that define
    and control it's behavior, appearance, constitution and purpose. An
    element's syntax is as you would expect it to be in perl - a key string
    pointing to an assocaited value: "key => value". The following items
    list supported key names and ther associated value types:

    *   Display => 'Integer'

        * The *Display* key is an *optional* key that determines the number
          of Menu Items that will be displayed on each screen. This is
          useful when the items are multi-lined, or the screen size is
          bigger or smaller than the default number utilizes in the most
          practical fashion. The default number is 10.

             Display => 15,

    *   Label => 'Char String consisting of ASCII Characters'

        * The *Label* key provides a unique identifier to each Menu
          Structure. *Every Menu Configuration Hash Structure must have a
          valid and unique Label element* Otherwise "&Menu()" will throw an
          error.

             Label => 'Menu_1',

    *   Item_<int> => { Item Configuration Hash Structure }

        * The *Item_<int>* elements define customized menu items. There are
          essentially two methods for creating menu items: The *Item_<int>*
          elements, and the "]Convey[" macro (described later). The
          difference being that the "]Convey[" macro turns an Item
          Conguration Hash into an Item *Template* -> a powerful way to
          *Item*-ize large lists or quantities of data that would otherwise
          be difficult - even impossible - to anticipate and cope with
          manually.

             Item_1 => { Text => 'Item 1' },
             Item_2 => { Text => 'Item 2' },

          Items created via "]Convey[" macros have two drawbacks:

          * They all have the same format.

          * They all share the same "Result" element.

          The syntax and usage of *Item_<int>* elements is important and
          extensive enough warrant it's own section. See *Item Configuration
          Hash Structures* below.

    *   Select => 'One' --or-- 'Many'

        * The MENU LEVEL *Select* element determines whether this particular
          menu layer allows the selection of multiple items - or a single
          item. The default is 'One'.

             Select => 'Many',

    *   Banner => 'Char String consisting of ASCII Characters'

        * The *Banner* element provides a customized descriptive header to
          the menu. *$Banner* is an optional element - giving instructions,
          descriptions, etc. The default is "Please Pick an Item:"

             Banner => "The following items are for selection,\n".
                       "\tEnjoy the Experience!",

          NOTE: Macros (like "]Previous[" ) *can* be used in Banners! :-) (
          See Item Configuration Macros below )

   Item Congfiguration Hash Structures

    Each Menu Item can have an independant configurtion. Each Menu
    Configuration Hash Structure consists of elements that define and
    control it's behavior, appearance, constitution and purpose. An
    element's syntax is as you would expect it to be in perl - a key string
    pointing to an assocaited value: key => value. The following items list
    supported key names and ther associated value types:

    *   Text => 'Char String consisting of ASCII Characters'

        * The *Text* element provides a customized descriptive string for
          the Item. It is the text the user will see displayed, describing
          the selection.

             Text => 'This is Item_1',

    *   Convey => [ List ] --or-- @List --or-- $Scalar --or-- 'ASCII String'

        * The *Convey* element has a twofold purpose; it provides for the
          contents of the "]Convey[" macro, and defines or contains the
          string or result that is passed on to child menus - if any. Use of
          this configuration element is *optional*. If "Convey" is not a
          list, then it's value is passed onto child menus. If "Convey" *is*
          a list, then the Item selected is passed onto the children - if
          any. It is important to note, *when used*, that only the resulting
          *Convey* string - *NOT* the the Item "Text" value or string, is
          conveyed to child menus. When the "Convey" element is not used,
          the full Item "Text" value is conveyed to the children - if any.
          However, the full contents of the "Text" element is *returned* as
          the *Result* of the operation when the user completes all menu
          activity. See the *Macro* section below for more information.

             Convey => [ `ls -1` ] ,

    *   Default => 'Char String' --or-- Perl regular expression - qr/.../

        * The *Default* element provides a means to pre-select certain
          elements, as if the items were selected by the user. This can be
          done with two constructs - simple string or pre-compiled regular
          expression. Note: The "Default" element is available only when the
          "Select" element is set to 'Many' - "Select =" 'Many',>

             Default => 'base|chown',

             Default => qr/base|chown/i,

          The user sees ==>

             Choose a /bin Utility :

                1.        /bin Utility - arch
                2.        /bin Utility - ash
                3.        /bin Utility - awk
             *  4.        /bin Utility - basename
                5.        /bin Utility - bash
                6.        /bin Utility - cat
                7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
                8.        /bin Utility - chmod
             *  9.        /bin Utility - chown
                10.       /bin Utility - cp

             a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
             f.  Finish.

             93 Total Choices

             Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

             OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

             PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

    *   Select => 'One' --or-- 'Many'

        * The ITEM LEVEL *Select* element provides a means to inform
          Term::Menus that the specific items of a single ITEM BLOCK (as
          opposed to full menu) are subject to multiple selecting - or just
          single selection. This is useful in particular for Directory Tree
          navigation - where files can be multi-selected (or tagged), yet
          when a directory is selectedi, it forces an immediate navigation
          and new menu - showing the contents of the just selected
          directory.

          NOTE: See the RECURSIVELY CALLED MENUS section for more
          information.

             Select => 'More',

          The user sees ==>

             d  1.        bin
             d  2.        blib
             d  3.        dist
             d  4.        inc
             d  5.        lib
             d  6.        Module
             d  7.        t
                8.        briangreat2.txt
             *  9.        ChangeLog
                10.       close.perl

             a.  Select All.   f.  Finish.

             49 Total Choices

             Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

             OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

             PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

    *   Exclude => 'Char String' --or-- Perl regular expression - qr/.../

        * The *Exclude* element provides a means to remove matching elements
          from the Menu seen by the user. This element is useful only when
          the "]Convey[" macro is used to populate items. This can be done
          with two constructs - simple string or pre-compiled regular
          expression.

             Exclude => 'base|chown',

             Exclude => qr/base|chown/i,

    *   Include => 'Char String' --or-- Perl regular expression - qr/.../

        * The *Include* element provides a means to create items filtered
          from a larger list of potential items available via the "]Convey["
          macro. This element is useful only when the "]Convey[" macro is
          used to populate items. The "Exclude" element can be used in
          conjunction with "Include" to further refine the final list of
          items used to construct the menu. The "Include" element - when
          used - always takes presidence, and the "Exclude" will be used
          only on the "Include" filtered results. This element can be used
          with two value constructs - simple string or pre-compiled regular
          expression.

             Include => 'base|chown',

             Include => qr/base|chown/i,

    *   Result => \%Menu_2 --or -- "&any_method()",

        * *Result* is an *optional* element that also has two important
          uses:

        * For selecting the child menu next in the chain of operation and
          conveyance,

             Result => \%Menu_2,

          --or--

        * For building customized method arguements using "&Menu()"'s
          built-in macros.

        *
             Result => "&any_method($arg1,\"]Selected[\",\"]Previous[\")",

          NOTE: *ALWAYS* be sure to surround the subroutine or method
          calling syntax with DOUBLE QUOTES. (You can use single quotes if
          you don't want interpolation). Quotes are necessary because you're
          telling "&Menu()" - *not* Perl - what method you want invoked.
          "&Menu()" won't invoke the method until after all other processing
          - where Perl will try to invoke it the first time it encounters
          the line during runtime - lo----ng before a user gets a chance to
          see or do *anything*. BUT - be sure *NOT* to use quotes when
          assigning a child menu reference to the "Result" value.

          Again, *Result* is an *optional* element. The default behavior
          when "Result" is omitted from the Item Configuration element, is
          for the selection to be returned to the "&Menu()"'s calling
          script/module/app. If the "Select" element was set to 'One', then
          that item is returned regardless of whether the Perl structure
          receiving the output is an array or scalar. If there were multiple
          selections - i.e., "Select" is set to 'Many' - then, depending on
          what structure is set for receiving the output, will determine
          whether "&Menu()" returns a list (i.e. - array), or *reference* to
          an array.

   Item Congfiguration Macros

    Each Menu Item can utilize a very powerful set of configuration
    *Macros*. These constructs principally act as purveyors of information -
    from one menu to another, from one element to another. There are
    currently three available Macros:

    *   ]Convey[

        * "]Convey[" is used in conjunction with the *Convey* element
          (described) earlier. It's purpose to "convey" or transport or
          carry a list item associated with the "Convey" element - and
          replace the "]Convey[" Macro in the "Text" element value with that
          list item. The *Convey* mechanism utilizing the "Convey" Macro is
          essentially an *Item multiplier*. The entire contents of the list
          associated with the *Convey* element will be turned into it's own
          "Item" when the menu is displayed.

             use Term::Menus;

             my %Menu_1=(

                Label  => 'Menu_1',
                Item_1 => {

                   Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
                   Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
                   Result => \%Menu_2,

                },

                Select => 'One',
                Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
             );

             my @selections=&Menu(\%Menu_1);
             print "SELECTIONS=@selections\n";

          The user sees ==>

             Choose a /bin Utility :

                1.        /bin Utility - arch
                2.        /bin Utility - ash
                3.        /bin Utility - awk
                4.        /bin Utility - basename
                5.        /bin Utility - bash
                6.        /bin Utility - cat
                7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
                8.        /bin Utility - chmod
                9.        /bin Utility - chown
                10.       /bin Utility - cp

             a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
             f.  Finish.

             93 Total Choices

             Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

             OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

             PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

          NOTE: "]C[" can be used as a shorthand for "]Convey[".

    *   ]Previous[

        * "]Previous[" can be used in child menus. The "]Previous[" Macro
          contains the *Selection* of the parent menu. Unlike the "]Convey["
          Macro, the "]Previous[" Macro can be used in both the "Text"
          element value, and the "Result" element values (when constructing
          method calls):

          The "]Previous[" Macro can also be used in the Banner.

             use Term::Menus;

             my %Menu_2=(

                Label  => 'Menu_2',
                Item_1 => {

                   Text   => "]Previous[ is a ]Convey[ Utility",
                   Convey => [ 'Good','Bad' ]
                },

                Select => 'One',
                Banner => "\n   Choose an Answer :"
             );

             my %Menu_1=(

                Label  => 'Menu_1',
                Item_1 => {

                   Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
                   Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
                   Result => \%Menu_2,

                },

                Select => 'One',
                Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
             );

             my @selections=&Menu(\%Menu_1);
             print "SELECTIONS=@selections\n";

          The user sees ==>

             Choose a /bin Utility :

                1.        /bin Utility - arch
                2.        /bin Utility - ash
                3.        /bin Utility - awk
                4.        /bin Utility - basename
                5.        /bin Utility - bash
                6.        /bin Utility - cat
                7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
                8.        /bin Utility - chmod
                9.        /bin Utility - chown
                10.       /bin Utility - cp

             a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
             f.  Finish.

             93 Total Choices

             Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

             OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

             PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

          --< 5 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

             Choose an Answer :

                1.        bash is a Good Utility
                2.        bash is a Bad Utility

             (Type "quit" to quit)

             PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

          --< 1 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

          The user sees ==>

             SELECTIONS = bash is a Good Utility

          NOTE: "]P[" can be used as a shorthand for "]Previous[".

    *   ]Previous[{ <*Menu_Label*> }

        * "]Previous[{Menu_Label}" can be used in child menus. The
          "]Previous[{Menu_Label}" Macro contains the *Selection* of any
          preceding menu specified with the "Menu_Label" string. The
          "]Previous[{Menu_Label}" follows the same conventions as the
          "]Previous[" Macro - but enables access to the selection of i<any>
          preceding menu. This is very useful for Menu trees more than two
          levels deep.

          The "]Previous[{Menu_Label}" Macro can also be used in the Banner.

             use Term::Menus;

             my %Menu_3=(

                Label  => 'Menu_3',
                Item_1 => {

                   Text   => "]Convey[ said ]P[{Menu_1} is a ]Previous[ Utility!",
                   Convey => [ 'Bob','Mary' ]
                },

                Select => 'One',
                Banner => "\n   Who commented on ]Previous[{Menu_1}? :"
             );

             my %Menu_2=(

                Label  => 'Menu_2',
                Item_1 => {

                   Text   => "]Previous[ is a ]C[ Utility",
                   Convey => [ 'Good','Bad' ],
                   Result => \%Menu_3,
                },

                Select => 'One',
                Banner => "\n   Is ]P[ Good or Bad? :"
             );

             my %Menu_1=(

                Label  => 'Menu_1',
                Item_1 => {

                   Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
                   Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
                   Result => \%Menu_2,

                },

                Select => 'One',
                Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
             );

             my @selections=&Menu(\%Menu_1);
             print "SELECTIONS=@selections\n";

          The user sees ==>

             Choose a /bin Utility :

                1.        /bin Utility - arch
                2.        /bin Utility - ash
                3.        /bin Utility - awk
                4.        /bin Utility - basename
                5.        /bin Utility - bash
                6.        /bin Utility - cat
                7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
                8.        /bin Utility - chmod
                9.        /bin Utility - chown
                10.       /bin Utility - cp

             PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

          --< 5 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

             Is bash Good or Bad? :

                1.        bash is a Good Utility
                2.        bash is a Bad Utility

             (Type "quit" to quit)

             PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

          --< 1 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

             Who commented on bash? :

                1.        Bob said bash is a Good Utility!
                2.        Mary said bash is a Good Utility!

             (Type "quit" to quit)

             PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

          --< 2 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

          The user sees ==>

             SELECTIONS = Mary said bash is a Good Utility!

          NOTE: "]P[" can be used as a shorthand for "]Previous[".

          "]P[{Menu_Label}" can be used as a shorthand for
          "]Previous[{Menu_Label}".

          "]C[" can be used as a shorthand for "]Convey[".

    *   ]Selected[

        * "]Selected[" can only be used in a *terminal* menu. ( *A terminal
          menu is the last menu in the chain, or the last menu the user
          sees. It is the menu that defines the* "Result" *element with a
          method* "Result => &any_method()", *or does not have a* "Result"
          *element included or defined.* ) "]Selected[" is used to pass the
          selection of the *current* menu to the "Result" element method of
          the current menu:

             use Term::Menus;

             sub selected { print "\n   SELECTED ITEM = $_[0]\n" }

             my %Menu_1=(

                Label  => 'Menu_1',
                Item_1 => {

                   Text   => "/bin/Utility - ]Convey[",
                   Convey => [ `ls -1 /bin` ],
                   Result => "&selected(]Selected[)",

                },

                Select => 'One',
                Banner => "\n   Choose a /bin Utility :"
             );

             my @selections=&Menu(\%Menu_1);
             print "SELECTIONS=@selections\n";

          NOTE: "]S[" can be used as a shorthand for "]Selected[".

          NOTE: if you want to return output from the Result subroutine, you
          must include a 'return' statement. So the sub above:

                          sub selected { print "\n   SELECTED ITEM = $_[0]\n" }

                       Becomes:

                          sub selected { print "\n   SELECTED ITEM = $_[0]\n";return $_[0] }

RECURSIVELY CALLED MENUS

    There are occasions where it is desirable to re-use the same Menu
    template/hash configuration with dynamically discovered data. One
    obvious example of this is navigating directory trees. Each subsequent
    directory selection could potentially contain deeper levels of
    directories. Essentially, any data structured in any kind of relational
    tree layout is subject to this kind of navigation approach. Be warned
    however, unlike most other functionality that is handled almost entirely
    by the Term::Menus module, the code for doing recursive templating is
    mostly contained in the template/hash configuration itself. There is a
    "helper routine" (&get_Menu_map) that Term::Menus provides to assist
    with the creation of recursively-friendly configurations, but given the
    highly data-centric characteristics of such functionality, most of the
    working code must be left to the authoring and management of the user.

   &get_Menu_map()

    This is a helper routine that returns a list of ancestor menu results.
    This is needed when wanting to navigate a directory tree for instance.
    Imagine a directory path that looks like this: /one/two/three. A call to
    &get_Menu_map() when processing directory three with return this list:

    ('one','two').

        * The following code is an example of how to use recursion for
          navigating a directory tree. (Note: Updated 1/28/2012; this is
          maturing functionality, and work on this feature continues.):

             use Term::Menus;

             my %dir_menu=(

                Label => 'dir_menu',
                Item_1 => {

                   Text => "]C[",
                   Mark => "d",
                   Convey => sub {

                      if ("]P[") {

                         my $dir="]P[";
                         if ($^O eq 'cygwin') {
                            $dir='/cygdrive/c/';
                         } else {
                            $dir='/';
                         }
                         my @xfiles=();
                         my @return=();
                         my @map=get_Menu_map;
                         my $path=join "/", @map;
                         opendir(DIR,"$dir$path") || die $!;
                         @xfiles = readdir(DIR);
                         closedir(DIR);
                         foreach my $entry (sort @xfiles) {
                            next if $entry eq '.';
                            next if $entry eq '..';
                            if (-1<$#map) {
                               next unless -d "$dir$path/$entry";
                            } else {
                               next unless -d "$dir/$entry";
                            }
                            push @return, "$entry";
                         }
                         return @return;

                      }
                      my @xfiles=();
                      my @return=();
                      if ($^O eq 'cygwin') {
                         opendir(DIR,'/cygdrive/c/') || die $!;
                      } else {
                         opendir(DIR,'/') || die $!;
                      }
                      @xfiles = readdir(DIR);
                      closedir(DIR);
                      foreach my $entry (@xfiles) {
                         next if $entry eq '.';
                         next if $entry eq '..';
                         next unless -d "$entry";
                         push @return, "$entry";
                      }
                      return @return;

                   },
                   Result => { 'dir_menu'=>'recurse' },

                },
                Item_2 => {

                   Text => "]C[",
                   Select => 'Many',
                   Convey => sub {

                      if ("]P[") {

                         my $dir="]P[";
                         if ($^O eq 'cygwin') {
                            $dir='/cygdrive/c/';
                         } else {
                            $dir='/';
                         }

                         my @xfiles=();
                         my @return=();
                         my @map=get_Menu_map;
                         my $path=join "/", @map;
                         opendir(DIR,"$dir/$path") || die $!;
                         @xfiles = readdir(DIR);
                         closedir(DIR);
                         foreach my $entry (sort @xfiles) {
                            next if $entry eq '.';
                            next if $entry eq '..';
                            if (-1<$#map) {
                               next if -d "$dir/$path/$entry";
                            } else {
                               next if -d "$dir/$entry";
                            }
                            push @return, "$entry";
                         }
                         return @return;

                      }
                      my @xfiles=();
                      my @return=();
                      if ($^O eq 'cygwin') {
                         opendir(DIR,'/cygdrive/c/') || die $!;
                      } else {
                         opendir(DIR,'/') || die $!;
                      }
                      @xfiles = readdir(DIR);
                      closedir(DIR);
                      foreach my $entry (@xfiles) {
                         next if $entry eq '.';
                         next if $entry eq '..';
                         next if -d "$entry";
                         push @return, "$entry";
                      }
                      return @return;

                   },
                },
                Banner => "   Current Directory: ]P[\n",

             );

             my $selection=Menu(\%dir_menu);

             if (ref $selection eq 'ARRAY') {
                print "\nSELECTION=",(join " ",@{$selection}),"\n";
             } else {
                print "\nSELECTION=$selection\n";
             }

USAGE and NAVIGATION

    Usage of "&pick()" and/or "&Menu()" during the runtime of a script in
    which one or both are included, is simple and intuitive. Nearly
    everything the end user needs in terms of instruction is included
    on-screen. The script-writer/developer/programmer can also include
    whatever instructions s/he deems necessary and/or helpful in the
    customizable "Banner" (as described above). There is however, one
    important feature about using "&Menu()" with sub-menus that's important
    to know about.

   Forward  ' > ' and  Backward  ' < ' Navigation

    When working with more than one "&Menu()" screen, it's valuable to know
    how to navigate back and forth between the different "&Menu()"
    levels/layers. For example, above was illustrated the output for two
    layers of menus - a parent and a child:

        The user sees ==>

           Choose a /bin Utility :

              1.        /bin Utility - arch
              2.        /bin Utility - ash
              3.        /bin Utility - awk
              4.        /bin Utility - basename
              5.        /bin Utility - bash
              6.        /bin Utility - cat
              7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
              8.        /bin Utility - chmod
              9.        /bin Utility - chown
              10.       /bin Utility - cp

           a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
           f.  Finish.

           93 Total Choices

           Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

           OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

           PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

        --< 5 >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

        The user sees ==>

           Choose an Answer :

              1.        bash is a Good Utility
              2.        bash is a Bad Utility

           (Type "quit" to quit)

           PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

    In the above example, suppose that the user "fat-fingered" his/her
    choice, and really didn't want to "bash" bash, but wanted to bash awk
    instead. Is restarting the whole script/application now necessary?
    Suppose it was a process that had run overnight, and the user is seeing
    this menu through fogged glasses from the steam rising out of their
    morning coffee? Having to run the whole job again would not be welcome
    news for the BOSS. THANKFULLY, navigation makes this situation
    avoidable. All the user would have to do is type ' < ' to go backward to
    the previous menu, and ' > ' to go forward to the next menu (assuming
    there is one in each case):

    The user sees ==>

       Choose an Answer :

          1.        bash is a Good Utility
          2.        bash is a Bad Utility

       (Type "quit" to quit)

       PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

     --<  >  >-<ENTER>-----------------------------

    The user sees ==>

       Choose a /bin Utility :

          1.        /bin Utility - arch
          2.        /bin Utility - ash
          3.        /bin Utility - awk
          4.        /bin Utility - basename
       -  5.        /bin Utility - bash
          6.        /bin Utility - cat
          7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
          8.        /bin Utility - chmod
          9.        /bin Utility - chown
          10.       /bin Utility - cp

       a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
       f.  Finish.

       93 Total Choices

       Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

       OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

       PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

    Note in the above example the Dash ' - ' in front of item 5. This
    informs the user that s/he had previously selected this item. To clear
    the selection, the user would simply choose item 5 again. This
    effectively deletes the previous choice and restores the menu for a new
    selection. If the user was satisfied with the choice, and was simply
    double checking thier selection, they simply repeat the navigation
    process by typing ' > ' - then <ENTER> - and returning to the child menu
    they left.

    If the child menu was a *multiple-selection* menu, and the user had made
    some selections before navigating back to the parent menu, the user
    would see a ' + ' rather than a ' - '. This informs the user that
    selections were made in the child menu.

       Choose a /bin Utility :

          1.        /bin Utility - arch
          2.        /bin Utility - ash
          3.        /bin Utility - awk
          4.        /bin Utility - basename
       +  5.        /bin Utility - bash
          6.        /bin Utility - cat
          7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
          8.        /bin Utility - chmod
          9.        /bin Utility - chown
          10.       /bin Utility - cp

       a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
       f.  Finish.

       93 Total Choices

       Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

       OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

       PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

   View Sorted Items ' % '

    When working with numerous items in a single menu, it may be desirable
    to see the set of choices organized in either descending or reverse
    acscii order. Term::Menus provides this feature with the *Percent* ' % '
    key. Simply type ' % ' and the items will be sorted in descending ascii
    order. Type ' % ' again, and you will see the items reverse sorted.
    Assume that we have the following menus.

        The user sees ==>

           Please select all files for immediate transfer:

           *  1.        addr2name.awk has  **NOT**  been transferred
           *  2.        awk.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
              3.        gawk-3.1.4.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
           *  4.        gawk.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
              5.        igawk has  **NOT**  been transferred
              6.        pgawk-3.1.4.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
              7.        pgawk.exe has  **NOT**  been transferred
           *  8.        822-date has been transferred
              9.        DllPlugInTester.exe has been transferred
           *  10.       ELFDump.exe has been transferred

           a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
           f.  Finish.

           929 Total Choices

           Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

           OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

           PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

        --< % >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

        The user sees ==>

           Please select all files for immediate transfer:

           *  8.        822-date has been transferred
              9.        DllPlugInTester.exe has been transferred
           *  10.       ELFDump.exe has been transferred
              11.       GraphicsMagick++-config has been transferred
              12.       GraphicsMagick-config has been transferred
              13.       X11 has been transferred
              14.       [.exe has been transferred
              15.       a2p.exe has been transferred
              16.       aclocal has been transferred
              17.       aclocal-1.4 has been transferred

           a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
           f.  Finish.

           929 Total Choices

           Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

           OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

           PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

        And if we choose to enter ' % ' *again*

        --< % >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

        The user sees ==>

           Please select all files for immediate transfer:

              929.      znew has been transferred
              928.      zmore has been transferred
              927.      zless has been transferred
              926.      zipsplit.exe has been transferred
              925.      zipnote.exe has been transferred
              924.      zipinfo has been transferred
              923.      zipgrep has been transferred
              922.      zipcloak.exe has been transferred
              921.      zip.exe has been transferred
              920.      zgrep has been transferred

           a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
           f.  Finish.

           929 Total Choices

           Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

           OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

           PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

        This submenu of selections works just like any other menu. The user
        can deselect an item, clear all items, re-choose all items, etc. The
        choices made here are preserved when-or-if the user navigates back
        to the original (parent) menu. In other words, if Item 1. is
        deselected in the sorted menu, Item 1. will also be deselected in
        the parent menu above.

   View Summary of Selected Items ' * '

    When working with numerous items in a single menu, it is desirable to
    see the set of choices made before leaving the menu and committing to a
    non-returnable forward (perhaps even critical) process. Term::Menus
    provides this feature with the *Star* ' * ' key. Assume we have the
    following menu with 93 Total Choices. Assume further that we have
    selected items 1,3,9 & 11. Note that we cannot see Item 11 on the first
    screen since this menu is configured to show only 10 Items at a time.

        The user sees ==>

           Choose a /bin Utility :

           *  1.        /bin Utility - arch
              2.        /bin Utility - ash
           *  3.        /bin Utility - awk
              4.        /bin Utility - basename
              5.        /bin Utility - bash
              6.        /bin Utility - cat
              7.        /bin Utility - chgrp
              8.        /bin Utility - chmod
           *  9.        /bin Utility - chown
              10.       /bin Utility - cp

           a.  Select All.   c.  Clear All.
           f.  Finish.

           93 Total Choices

           Press ENTER (or "d") to scroll downward

           OR "u" to scroll upward  (Type "quit" to quit)

           PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

        --< * >-<ENTER>----------------------------------

        The user sees ==>

           Choose a /bin Utility :

           *  1.        /bin Utility - arch
           *  3.        /bin Utility - awk
           *  9.        /bin Utility - chown
           *  11.       /bin Utility - cpio

           (Type "quit" to quit)

           PLEASE ENTER A CHOICE:

        This submenu of selections works just like any other menu. The user
        can deselect an item, clear all items, re-choose all items, etc. The
        choices made here are preserved when-or-if the user navigates back
        to the original (parent) menu. In other words, if Item 1. is
        deselected in the summary menu, Item 1. will also be deselected in
        the parent menu above.

EXAMPLES

AUTHOR

    Brian M. Kelly <Brian.Kelly@fullautosoftware.net>

COPYRIGHT

    Copyright (C) 2000-2013 by Brian M. Kelly.

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
    (http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html).
