Overview

MenuBox can be used in three different modes:

• Windowless (e.g. to open a PDF, Word, PowerPoint, etc. document using the CD or DVD AutoRun functionality)
  
• Simple window (text menus combined with graphics, mouseover information, sound, fade-in/fade-out effects, etc.)
  
• Browser window (HTML content in custom window, with options for borderless or full screen rendering, "kiosk" applications, etc.)
  

The three modes can be combined, so that if for example a certain document viewer could not be detected and/or installed, or if MenuBox is running on a very old version of Windows which does not have at least Internet Explorer 3, then the simple window (which does not require any external viewers or Windows components) is opened.

The MenuBox Wizard includes preset templates to easily build projects in all three operating modes.

MenuBox Executable and Options

The redistributable MenuBox software functionality is provided by a single executable file ("menubox.exe") combined with one or more of:

• Command line option(s) (optional, with the default configuration file in the current directory being opened if no command line options are given)
  
• Configuration file(s) (always required when a window is opened or conditional code is used; default file names are "menubox.ini" and/or language-localized names, e.g. "menubox-en.ini", "menubox-de.ini", "menubox-fr.ini", "menubox-it.ini", etc.)
  
• HTML document(s) (only required if MenuBox is used in browser mode)
  Optional AutoRun files
  

When the MenuBox Wizard is used, the above files are created and configured automatically.

If MenuBox is used as a simple launcher (no window, no conditional code), then the command line options are all that is required (e.g. "MenuBox ReadMe.txt"). All command line options also have a configuration file equivalent, so that it is possible to keep the command line short and simple, and work on the configuration file. A configuration file (usually named "menubox.ini") is required when MenuBox is used to open a window (both for text menus and for HTML content) and when conditional code is used (for example to install viewer software or to fall back to a simple window if the installation of a required viewer fails, or if browser mode is not possible due to lack of Internet Explorer 3 or higher).

HTML Documents: Windowless vs. Browser Window Mode

Unlike other types of documents, which can only be viewed by launching the appropriate viewer (which MenuBox can take care of automatically), HTML documents can be displayed in two different ways:

• From the command line (e.g. "MenuBox MyDocument.html") or using an equivalent configuration file entry, in which case the default browser and settings are used to open the document
  
• By indicating the desired document name and window size and settings in the MenuBox configuration file, in which case MenuBox itself becomes a browser container (requires Internet Explorer 3 or higher, which can be installed by adding the appropriate conditions and setup instructions in the configuration file)