Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!labrea!agate!ucbvax!lucy.wellesley.EDU!dhaskin
From: dhaskin@lucy.wellesley.EDU (Denis Haskin)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: RE: menus via FMS
Message-ID: <8802180033.AA04145@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 11 Feb 88 14:57:24 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 31

> From: BAMBAM::"MCVAX!FREJA!ALETTE!TRIER@UUNET.UU.NET" 
> I'm looking for a menu system for the VAX/VMS. The system should be able to
> be the first the user sees of the VMS, no username password prompt, but a
> homemade welcome screen.
> 
> From: BAMBAM::"IHNP4!ALBERTA!SASK!SKATTER!KUO@UCBVAX.BERKELEY.EDU"
> You may consider FMS-11 (Forms Management System?) [...]
> 
> From: BAMBAM::"IHNP4!ALBERTA!SASK!SKATTER!KUO@UCBVAX.BERKELEY.EDU"
> But cann't you easily build one using DCL [...]  No? You can
> also have a more fancy menu using the FMS system for VAX/VMS (for extra $$,
> I guess).

I wouldn't use FMS for a menu system, especially if by 'menu' you mean
Macintosh/VAXstation-type menus (pull-down, etc).  FMS is DEC's Forms
Management System, and is oriented more toward data entry and transaction
processing (although it is still TDMS' neglected cousin in that regard,
if you follow the pundits).  You can do menus in FMS (I've had to do it),
but they're more check-off-the-box menus, if you know what I mean.

My tool of choice on VMS would be the SMG$ library routines, or the curses
screen management package (if you're working in C).  In fact, some DECUS
program I saw recently had a fairly well-organized set of menu-manipulation
routines that were in FORTRAN (I think) and used the SMG$ library.

Have fun...

Denis W. Haskin, Network Manager
Wellesley College            DHaskin@Lucy.Wellesley.Edu
Wellesley, MA  02181                   -or-
617-235-0320 x3123           Denis@Bambam.Wellesley.Edu