Menus and Dialog Boxes

This chapter discusses how menus and dialog boxes are used. Most Windows programs have menus in which the user selects from a range of defined pull-down menus with defined options. Visual Basic has an easy-to-use function called the Menu Editor which is used to create custom menus. The Menu Editor is started from the Tools Menu or from the toolbar shortcut. A menu editor includes caption, name, index, shortcut, negotiable position, and so on. The chapter also explains how to create a menu system. The user enters the caption and name and then uses the outlining buttons to either promote or demote the item to a higher or lower level (with the left and right arrow buttons) or up and down (with the up and down arrow buttons). With this up to 4 levels of submenus can be created. The list box displays a hierarchical list of menu items with indented submenu items which indicate their hierarchical position. A menu option is inserted using the Insert button and deleted with the Delete button. The OK button closes the Menu Editor and saves the most recent changes.