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How to Customize the Main Menu

xAssets Configuration Guide
How To

How to Customize the Main Menu

This page explains how to customise the main menu in xAssets by adding, editing, reordering, and removing menu items. Every clickable link, toolbar button, and dashboard action in xAssets is a menu item stored in the database, so the entire navigation structure can be reconfigured.

Prerequisites

  • You must be a Configuration User.
  • Understand that menu items are organised into menu categories, which control where items appear (dropdown menus, toolbars, dashboards, etc.).

Adding a New Menu Item

  1. Navigate to Admin > Menus > Menus to open the Menu Editor list.
  2. Click the New button to create a new menu item.
  3. Fill in the required fields:
    • Name -- the text that appears in the menu.
    • Menu Category -- determines where the menu item appears (e.g., which dropdown).
    • Sort Code -- a numeric value that controls the position within the category. Lower numbers appear first.
    • Menu Type -- usually "Standard Menu" for dropdown menu items.
  4. Open the Menu Command Builder tab to configure what the menu item does:
    • Display a query (data list, chart, or report).
    • Open a form (editing screen or dialog).
    • Run a transformation (import, export, or data operation).
    • Navigate to a URL.
  5. Save the menu item.

Editing an Existing Menu Item

There are several ways to find and edit a menu item:

  • In-place editing (fastest): Hold Ctrl and click any menu item in the live application. The Menu Editor opens directly for that item.
  • From the menu list: Navigate to Admin > Menus > Menus, find the item in the list, and click its name.
  • From search: Use the search box to search for the menu by name, select "Configuration Items" search, and click the result.

Reordering Menu Items

  1. Open the Menu Editor for the item you want to move.
  2. Change the Sort Code to a number that places it before or after the desired neighbouring items.
  3. Save. Items within the same menu category are displayed in ascending sort code order.

Organising Items Within a Dropdown

Menu items within a dropdown can be visually grouped using:

  • Sub Category -- creates a heading that groups adjacent items with the same Sub Category value.
  • Menu Set -- groups items into a collapsible sub-menu within the dropdown.
  • Menu Sub Set -- provides an additional nesting level within a Menu Set.

Hiding or Disabling a Menu Item

  • Hide: Check the Hidden checkbox in the Menu Editor. Hidden menus are still available to internal links (e.g., query link columns) but do not appear in the visible menu.
  • Disable: Uncheck the Enabled checkbox. Disabled menus do not appear and are not available from any link.
  • Delete: Use delete only if the item is no longer needed. Deleted menu items cannot be recovered.

Controlling Who Sees a Menu Item

To restrict a menu item to specific user groups:

  1. Open the menu item in the Menu Editor.
  2. Menu access is controlled per user group. See How to Restrict What a User Group Can See for the full procedure.
  3. Alternatively, use Ctrl-9 on any page to see which user groups have access to each visible menu item, and Ctrl-click to change permissions in place.

Moving a Menu Item to a Different Location

  1. Open the Menu Editor for the item.
  2. Change the Menu Category to the category where you want it to appear.
  3. Adjust the Sort Code for its new position.
  4. Save.

You can also drag and drop menu items from the query list to the tree on the left side of the Menu Editor list, or use the Copy/Move option in the footer subform.

Tips

  • Use in-place editing (Ctrl-click) whenever possible -- it is the fastest way to find and modify any menu.
  • When adding multiple related items, use Sub Categories to create visual groupings with headings.
  • After making menu changes, refresh the browser page to see the updates.