[12330] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Menuing software for Windows
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Robert Cunnew)
Mon Jul 20 20:06:11 1998
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 13:46:47 -0500
From: Robert Cunnew <robert@cunnew.demon.co.uk>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Can someone recommend menuing software that will replace Program Manager
in Windows 3.1, preferably with security attached? Our OPACs share PCs
with public-access databases, CD-ROMs and computer-based training and we
need a simple interface to guide users between these.
What I would ideally like is a menu system that retains some kind of
presence when other applications are running, so that when users leave a
PC - as they often do - several screens down within the OPAC menus,
someone new coming to the PC will not be confused. At the moment they
could be confronted with anything depending on where the last person
left off, eg "Please select display options". It's like having a book
displayed on the shelf open at page 134 instead of closed with its spine
title facing out - except that most users would know what steps to take
to view the spine title.
Just to complicate matters our OPAC will be running as a DOS program
within Windows.
There is a program from CARL designed to be used with their Everybody's
Catalog although it can also be a standalone. However, judging from the
screenshots this doesn't retain a continuous presence.
Or do you all find library users now are happy with rows of icons?
And/or is there some other solution to the problem of abandoned screens?
--
Robert Cunnew
Librarian, Chartered Insurance Institute, London
