StrongMen 1.28a2 released

Hi All,

StrongMen 1.28a2 is now available for download my website

Despite its alpha label, the code is considered stable but the feature set may change, especially as the concept of external submenus is developed further.

Changes

The main change in this second alpha release is the addition of a #command that allows submenus to be built by external programs.

 #ExtSubMenu <pathname of external program> <parameters>

The external program should write its output (the menu source) to the file <Wimp$ScrapDir>.StrongMen.ExtMenu. The structure of the file should be the same as the main StrongMenu file.

The entire line from the pathname onward is passed to the external program so it’s possible to pass parameters to the external program.

Limitations

At the moment there are a number of limitations regarding external submenus. It’s hoped that some/all can be removed in future versions.

• Only one level is allowed, so no indented lines that define further submenus.
   
• If #ExtSubMenu is used then no click action can be defined for that menu item.
   
• #Commands that produce submenus themselves (eg #ListDir, #ListTree, #ListShares) can’t be used in external menus, but you can use another #ExtSubMenu.

Examples

The directory !StrongMen.Config.Defaults.Menus contains several programs that generate an external submenu. Have a look at them if you want to create your own external submenus.

The demo StrongMenu file in !StrongMen.Config.Defaults includes a number of external submenus attached to the item ‘Ext submenus’.

The most useful example is probably the ‘Windows’ submenu which (like !Switch) allows you to bring windows to the front. Unlike Switch it can front hidden and iconised windows also.

As always, all feedback is welcome.