diff --git a/core/horizontal_menu_view.js b/core/horizontal_menu_view.js
index 81d477ad..ee1d5318 100644
--- a/core/horizontal_menu_view.js
+++ b/core/horizontal_menu_view.js
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 /* jslint node: true */
 'use strict';
 
-var MenuView		= require('./menu_view.js').MenuView;
-var ansi			= require('./ansi_term.js');
-var strUtil			= require('./string_util.js');
+const MenuView			= require('./menu_view.js').MenuView;
+const strUtil			= require('./string_util.js');
+const formatString		= require('./string_format');
+const { pipeToAnsi }	= require('./color_codes.js');
+const { goto }			= require('./ansi_term.js');
 
-var assert			= require('assert');
-var _				= require('lodash');
+const assert			= require('assert');
+const _					= require('lodash');
 
 exports.HorizontalMenuView		= HorizontalMenuView;
 
@@ -57,21 +59,29 @@ function HorizontalMenuView(options) {
 	this.drawItem = function(index) {
 		assert(!this.positionCacheExpired);
 
-		var item = self.items[index];
+		const item = self.items[index];
 		if(!item) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		var text = strUtil.stylizeString(
-			item.text,
-			this.hasFocus && item.focused ? self.focusTextStyle : self.textStyle);
+		let text;
+		let sgr;
+		if(item.focused && self.hasFocusItems()) {
+			const focusItem = self.focusItems[index];
+			text = focusItem ? focusItem.text : item.text;
+			sgr = '';
+		} else if(this.complexItems) {
+			text = pipeToAnsi(formatString(item.focused ? this.focusItemFormat : this.itemFormat, item));
+			sgr = this.focusItemFormat ? '' : (index === self.focusedItemIndex ? self.getFocusSGR() : self.getSGR());
+		} else {
+			text = strUtil.stylizeString(item.text, item.focused ? self.focusTextStyle : self.textStyle);
+			sgr = (index === self.focusedItemIndex ? self.getFocusSGR() : self.getSGR());
+		}
 
-		var drawWidth = text.length + self.getSpacer().length * 2;	//	* 2 = sides
+		const drawWidth = strUtil.renderStringLength(text) + (self.getSpacer().length * 2);
 
 		self.client.term.write(
-			ansi.goto(self.position.row, item.col) +
-			(index === self.focusedItemIndex ? self.getFocusSGR() : self.getSGR()) +
-			strUtil.pad(text, drawWidth, self.fillChar, 'center')
+			`${goto(self.position.row, item.col)}${sgr}${strUtil.pad(text, drawWidth, self.fillChar, 'center')}`
 		);
 	};
 }
diff --git a/core/menu_view.js b/core/menu_view.js
index 5aed54ca..56899077 100644
--- a/core/menu_view.js
+++ b/core/menu_view.js
@@ -63,17 +63,37 @@ function MenuView(options) {
 util.inherits(MenuView, View);
 
 MenuView.prototype.setItems = function(items) {
-	const self = this;
+	if(Array.isArray(items)) {
+		//
+		//	Items can be an array of strings or an array of objects.
+		//
+		//	In the case of objects, items are considered complex and
+		//	may have one or more members that can later be formatted
+		//	against. The default member is 'text'. The member 'data'
+		//	may be overridden to provide a form value other than the
+		//	item's index.
+		//
+		//	Items can be formatted with 'itemFormat' and 'focusItemFormat'
+		//
+		let text;
+		let stringItem;
+		this.items = items.map(item => {
+			stringItem = _.isString(item);
+			if(stringItem) {
+				text = item;
+			} else {
+				text = item.text || '';
+				this.complexItems = true;
+			}
 
-	if(items) {
-		this.items = [];
-		items.forEach( itemText => {
-			this.items.push(
-				{
-					text : self.disablePipe ? itemText : pipeToAnsi(itemText, self.client)
-				}
-			);
+			text = this.disablePipe ? text : pipeToAnsi(text, this.client);
+			return Object.assign({ }, { text }, stringItem ? {} : item);	//	ensure we have a text member, plus any others
 		});
+
+		if(this.complexItems) {
+			this.itemFormat			= this.itemFormat || '{text}';
+			this.focusItemFormat	= this.focusItemFormat || this.itemFormat;
+		}
 	}
 };
 
@@ -96,12 +116,20 @@ MenuView.prototype.getCount = function() {
 };
 
 MenuView.prototype.getItems = function() {
+	if(this.complexItems) {
+		return this.items;
+	}
+
 	return this.items.map( item => {
 		return item.text;
 	});
 };
 
 MenuView.prototype.getItem = function(index) {
+	if(this.complexItems) {
+		return this.items[index];
+	}
+
 	return this.items[index].text;
 };
 
@@ -170,6 +198,11 @@ MenuView.prototype.setPropertyValue = function(propName, value) {
 		case 'hotKeySubmit'		: this.hotKeySubmit = value; break;
 		case 'justify'			: this.justify = value; break;
 		case 'focusItemIndex'	: this.focusedItemIndex = value; break;
+
+		case 'itemFormat' :
+		case 'focusItemFormat' :
+			this[propName] = value;
+			break;
 	}
 
 	MenuView.super_.prototype.setPropertyValue.call(this, propName, value);
diff --git a/core/toggle_menu_view.js b/core/toggle_menu_view.js
index 27ae2169..39d7ef95 100644
--- a/core/toggle_menu_view.js
+++ b/core/toggle_menu_view.js
@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ ToggleMenuView.prototype.getData = function() {
 };
 
 ToggleMenuView.prototype.setItems = function(items) {
+	items = items.slice(0, 2);	//	switch/toggle only works with two elements
+
 	ToggleMenuView.super_.prototype.setItems.call(this, items);
 
-	this.items = this.items.splice(0, 2);	//	switch/toggle only works with two elements
-
-	this.dimens.width = this.items.join(' / ').length;	//	:TODO: allow configurable seperator... string & color, e.g. styleColor1 (same as fillChar color)
+	this.dimens.width = items.join(' / ').length;	//	:TODO: allow configurable seperator... string & color, e.g. styleColor1 (same as fillChar color)
 };
diff --git a/core/vertical_menu_view.js b/core/vertical_menu_view.js
index 5b27c36d..e1d6cd17 100644
--- a/core/vertical_menu_view.js
+++ b/core/vertical_menu_view.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 const MenuView		= require('./menu_view.js').MenuView;
 const ansi			= require('./ansi_term.js');
 const strUtil		= require('./string_util.js');
+const formatString	= require('./string_format');
+const pipeToAnsi	= require('./color_codes.js').pipeToAnsi;
 
 //	deps
 const util			= require('util');
@@ -68,17 +70,16 @@ function VerticalMenuView(options) {
 			const focusItem = self.focusItems[index];
 			text = focusItem ? focusItem.text : item.text;
 			sgr = '';
+		} else if(this.complexItems) {
+			text = pipeToAnsi(formatString(item.focused ? this.focusItemFormat : this.itemFormat, item));
+			sgr = this.focusItemFormat ? '' : (index === self.focusedItemIndex ? self.getFocusSGR() : self.getSGR());
 		} else {
 			text = strUtil.stylizeString(item.text, item.focused ? self.focusTextStyle : self.textStyle);
 			sgr = (index === self.focusedItemIndex ? self.getFocusSGR() : self.getSGR());
 		}
 
-		text += self.getSGR();
-
 		self.client.term.write(
-			ansi.goto(item.row, self.position.col) +
-			sgr +
-			strUtil.pad(text, this.dimens.width, this.fillChar, this.justify)
+			`${ansi.goto(item.row, self.position.col)}${sgr}${strUtil.pad(text, this.dimens.width, this.fillChar, this.justify)}`
 		);
 	};
 }
@@ -176,7 +177,9 @@ VerticalMenuView.prototype.onKeyPress = function(ch, key) {
 };
 
 VerticalMenuView.prototype.getData = function() {
-	return this.focusedItemIndex;
+	const item = this.getItem(this.focusedItemIndex);
+	return item.data ? item.data : this.focusedItemIndex;
+	//return this.focusedItemIndex;
 };
 
 VerticalMenuView.prototype.setItems = function(items) {