# The main menu ## Displaying the Main Menu The **Main Menu** is displayed when the **3di** opens, and cannot be closed or minimised. If the **Main Menu** has become hidden behind other objects on the screen, you can bring it to the front in two ways: * click the Main Menu button on the **3di** toolbar * *or* press **\** (think of **M**-enu) ![The main menu with the Training5 backend loaded](/files/P0qYubJYRy55a6TzDqaD) The main menu shows the name of the current backend or 'no backend' if none is loaded. ## Using the Main Menu buttons ### Select and open backend > ![](/files/5LPUCxlcNBndAyG7th6V) Recall from [frontend and backends](/using-the-software/frontend-and-backends.md) that patient cases are stored in a **backend**, and that each backend subfolder lives in a **backends source** folder. #### To select a backend from the Backends folder already shown in *Current source of backends*: 1. select the backend in ***Backends in source*** 2. click the button ***Open selected backend*** #### To select a backend from an existing but different backends source (for example, a folder on a removable drive): 1. click the button ***Browse for new source*** 2. navigate to the required existing **Backends** folder and ensure it is highlighted
* click ***OK*** in the browse dialog * notice that the new **Backends** folder is now displayed in ***Current source of backends***, and that there is a new list of available backends in ***Backends in source*** * select the desired backend in ***Backends in source*** * click the button ***Open selected backend*** ### Create and open backend > ![](/files/FA5L1rpliCTr5AbL7DRR) The exact procedure depends upon where you wish to create your new backend: you will need to choose one of the possibilities numbered **i)** to **iii)** below. However, **naming your backend** is a part of all three procedures, and should take account of the following: * the name may have up to 10 characters drawn from A-Z, a-z, 0-9 * the name must not be amongst any listed in ***Backends in source*** * although *different* Backend sources can contain identically named backends, the potential for confusion is minimised if backend names are unique If your chosen procedure is successful, the **Main Menu** will display the name of your new backend; otherwise error messages will suggest possible problems and the **Main Menu** will display **‘no backend’**. Choose whichever one of the following three possibilities matches your need: #### **i) If you wish to create your new backend in the Backends folder already shown in *****Current source of backends*****:** * enter a name for your backend in ***Enter name for new backend*** * click the button ***Create (and open) backend in current source*** #### **ii) If you wish to create your backend in an *****existing but different***** Backends source folder (for example, a folder elsewhere on your hard disc or on a removable drive):** * click the button ***Browse for new source*** * navigate to the required existing **Backends** folder and ensure it is highlighted
* click **OK** in the browse dialog * notice that the new backends folder is now displayed in **Current source of backends**, and that there is a new list of backends in **Backends in source** * enter a name for your backend in **Enter name for new backend** * click the button **Create…** #### **iii) If you wish to create your backend in a *****newly created***** Backend source folder (for example, a folder elsewhere on your hard disc or on a removable drive):** * click the button **Create new source** * navigate to the folder which is to *contain* your new Backends folder and ensure it is highlighted
* click **OK** in the browse dialog * notice that the new backends folder is now displayed in **Current source of backends**, and that there is an empty list of backends in **Backends in source** * enter a name for your backend in **Enter name for new backend** * click the button **Create…** * note that in the example above, a **Backends** folder will be created in the **Research** folder, and within that will be created the folder for your new backend ### Add and interview patients > This button opens the [Case Manager](/using-the-software/starting-an-interview.md#open-the-case-manager) form. Refer particularly to: * [Enter a patient](/using-the-software/starting-an-interview.md#enter-a-patient) * [Interview a patient](/using-the-software/starting-an-interview.md#interview-a-patient) ### Routes: create and manage > This button opens the **Routes** page of the **Main Menu** where there are further buttons which open the [Route Editor](/using-the-software/conducting-an-interview.md#creating-custom-routes-with-the-route-editor) and the [Route Manager](/using-the-software/conducting-an-interview.md#the-route-manager). ### Close 3di5 > Using the **Close 3di5** button leaves Microsoft Access running, but with no file open. You may prefer to close the **3di** simply by closing the application window by clicking the **Close** icon at the top-right of the window – just as you would close down Microsoft Word or Excel. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.ixdx.org/using-the-software/the-main-menu.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.