General Programming Concepts: Writing and Debugging Programs

sm_menu_opt (SMIT Menu) Object Class

Each item on a menu is specified by an sm_menu_opt object. The displayed menu represents the set of objects that have the same value for id plus the sm_menu_opt object used for the title, which has a next_id value equal to the id value of the other objects.

Note: When coding an object in this object class, set unused empty strings to "" (double-quotation marks) and unused integer fields to 0.

The descriptors for sm_menu_opt objects are:

id	The ID or name of the object. The value of id is a string with a maximum length of 64 characters. IDs should be unique both to your application and unique within the particular SMIT database used. See the next_id and alias definitions for this object for related information.
id_seq_num	The position of this item in relation to other items on the menu. Non-title sm_menu_opt objects are sorted on this string field. The value of id_seq_num is a string with a maximum length of 16 characters.
next_id	The fast path name of the next menu, if the value for the next_type descriptor of this object is `"m"` (menu). The next_id of a menu should be unique both to your application and within the particular SMIT database used. All non-alias sm_menu_opt objects with id values matching the value of next_id form the set of selections for that menu. The value of next_id is a string with a maximum length of 64 characters.
text	The description of the task that is displayed as the menu item. The value of text is a string with a maximum length of 1024 characters. This string can be formatted with embedded `\n` (newline) characters.
text_msg_file	The file name (not the full path name) that is the Message Facility catalog for the string, text. The value of text_msg_file is a string with a maximum length of 1024 characters. Message catalogs required by an application program can be developed with the Message Facility. Set to `""` if you are not using the Message Facility.
text_msg_set	The Message Facility set ID for the string, text. Set IDs can be used to indicate subsets of a single catalog. The value of text_msg_set is an integer. Set to 0 if you are not using the Message Facility.
text_msg_id	The Message Facility ID for the string, text. The value of text_msg_id is an integer. Set to 0 if you are not using the Message Facility.
next_type	The type of the next object if this item is selected. Valid values are: "m" Menu; the next object is a menu (sm_menu_opt). "d" Dialog; the next object is a dialog (sm_cmd_hdr). "n" Name; the next object is a selector (sm_name_hdr). "i" Info; this object is used to put blank or other separator lines in a menu, or to present a topic that does not lead to an executable task but about which help is provided via the help_msg_loc descriptor of this object.
alias	Defines whether or not the value of the id descriptor for this menu object is an alias for another existing fast path specified in the `next_id` field of this object. The value of the alias descriptor must be `"n"` for a menu object.
help_msg_id	Specifies a Message Facility message set number and message ID number with a comma as the separator or a numeric string equal to a SMIT identifier tag.
help_msg_loc	The file name sent as a parameter to the man command for retrieval of help text, or the file name of a file containing help text. The value of help_msg_loc is a string with a maximum length of 1024 characters.
help_msg_base	The fully qualified path name of a library that SMIT reads for the file names associated with the correct book.
help_msg_book	Contains the string with the value of the name file contained in the file library indicated by help_msg_base.

The sm_menu_opt Object Class Used for Aliases

A SMIT alias is specified by an sm_menu_opt object.

The descriptors for the sm_menu_opt object class and their settings to specify an alias are:

id	The ID or name of the new or alias fast path. The value of id is a string with a maximum length of 64 characters. IDs should be unique to your application and unique within the SMIT database in which they are used.
id_seq_num	Set to `""` (empty string).
next_id	Specifies the id_seq_num of the menu object pointed to by the alias. The value of next_id is a string with a maximum length of 64 characters.
text	Set to `""` (empty string).
text_msg_file	Set to `""` (empty string).
text_msg_set	Set to `0`.
text_msg_id	Set to `0`.
next_type	The fast path screen type. The value of next_type is a string. Valid values are: "m" Menu; the `next_id` field specifies a menu screen fast path. "d" Dialog; the `next_id` field specifies a dialog screen fast path. "n" Name; the `next_id` field specifies a selector screen fast path.
alias	Defines this object as an alias fast path. The alias descriptor for an alias must be set to `"y"` (yes).
help_msg_id	Set to `""` (empty string).
help_msg_loc	Set to `""` (empty string).
help_msg_base	Set to `""` (empty string).
help_msg_book	Set to `""` (empty string).

For information on retrieving SMIT help using the help_msg_id, help_msg_loc, help_msg_base, and help_msg_book fields, see the Man Pages Method, Softcopy Libraries Method, and Message Catalog Method methods located in "Creating SMIT Help Information for a New Task .

Related Information:

Chapter 25, System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) .

SMIT Object Classes .

The smit command.

sm_name_hdr (SMIT Selector Header) Object Class , sm_cmd_hdr (SMIT Dialog Header) Object Class , sm_cmd_opt (SMIT Dialog/Selector Command Option) Object Class .

SMIT Example Program .