garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) (12/21/89)
Happy Holidays Folks! Can anyone out there recommend a decent menu generating utility that will run under XENIX? We have a need for such a program which will let us create a fairly extensive set of nested menus. The program must be able to exec() as the highest level shell and the interface must be text-based, consistent, terminal independant, and pleasing to look at. I've tried XMENU (has nothing to do with X-windows) by Telexpress and would like to know if anyone else has had experience with other products such as Fourgen, (which requires Informix to use). Right now we're using SCO Lyrix, a word processor with menu capabilities, but we have a speciallized need to separate these functions and need to identify specific menuing software. Thanks for any info you could provide. -- Gary M. Blumenstein, UNIX Network Administrator // CIBA-GEIGY Corporation USA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phone (914) 347-4700 7 Skyline Drive, Hawthorne, NY 10532 FAX (914) 347-5687 UUCP ...uunet!philabs!crpmks!garyb
bob@consult.UUCP (Bob Willey) (12/24/89)
In article <1102@crpmks.UUCP> garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) writes: >Can anyone out there recommend a decent menu generating utility that >will run under XENIX? We have a need for such a program which will let >us create a fairly extensive set of nested menus. The program must be >able to exec() as the highest level shell and the interface must be >text-based, consistent, terminal independant, and pleasing to look at. >Gary M. Blumenstein, UNIX Network Administrator // CIBA-GEIGY Corporation USA >Phone (914) 347-4700 7 Skyline Drive, Hawthorne, NY 10532 >FAX (914) 347-5687 UUCP ...uunet!philabs!crpmks!garyb Gary, About the best product we have seen is MenuMagic by TKI, Inc. It was written by Terry Keene (old president of TRG) It is very extensive, very flexible, and has a library of function available (C routines), and can easily be added to. It also includes a system administrator shell that is pretty slick (including routines to check out lp spoolers and reset and errors in any of the files, etc.) The last info on them that I had was as follows: TKI, Inc. P.O. Box 2049 Roswell, GA 30077 (404) 640-1515 . ..We are not affiliated with TKI, only trying to pass information on. . -- .. Computer Consulting Service .. Bob Willey, CDP .. .. P.O. Drawer 1690 .. uunet!consult!bob .. .. Easton, Maryland 21601 .. (301) 820-4670 .. ...............................................................
fnf@estinc.UUCP (Fred Fish) (12/26/89)
In article <1102@crpmks.UUCP> garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) writes: >Can anyone out there recommend a decent menu generating utility that >will run under XENIX? We have a need for such a program which will let >us create a fairly extensive set of nested menus. The program must be >able to exec() as the highest level shell and the interface must be >text-based, consistent, terminal independant, and pleasing to look at. We are using MenuAgent from DSI Communications, Inc and have been happy with both the performance and support of the product. The contact info for DSI is: DSI Communications Inc 333 West Merrick Road Valley Stream, NY 11580 Phone: (516) 872-3535 Fax: (516) 872-3579 Disclaimer: We have no affiliation with DSI other than as a satisfied (and royalty paying) customer. -Fred -- # Fred Fish, 1835 E. Belmont Drive, Tempe, AZ 85284, USA # 1-602-491-0048 asuvax!{nud,mcdphx}!estinc!fnf
jim@bahamut.fsc.com (James O'Connor) (12/27/89)
In article <259@consult.UUCP>, bob@consult.UUCP (Bob Willey) writes: > In article <1102@crpmks.UUCP> garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) writes: > >Can anyone out there recommend a decent menu generating utility that > >will run under XENIX? We have a need for such a program which will let > >us create a fairly extensive set of nested menus. The program must be I have been following the reponses for this very closely, since we too are looking for new menu software. But, I would like to add one more qualification. Not only should the product be able to run on Xenix, but should be able, via source or binary availability, be able to run on other platforms as well. We are trying to create a single user interface across currently existing SCO Xenix, SCO Unix, and HP 9000 Model 800's running HP-UX. There is also no telling what kind of hardware we will end up with in the future. Therefore, if anyone knows of a MULTI-VENDOR menu package, or of one that is well enough written that the authors won't feel threatened by the suggestion of porting it to a new machine (even when the resources to do the port are freely offered), please let me know. (BTW, this article is being posted as follow up to an article which suggested MenuMagic as a good menu package, which it probably is, and I had hoped to be able to use it, but it is only available for Xenix, and a conversation with TKI led a friend of mine to believe that Xenix is all it would ever be available for, except for perhaps SCO Unix.) Thank you. ------------- James B. O'Connor Work: jim@tiamat.fsc.com Data Processing Manager Play: jim@bahamut.fsc.com Ahlstrom Filtration, Inc. UUCP: uunet!tiamat!jim
neal@mnopltd.UUCP (12/29/89)
>> Can anyone out there recommend a decent menu generating utility that >> will run under XENIX? We have a need for such a program which will let >> us create a fairly extensive set of nested menus. The program must be >> able to exec() as the highest level shell and the interface must be >> text-based, consistent, terminal independant, and pleasing to look at. I have used a user interface package called JAM from a company call JYACC in NY which could do what you need. It might be overkill.. JAM has a screen builder/editor which allows you to concoct various screens which can look like menus or anything else you like. You can then add function keys and/or menu bars which can be "threaded" onto still other screens. OR you can stuff in DOS or Unix commands to be forked. OR you can hook in your own C functions and let them be called. This lets you chuck in a variety of custom processing. Of course, you can have customized prompts, context sensitive help, all kinds of stuff which makes for a really slick looking product. I used JAM extensively for a proprietary Email system and was quite pleased with it. Distribution of your created screens/menus is at no extra charge; you must however buy one copy of the toolkit for each system you work on. Lemme know if you want more info. Neal Rhodes MNOP Ltd Lilburn (atlanta) GA 30247 uunet!emory!jdyx!mnopltd!neal Or uunet!gatech!stiatl!mnopltd!neal
bob@consult.UUCP (Bob Willey) (12/29/89)
In article <262@bahamut.fsc.com> jim@bahamut.fsc.com (James O'Connor) writes: >In article <259@consult.UUCP>, bob@consult.UUCP (Bob Willey) writes: >> In article <1102@crpmks.UUCP> garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) writes: >> >Can anyone out there recommend a decent menu generating utility that >> >will run under XENIX? We have a need for such a program which will let >Not only should the product be able to run on Xenix, but should be able, via >source or binary availability, be able to run on other platforms as well. >Therefore, if anyone knows of a MULTI-VENDOR menu package, or of one that >MenuMagic as a good menu package, which it probably is, and I had hoped to be >able to use it, but it is only available for Xenix, and a conversation with >TKI led a friend of mine to believe that Xenix is all it would ever be >available for, except for perhaps SCO Unix.) I think you observation by your friend was incorrect. Terry Keene of TKI, (MenuMagic) is currently working on several ports of MenuMagic at this time (AIX for RT for one). It would be worth your time to give Terry a call directly to discuss your needs and application. He is a very competent UNIX programmer, and is very open to suggestions. I am familiar with his work from his previous company, and his previous product ATvanced Office System, which is the backbone of the new product MenuMagic. (Only much better, and not a limited menu program as AOS was.). We are not affiliated with TKI, other that having used their products for our clients. I hope this information is useful to the net, as there seems to be great interest in this subject for the UNIX world in general. There seems to be a lot of possible answers, but few GOOD solutions. -- .. Computer Consulting Service .. Bob Willey, CDP .. .. P.O. Drawer 1690 .. uunet!consult!bob .. .. Easton, Maryland 21601 .. (301) 820-4670 .. ...............................................................
shields@nccn.yorku.ca (Paul Shields) (01/03/90)
In article <1102@crpmks.UUCP> garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) writes: >Can anyone out there recommend a decent menu generating utility that >will run under XENIX? We have a need for such a program which will let >us create a fairly extensive set of nested menus. The program must be >able to exec() as the highest level shell and the interface must be >text-based, consistent, terminal independant, and pleasing to look at. I wrote one three years ago and have been using it here at nccn.yorku.ca ever since. The Institute for Space and Terrestrial Science adopted it as its standard U.I. in 1988. I'll post it to the net if enough people out there want it. It is... - text based; - pleasing to look at; - terminal independent -> makes use of termcap; -> is command based, because there is not really any standard for cursor moves. - built to guide the computer-illiterate user -> case-insensitive, -> commands and may be shortest unique string. - compact and fast; - a consistent menu hierarchy, not limited to a strict tree hierarchy (ie: multiple roots and common sub-menus are ok.) - easy to configure; - loads the menu configuration when it runs, making it customizable on a per-user / per-invocation basis; - known to run on at least Xenix, MS-DOS, and BSD UNIX platforms; - written in C, with emphasis on modularity and portability. The thing it doesn't do, >[...] The program must be able to exec() as the highest level shell It was designed to run under csh, to keep it small in size. I haven't encountered problems with using it this way. I will provide you with full sources (110 KB) and all the documentation I have, if you'd like to have it. Please let me know. -- Paul Shields Programmer for the Native Computer Communications Network shields@nccn.yorku.ca
jim@ic2020.UUCP (Jim Carter) (01/08/90)
in article <9001041152.AA04244@nccn.yorku.ca>, shields@nccn.yorku.ca (Paul Shields) says: > To: nccn-rnews@nccn.yorku.ca > > In article <1102@crpmks.UUCP> garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) writes: >>Can anyone out there recommend a decent menu generating ... > I wrote one three years ago ... > I'll post it to the net if enough people out there want it. Sounds interesting, Please mail/post I would like to see this. I would like to replace our simple menus with something that might be a little more pleasing to the users. -- Jim Carter (Sequoia Contact Lens,1355 11th Street,Reedley,CA,93654) {...!csufres!csuf3b!ic2020!jim} 209/638-3939, Fax 209/638-5433