Menus

In BMC Remedy, menus are a key feature that enhance the usability of forms by providing dynamic, user-friendly options for fields. They allow users to select values from predefined lists, reducing manual input errors and improving consistency.

Types of Menus in BMC Remedy:

1. Static Menus:

   • Contain a predefined, fixed set of values.
   • Example: A dropdown for selecting "Priority" values such as Low, Medium, High.

2. Dynamic Menus:

   • Retrieve their values dynamically from a form or external data source.
   • Example: A list of customers pulled from the "Customer Information" form.

3. Search Menus:

   • Allow users to search for values based on specific criteria.
   • Example: Searching for a specific incident number or user name.

4. File-Based Menus:

   • Retrieve values from a flat file stored on the Remedy server.
   • Useful when importing large sets of data into a menu.

Menu Components:

1. Label:
   • The display value users see in the menu.
2. Value:
   • The actual value stored in the database when a user selects a menu item.
3. Sort Order:
   • Defines how the values appear (e.g., alphabetically or in a custom order).

Associating Menus with Fields:

1. Menu Field Types:

   • Menus can be associated with character, selection, or other field types depending on the use case.

2. Steps to Attach a Menu to a Field:

   • Open the desired form in Developer Studio.
   • Select the field where the menu will be applied.
   • Go to the field’s Properties.
   • Under the Data Source or Menu section, specify the menu type and configuration.

Static Menu Example:

• Use Case: Create a menu for selecting a ticket priority.

Steps:

1. Define a static menu with values: Low, Medium, High, Critical.
2. Attach the menu to a "Priority" field.
3. The menu displays these values, and the selected value gets stored in the field.

Dynamic Menu Example:

• Use Case: Pull a list of customers dynamically from the "Customer Info" form.

Steps:

1. Create a dynamic menu in Developer Studio.
2. Specify the source form (e.g., "Customer Info") and field (e.g., "Customer Name").
3. Optionally, define a qualification to filter results (e.g., ('Active' = "Yes")).
4. Attach this menu to the desired field on your form.

Search Menu Example:

• Use Case: Allow users to search for an incident by its ID.

Steps:

1. Define a search menu with the source form as "Incident."
2. Specify the field to search (e.g., "Incident ID").
3. Optionally, define a search filter (e.g., show only "Open" incidents).
4. Attach the menu to an "Incident ID" field.

File-Based Menu Example:

• Use Case: Populate a menu with values stored in a CSV file.

Steps:

1. Prepare the file containing the values (e.g., Countries.csv).
2. Place the file in the appropriate server directory.
3. Configure the menu to read data from the file.
4. Attach it to the required field.

Advantages of Using Menus:

1. Consistency: Ensures users select standardized values.
2. Ease of Use: Simplifies data entry with dropdowns and search functionality.
3. Efficiency: Reduces errors by providing valid options dynamically.
4. Flexibility: Supports dynamic integration with forms and external data sources.

Common Use Cases for Menus in Remedy:

1. Selecting ticket priorities, categories, or subcategories.
2. Displaying a list of available users or groups for assignment.
3. Searching for a specific record (e.g., asset, incident, or request).
4. Populating location-based fields dynamically (e.g., country, region, city).

Let me know if you'd like to see a specific configuration or example of a menu setup in Remedy!