layout pop-up menu in status area

[Wendy T]

Is there any way to modify how the layout pop-up menu (in status area) works? For example, grouping layouts into sub menus, or a "more" option like under the Windows menu. For users it's not a problem, but as a developer there are many more layouts visible. Scrolling up & down the pop-up menu becomes tedious when working between layouts. Also, I seem to remember seeing a pop-up menu which spilled into a 2nd column instead of the scroll arrows - was this in a previous version??

I am currently working on a db re-structure which will include a customised status area and button-driven layout navigation for the users, but in the meantime is there a simple fix for me as a developer? I'm using FMP 5.5 on a Windows network.

cheers,

Wendy

[cjaeger]

roll your own layout menu using the design functions, make a radio button field (global with value list) on a special layout and add a go to layout script step.

[CobaltSky]

The spilling into a second column feature is an operating system thing, not a FileMaker thing. If the operating system you happen to be using has it as an option and it is enabled, then FMP will adopt it for all its menus including layouts, fonts, scripts etc.

[Wendy T]

Hi Ray,

I've looked through every OS option I can find, even asking one of our geeks for help. Something called "Scroll the Programs menu" looked hopeful, but unfortunately does just that - the Programs menu only.

I'm using Windows 2000 Professional, so perhaps it doesn't exist in this OS. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

cheers,

Wendy

[RussBaker]

The only thing I've done for organising layouts into a more friendly "view" is to use a combination of:

Empty layouts called "-", which produce dividers in the same way as in the Scripts Menu.

Indenting layout names by starting "sub-layout" names with 3 spaces, sub-sub-layouts with 6 spaces etc.

I don't think its exactly what you're asking for, but it can make driving yourself through a huge number of layouts a lot easier.

[CobaltSky]

Hi Wendy,

Further to my previous comments, I note that in an article on the FMI TechInfo database, there is a reference to the wrapping of long menus on the WIndows operating system, which seems to indicate that it is an option only with specific versions of WIndows - viz Windows 3.x , Windows 95 and NT.

The relevant article is buried deep in the archives, but the direct URL to it is:

http://www.filemaker.com/ti/104197.html

That might at lest explain why you were unable to invoke the menu wrapping feature in your current OS environment.

[Wendy T]

Hi Ray,

thanks for the input & the link. I'm continually impressed by the time & effort some people put into answering others questions, for no particular gain of their own. (aside from a warm, inner glow!)

Interesting to note that the article was written in 1998 so doesn't definitively answer whether this option exists in Win2000 or we just can't find it.

Also interesting that this thread was mostly Aussie contributors!

cheers,

Wendy

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Hi,

Check the sample section as I'll upload one solution I came up with, which quite follows Christian suggestion...

Not Aussie though

May be European Style.

[JLauver]

Wendy,

I have been plagued by the same problem. What did you end up doing?

[Wendy T]

hi JLauver

unfortunately i couldn't find any option which toggled the menu behaviour, so i ended up living with it the way it is. this question still comes up from time to time though...

cheers,

wendy

[Jeep Watson]

Hi Wendy,

I work on a Mac so my experience may be somewhat different than yours but I do work in a networked, cross platform environment. For years I've routinely chosen to NOT show any layouts in the layout menu. It's a lot safer to control your environment carefully thru scripting and tie all layout changes to buttons or other scripts. And sometimes you just don't want users to leave a layout until you can verify that appropriate variables are set and/or fields are filled.

Also, it may not make sense for a user to go from one particular layout to another. For example, I run a solution for an offset printing company and it wouldn't make sense to allow the customer service rep to go from the layout where they are creating a new job to the Tracking layout before they have finished entering the new job (specifically, there would be no tracking entry there yet and chaos would ensue).