Hi all -

I have been trying to understnad the logic behind why changing menus is so involved, where as there is an actual editor for this provided by Mystic and other BBS software. I can see the power of making menus run off JavaScript, but for those of us who know next to nothing about the language, have low vision and/or prefer the WYSIWYG of a dynamic menu system makes changing your BBS into something more unique a snap. I've been running Synchronet on my lab VM and Mystic on my production host. The only reason I went with Mystic is for the menu "overcomplexity".

Did I basically just say "Synchronet is not for me", or is this something that could be incorporated as perhaps a secondary option for menu creation/editing?

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Re: Synchronet menu system
By: Winzlo to All on Sun Jul 19 2026 06:42 pm

Hi all -

I have been trying to understnad the logic behind why changing menus is so involved, where as there is an actual editor for this provided by Mystic and other BBS software. I can see the power of making menus run off JavaScript, but for those of us who know next to nothing about the language, have low vision and/or prefer the WYSIWYG of a dynamic menu system makes changing your > BBS into something more unique a snap. I've been running Synchronet on my
lab VM and Mystic on my production host. The only reason I went with Mystic is for the menu "overcomplexity".

Did I basically just say "Synchronet is not for me", or is this something that could be incorporated as perhaps a secondary option for menu creation/editing?

i know it's a learning hurdle to get over. you could always use the renegade Menu and modify the baja src. It's not hard to do that.

there are menu editors for synchronet but i'm not sure if they are finished and i think they might be very limited because when you edit your own command Shell you can do whatever you want.

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Re: Synchronet menu system
By: Winzlo to All on Sun Jul 19 2026 06:42 pm

I have been trying to understnad the logic behind why changing menus is so involved, where as there is an actual editor for this provided by Mystic and other BBS software. I can see the power of making menus run off JavaScript, but for those of us who know next to nothing about the language, have low vision and/or prefer the WYSIWYG of a dynamic menu system makes changing your BBS into something more unique a snap. I've

This was something that I initially found a little surprising too, since other BBS packages, as you said, have a menuing system based on using a menu editor. I think the main strength of Synchronet's menuing system is that it can be really flexible - what it uses is more like an OS command shell which performs the duty of a BBS menuing system. And indeed, I have seen some Synchronet command shells that mimic the MS-DOS command line & such.. You really can do basically whatever you want with a Synchronet command shell.

There is a menu editor for Synchronet though - I haven't used it myself, but
I think it's supposed to work - Take a look at menuedit.js.

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Re: Synchronet menu system
By: Winzlo to All on Sun Jul 19 2026 06:42 pm

Did I basically just say "Synchronet is not for me", or is this something that could be incorporated as perhaps a secondary option for menu creation/editing?

People have created menu editors for Synchronet in the past, including me, and it turns out nobody uses them because they're too limiting. If you look at a modern command shell (e.g. exec/default.js), it's pretty obvious how to change it and there are no limitations on where you can go from there. By contrast, any menu editor will have to have a limited number of actions or verbs and supported syntax.
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Re: Synchronet menu system
By: Nightfox to Winzlo on Mon Jul 20 2026 04:43 am

There is a menu editor for Synchronet though - I haven't used it myself, but I think it's supposed to work - Take a look at menuedit.js.

Jackpot! This is what I've been looking for - something to make the basic menu design and then I can add my customizations around it. I'm so unused to JavaScript - I often forget that .js files are read with jsexec. Hopefully the output of this is exactly what I expect - it should be based on the available fields.

Thanks!
-Winzlo

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Re: Synchronet menu system
By: Digital Man to Winzlo on Mon Jul 20 2026 11:24 am

People have created menu editors for Synchronet in the past, including me, and it turns out nobody uses them because they're too limiting. If you look at a modern command shell (e.g. exec/default.js), it's pretty obvious how to change it and there are no limitations on where you can go from there. By contrast, any menu editor will have to have a limited number of actions or verbs and supported syntax.

Totaly agree - canned menus can be nice, but they need to be customizable afterwards to fit the "personality" of the BBS. meunedit.js should put me closer to having a workable replacement menu than if I were to try and alter an existing shell's command handler, screens, etc. As said, coming from the world of systems where there is 0 actual development work to set up a menu system, this is a fairly moderate learning curve for something that is critical to the operational flow of tthe BBS.
-Winzlo

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Re: Synchronet menu system
By: Winzlo to Digital Man on Mon Jul 20 2026 04:34 pm

Re: Synchronet menu system
By: Digital Man to Winzlo on Mon Jul 20 2026 11:24 am

People have created menu editors for Synchronet in the past, including me, and it turns out nobody uses them because they're too limiting. If you look at a modern command shell (e.g. exec/default.js), it's pretty obvious how to change it and there are no limitations on where you can go from there. By contrast, any menu editor will have to have a limited number of actions or verbs and supported syntax.

Totaly agree - canned menus can be nice, but they need to be customizable afterwards to fit the "personality" of the BBS. meunedit.js should put me closer to having a workable replacement menu than if I were to try and alter an existing shell's command handler, screens, etc.

The output of menuedit is not a script that you can then go an easily customize later by hand. It just outputs a JSON data file that's parsed by another script.

As said, coming from the
world of systems where there is 0 actual development work to set up a menu system, this is a fairly moderate learning curve for something that is critical to the operational flow of tthe BBS.

Have you looked at default.js? I wouldn't consider editing the tables of commands in that file that to be "development work". I hope menuedit.js does what you're looking for. I think you'll be the first, if it is. :-)
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Re: Synchronet menu system
By: Winzlo to Digital Man on Mon Jul 20 2026 04:34 pm

People have created menu editors for Synchronet in the past, including me, and it turns out nobody uses them because they're too limiting. If you look at a modern command shell (e.g. exec/default.js), it's pretty obvious how to change it and there are no limitations on where you can go from there. By contrast, any menu editor will have to have a limited number of actions or verbs and supported syntax.

If you need any help let me know. Send me a netmail right here by pressing M.
i was an iniquity,rg and telegard sysop. I can show you the best way to digest This change. It's not as bad as you think.

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looking after some of the richest clients in the world...Now we do!"


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