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Route menu commands

Connect menu items to a named event handler.

1 Form / control designs1 complete BASIC filesGuided sample project

A menu belongs in the component tray even though it creates a visible command surface at runtime. Configure its items before writing the event code. Keep the command identity stable so renaming a visible label does not accidentally change what the application does.

Step 1Prepare a safe practice project#

Extract the archive into a new writable folder, separate from your own application. Open Menu.mcbproj in McBasic™. Keep every declared source, layout, resource and migration file together.

To reconstruct it yourself, create a DesktopApp project and add the files declared below. In the complete project, follow these steps as a guided rebuild: replace each named source file once and Check after all its procedures are present.

Exact project configuration
project.mcproj
{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "projectId": "f2d44f90-7bea-49a4-8ab0-e6c0ec7e4d75",
  "name": "MenuSample",
  "kind": "DesktopApp",
  "ai": {
    "storeChatsInProject": false
  },
  "language": {
    "dialect": "McBasic1",
    "requireExplicit": true,
    "compare": "Binary",
    "defaultArrayBase": 0
  },
  "application": {
    "bundleIdentifier": "com.mcbasic.samples.menu",
    "version": "0.1.0",
    "buildNumber": "1",
    "startupFormId": "form-main",
    "shutdownMode": "OnStartupFormClosed"
  },
  "forms": [
    {
      "id": "form-main",
      "typeName": "frmMain",
      "layout": "Forms/frmMain.form.json",
      "code": "Forms/frmMain.bas"
    }
  ],
  "modules": [],
  "classes": [],
  "tests": [],
  "references": [],
  "resources": [],
  "targets": [
    "osx-arm64"
  ],
  "capabilities": []
}

Step 2Build the Form and set its properties#

frmMain

Select the Form first and set its properties. Add containers before their children. These are initial Designer values, not statements to paste into a procedure.

Form propertyValue
Caption"Menu — McBasic"
Width560
Height300
MinWidth440
MinHeight220
TypeNameParent
LabellblStatusForm
CommandButtoncmdCloseForm
MenumnuMainComponent tray
lblStatus · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top72
Width420
Height32
Caption"Choose an item from the native menu."
TabIndex0
cmdClose · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top140
Width120
Height36
Caption"Close"
TabIndex1
mnuMain · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Items"File\nNew\n---\nQuit"
VisibleTrue
EnabledTrue
ClickedIndex-1

Step 3Connect the events explicitly#

frmMain

ObjectEventProcedureParameters
cmdCloseClickcmdClose_ClickClick()
mnuMainClickmnuMain_ClickClick()
FormLoadForm_Load()

Step 4Enter the complete behavior#

Open the named source file. Enter declarations first, then every procedure. Expand a procedure for its full body, or copy the complete file. Helpers are required: do not stop after entering the first Click handler.

Forms/frmMain.bas

Enter these declarations at file scope, before the procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas · declarations
Option Explicit
Private Sub Form_Load()

Initialize state before enabling dependent actions. Keep the shared declarations and startup dependencies with this procedure.

Forms/frmMain.bas · Form_Load
Private Sub Form_Load()
    lblStatus.Caption = "Choose an item from the native menu."
End Sub
Private Sub mnuMain_Click()

Enter the complete action, including its input checks and calls to helper procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas · mnuMain_Click
Private Sub mnuMain_Click()
    lblStatus.Caption = "Menu item " & CStr(mnuMain.ClickedIndex + 1) & " selected."
End Sub
Private Sub cmdClose_Click()

Enter the complete action, including its input checks and calls to helper procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas · cmdClose_Click
Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
    Unload Me
End Sub
Copy the complete Forms/frmMain.bas file

Replace the file once; do not append duplicate procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas
Option Explicit

Private Sub Form_Load()
    lblStatus.Caption = "Choose an item from the native menu."
End Sub

Private Sub mnuMain_Click()
    lblStatus.Caption = "Menu item " & CStr(mnuMain.ClickedIndex + 1) & " selected."
End Sub

Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
    Unload Me
End Sub

Step 5Keep resources and storage reproducible#

No external resource or migration files are declared. Any inline migration, seed data or local JSON is present in the code above. Runtime application data and private preferences are not included in the archive.

Step 6Check, run and test the result#

Save all files and run Check. Resolve diagnostics before Run. Developer CLI users can work from the extracted folder:

Developer CLI
mcbasic check Menu.mcbproj
mcbasic run Menu.mcbproj

Acceptance checklist

  • Open the runtime menu and activate an item.
  • Confirm the status reflects the command.
  • Use the close action and confirm shutdown.

Step 7Make one change and repeat the tests#

Add a second command and distinguish it using the menu’s documented selected-item state.

Save a working Git checkpoint first. Change one behavior, Check again and repeat the acceptance checklist. Compare with the downloaded solution if a regression appears.

Source baseline 20f4bfed6b · Build manifest