enigma-bbs/docs/configuration/menu-hjson.md

---
layout: page
title: menu.hjson
---
## Menu HJSON
The core of a ENiGMA½ based BBS is `menu.hjson`. Note that when `menu.hjson` is referenced, we're actually talking about `config/yourboardname-menu.hjson` or similar. This file determines the menus (or screens) a user can see, the order they come in and how they interact with each other, ACS configuration, etc. Like all configuration within ENiGMA½, menu configuration is done in [HJSON](https://hjson.org/) format.

Entries in `menu.hjson` are often referred to as *blocks* or *sections*. Each entry defines a menu. A menu in this sense is something the user can see or visit. Examples include but are not limited to:

* Classical Main, Messages, and File menus
* Art file display
* Module driven menus such as door launchers and other custom mods

Menu entries live under the `menus` section of `menu.hjson`. The *key* for a menu is it's name that can be referenced by other menus and areas of the system.

## Common Menu Entry Members
Below is a table of **common** menu entry members. These members apply to most entries, though entries that are backed by a specialized module (ie: `module: bbs_list`) may differ. See documentation for the module in question for particulars.

| Item   | Description  |
|--------|--------------|
| `desc` | A friendly description that can be found in places such as "Who's Online" or wherever the `%MD` MCI code is used. |
| `art` | An art file *spec*. See [General Art Information](/docs/art/general.md). |
| `next` | Specifies the next menu entry to go to next. Can be explicit or an array of possibilites dependent on ACS. See **Flow Control** in the **ACS Checks** section below. If `next` is not supplied, the next menu is this menus parent. |
| `prompt` | Specifies a prompt, by name, to use along with this menu. Prompts are configured in `prompt.hjson`. |
| `submit` | Defines a submit handler when using `prompt`.
| `form` | An object defining one or more *forms* available on this menu. |
| `module` | Sets the module name to use for this menu. |
| `config` | An object containing additional configuration. See **Config Block** below. |

### Config Block
The `config` block for a menu entry can contain common members as well as a per-module (when `module` is used) settings.

| Item | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `cls` | If `true` the screen will be cleared before showing this menu. |
| `pause` | If `true` a pause will occur after showing this menu. Useful for simple menus such as displaying art or status screens. |
| `nextTimeout` | Sets the number of **milliseconds** before the system will automatically advanced to the `next` menu. |
| `baudRate` | See baud rate information in [General Art Information](/docs/art/general.md). |
| `font` | Sets a SyncTERM style font to use when displaying this menus `art`. See font listing in [General Art Information](/docs/art/general.md). |



## Forms
ENiGMA½ uses a concept of *forms* in menus. A form is a collection of associated *views*. Consider a New User Application using the `nua` module: The default implementation utilizes a single form with multiple EditTextView views, a submit button, etc. Forms are identified by number starting with `0`. A given menu may have mutiple forms (often associated with different states or screens within the menu).

Menus may also support more than one layout type by using a *MCI key*. A MCI key is a alpha-numerically sorted key made from 1:n MCI codes. This lets the system choose the appropriate set of form(s) based on theme or random art. An example of this may be a matrix menu: Perhaps one style of your matrix uses a vertical light bar (`VM` key) while another uses a horizontal (`HM` key). The system can discover the correct form to use by matching MCI codes found in the art to that of the available forms defined in `menu.hjson`.

For more information on views and associated MCI codes, see [MCI Codes](/docs/art/mci.md).

## Submit Handlers
TODO

## Example
Let's look a couple basic menu entries:

```hjson
telnetConnected: {
    art: CONNECT
    next: matrix
    config: { nextTimeout: 1500 }
}
```

The above entry `telnetConnected` is set as the Telnet server's first menu entry (set by `firstMenu` in the Telnet server's config). The entry sets up a few things:
* A `art` spec of `CONNECT`. (See [General Art Information](/docs/art/general.md)).
* A `next` entry up the next menu, by name, in the stack (`matrix`) that we'll go to after `telnetConnected`.
* An `config` block containing a single `nextTimeout` field telling the system to proceed to the `next` (`matrix`) entry automatically after 1500ms.

Now let's look at `matrix`, the `next` entry from `telnetConnected`:

```hjson
matrix: {
    art: MATRIX
    desc: Login Matrix
    form: {
        0: {
            //
            //  Here we have a MCI key of "VM". In this case we could
            //  omit this level since no other keys are present.
            //
            VM: {
                mci: {
                    VM1:  {
                        submit: true
                        focus:  true
                        items: [ "login", "apply", "log off" ]
                        argName: matrixSubmit
                    }
                }
                submit: {
                    *: [
                        {
                            value: { matrixSubmit: 0 }
                            action: @menu:login
                        }
                        {
                            value: { matrixSubmit: 1 },
                            action: @menu:newUserApplication
                        }
                        {
                            value: { matrixSubmit: 2 },
                            action: @menu:logoff
                        }
                    ]
                }
            }

            //
            //  If we wanted, we could declare a "HM" MCI key block here.
            //  This would allow a horizontal matrix style when the matrix art
            //  loaded contained a %HM code.
            //
        }
    }
}
```

In the above entry, you'll notice `form`. This defines a form(s) object. In this case, a single form by ID of `0`. The system is then told to use a block only when the resulting art provides a `VM` (*VerticalMenuView*) MCI entry. Some other bits about the form:

* `VM1` is then setup to `submit` and start focused via `focus: true` as well as have some menu entries ("login", "apply", ...) defined. We provide an `argName` of `matrixSubmit` for this element view.
* The `submit` object tells the system to attempt to apply provided match entries from any view ID (`*`).
* Upon submit, the first match will be executed. For example, if the user selects "login", the first entry with a value of `{ matrixSubmit: 0 }` will match (due to 0 being the first index in the list and `matrixSubmit` being the arg name in question) causing `action` of `@menu:login` to be executed (go to `login` menu).

## ACS Checks
Menu modules can check user ACS in order to restrict areas and perform flow control. See [ACS](acs.md) for available ACS syntax.

### Menu Access
To restrict menu access add an `acs` key to `config`. Example:
```
opOnlyMenu: {
    desc: Ops Only!
    config: {
        acs: ID1
    }
}
```

### Flow Control
The `next` member of a menu may be an array of objects containing an `acs` check as well as the destination. Depending on the current user's ACS, the system will pick the appropriate target. The last element in an array without an `acs` can be used as a catch all. Example:
```
login: {
    desc: Logging In
    next: [
        {
            //	>= 2 calls else you get the full login
            acs: NC2
            next: loginSequenceLoginFlavorSelect
        }
        {
            next: fullLoginSequenceLoginArt
        }
    ]
}
```

### Art Asset Selection
Another area in which you can apply ACS in a menu is art asset specs.

```hjson
someMenu: {
    desc: Neato Dorito
    art: [
        {
            acs: GM[couriers]
            art: COURIERINFO
        }
        {
            //  show ie: EVERYONEELSE.ANS to everyone else
            art: EVERYONEELSE
        }
    ]
}
```