What is a menu?

A menu is a set of buttons that give you access to the Match-IT processes. A button can:

•just be a visual 'gap',

•cause another, sub-ordinate, menu to be shown,

•run a Match-IT process or

•run any Windows program.

These menus are completely changeable by you. They can be connected together to form whatever hierarchy you wish. The menu you see when you first start using Match-IT is just a starting point to give you access to the most useful processes in a reasonable order. You can have multiple menu systems, for example, one for each 'role' of user that is going to use the system. You can nominate a default menu to be shown when a user logs in. You can assign a default menu to each user; so each user could have a different 'view' of the system.

What is a menu runnable process?

A menu runnable process is a Match-IT function that can be directly accessed from the menus. These are the 'doorways' into Match-IT. Some of these doorways will lead to quite small 'rooms', while others may lead to extensive 'suites'. In many cases, the process will present you with a list of some sort, for example, a list of all outstanding purchase orders.

How do I create a menu?

You create new, or modify existing, menus using the Ribbon Menus process. From the standard menu (as initially installed), this process can be reached via: Functions | Maintenance | Ribbon menus... | Ribbon Menus. This presents you with a list of the existing menus.

To modify an existing menu, scroll the list until you've highlighted the menu you wish to modify, then press the Edit button. You will be presented with a facsimile of the menu. The menu buttons (in the centre) can be moved within the ribbon by dragging them up and down. They can be moved down to a subordinate menu by dragging them to a Goto/DragTo button (on the right). They can be moved up to the parent menu by dragging them to the Goto Parent button (on the left). They can be deleted, or edited, by dragging them to the Remove Button or Edit Button (on the left). A new button can be added to the end of the ribbon by pressing the [[ Add a Button ]] button (centre top).

To add a new menu, first you must give it a name, this creates an empty menu. This is then edited just like any other menu (as described above). To add a new name press the New button on the list of ribbon menus you opened earlier. This presents you with a form to define the name and message for the menu. The name is what is shown at the top of the menu when it's used. The message is the hint text that is shown when the mouse pointer 'hovers' over a button that calls up this menu. Enter the text you want in these two fields and press the Save button. This creates the new empty menu and it will be selected in the list. Press the Edit button to edit it as described above.

How do I modify a menu button?

You can change the details of a menu button on an existing menu by 'right-clicking' on it. Put the mouse pointer over the button you wish to modify and press the right mouse button. A popup menu appears, select Edit Properties | Edit Menu Item. This presents you with a form showing the current button details.

Edit the information as desired and press the Save button to make the changes permanent.

How do I set my default menu?

When Match-IT starts, it shows you a menu. A default menu can be associated to an individual or for everybody (the global default menu).

How do I set the global default menu?

This is done using the System Defaults process. From the standard menu (as initially installed), this process can be reached via: Functions | Standing Data | System Defaults.

This presents you with a list of all the default values in the system. Scroll down the list until you've selected the default name of Default Menu (tip: type 'zx' and press OK to get close). The System Value and My Value columns show the current default menu.

Press the System Value button, then the System Value ellipsis (...) button, then select the menu name you want as the default from the list. Press Save and the new selection is set permanently. The next time anybody logs into Match-IT, the menu you have set will be shown (unless they have overridden it with their own preference).

You can change your own preference from here too. Press My Value and then the Set Value ellipsis, then select your personal preference from the list. Press Save to set your selection. The menu you have chosen will then be shown to you the next time you log in.

How do I set the default menu for somebody else?

You can only define the default menu for somebody else if you are a supervisor of that person. To be a supervisor of somebody in Match-IT you must be a member of, at least, every user group that they are. (See The  Security System under Concepts for a description of user groups).

You set the default for somebody else via the Users process. From the standard menu (as initially installed), this process can be reached via: Functions | Setup | Setup Users.

This presents you with a list of all the users that are allowed to use the system. Scroll down the list until you have selected the user you wish to define the menu for. Press the Detail button then the Defaults button (on the Privileges tab). This will present you with the list (possibly empty) of all the personal defaults that have been set for the user.

Press the New button. This presents you with a form to define a new default for the user. Press the Selected Default ellipsis (...) button. This presents you with a list of all the system defaults. Scroll down the list until you've selected the default name of Default Menu (tip: type 'zx' and press OK to get close). Press the Select button to set the name in the default form. This has defined the name of the default we want to set for the user. What we must do next is set its value.

Press the Set Value ellipsis (...) button. This presents a list of all the menus available. Scroll to the one you want to set as the default and press Select. This has set the value in the form. Press Save to set the new default. The next time the user logs in, they will be shown the menu you have set.

What processes are available?

The definitive list of processes can be viewed from within Match-IT itself. The list can be accessed from the menu bar at the top of the Match-IT desktop. Press Processes | Go Anywhere and a list of all the processes will be shown to you. They can be executed from there too.