---
layout: page
title: Vertical Menu View
---
## Vertical Menu View
A vertical menu view supports displaying a list of times on a screen vertically in a single column, similar to a lightbar. This type of control is often useful for lists of items or menu controls.

## General Information

Items can be selected on a menu via the cursor keys, Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End, or by selecting them via a `hotKey` - see ***Hot Keys*** below.

> :information_source: A vertical menu view is defined with a percent (%) and the characters VM, followed by the view number (if used.) For example: `%VM1`.

> :information_source: See [MCI](../mci.md) for general information on how to use views and common configuration properties available for them.

### Properties

| Property    | Description  |
|-------------|--------------|
| `textStyle` | Sets the standard (non-focus) text style. See **Text Styles** in [MCI](../mci.md) |
| `focusTextStyle` | Sets focus text style. See **Text Styles** in [MCI](../mci.md)|
| `itemSpacing` | Used to separate items vertically in the menu |
| `height` | Sets the height of views to display multiple items vertically (default 1) |
| `focus` | If set to `true`, establishes initial focus |
| `submit` | If set to `true` any `accept` action upon this view will submit the encompassing **form** |
| `hotKeys` | Sets hot keys to activate specific items. See **Hot Keys** below |
| `hotKeySubmit` | Set to submit a form on hotkey selection |
| `argName` | Sets the argument name for this selection in the form |
| `justify` | Sets the justification of each item in the list. Options: left (default), right, center |
| `itemFormat` | Sets the format for a list entry. See **Entry Formatting** in [MCI](../mci.md) |
| `fillChar` | Specifies a character to fill extra space in the menu with. Defaults to an empty space |
| `items` | List of items to show in the menu. See **Items** below.
| `focusItemFormat` | Sets the format for a focused list entry. See **Entry Formatting** in [MCI](../mci.md) |


### Hot Keys

A set of `hotKeys` are used to allow the user to press a character on the keyboard to select that item, and optionally submit the form.

Example:

```
hotKeys: { A: 0, B: 1, C: 2, D: 3 }
hotKeySubmit: true
```
This would select and submit the first item if `A` is typed, second if `B`, etc.

### Items

A vertical menu, similar to other menus, take a list of items to display in the menu. For example:


```
items: [
  {
      text: First Item
      data: first
  }
  {
      text: Second Item
      data: second
  }
]
```

If the list is for display only (there is no form action associated with it) you can omit the data element, and include the items as a simple list:

```
["First item", "Second item", "Third Item"]
```


## Example

![Example](../../assets/images/vertical_menu_view_example1.gif "Vertical menu")

<details>
<summary>Configuration fragment (expand to view)</summary>
<div markdown="1">
```
VM1: {
  submit: true
  argName: navSelect
  items: [
    {
      text: login
      data: login
    }
    {
      text: apply
      data: new user
    }
    {
      text: about
      data: about
    }
    {
      text: log off
      data: logoff
    }
  ]
}

```
</div>
</details>