Bit value:  268435456

This works similarly to regular vertical menu mode but allows the menu layout to be free form. Instead of treating each line as a menu selection, in free form mode each item must be enclosed inside of [brackets]. (Actually, brackets are the default delimiters - you can change them by specifying some other characters in the EXTSMI and EXTEMI fields in the EXTCTL parameter. The free form menu can contain other text which is not inside of brackets and thus is not selectable. It can also contain any number of rows and columns, just like a regular memo. The only restriction is that individual menu items must be contained on a single line - they cannot wrap from one line to the next.

One use for this menu mode is to make horizontal menu bars, similar to those found on many PC software products. You can create your own pull-down menus by combining a top-level horizontal menu with a series of traditional vertical menus. (You will also probably need either a terminal which supports save and restore area, or Tracker, or A-Shell, which includes Tracker.)

Another way to use free form menus is to implement "Dialog Boxes". Typically these are pop-up boxes which appear with some sort of brief warning or message, and 2 or more selections (sometimes called "Radio Buttons") for you to respond. (Again, for this concept to work cleanly, you need the ability to save and restore screen areas, but note that INMEMO will take care of all the dirty work for you, provided you have Tracker or a capable terminal, or A-Shell.)

The TSTNFL.BAS test/demo program demonstrates two examples of free-form menus - we suggest you take a look at it. Note that the menu delimiters don't display. If you want to display brackets to make the choices more obvious in a menu containing other text, you will have to change the delimiters and then surround your selections with brackets as well as the new delimiters. TSTNFL.BAS gives an example of this also.