Data-driven menuing system for providing a flexible user interface on an electronic device

1. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the program configured to cause a processor to:

compile a menu text file into source code and store the source code of the menu text file within a binary file for modifying a menu;

load the binary file including the source code to an electronic device that is electronically connected to the processor; and

change, via the loaded binary file, a menu on the electronic device without changing an existing firmware state of the electronic device; wherein the menu text file is compiled using firmware of the electronic device to generate the binary file.

2. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein the compiling of the menu text file into the source code further comprises compressing data included in the menu text file.

3. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein the menu text file comprises one or more set definitions, one or more variable definitions, and one or more menu definitions.

4. The computer program of claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more set definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the set definition, a unique identifier of the set definition, and one or more set values.

5. The computer program of claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more variable definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the variable definition and a unique identifier of the variable definition, and at least one keyword and value pair that defines another attribute of the variable definition.

6. The computer program of claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more menu definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the menu definition, one or more indicators of a start of a page definition within the menu definition, and one or more indicators of a start of a line definition within a page definition.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

compiling, by a processor, a menu text file into source code and storing the source code of the menu text file within a binary file for modifying a menu;

loading, by the processor, the binary file including the source code to an electronic device that is electronically connected to the processor; and

changing, by the processor, a menu on the electronic device based on the loaded binary file without changing an existing firmware state of the electronic device; wherein the menu text file is compiled using firmware of the electronic device to generate the binary file.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the compiling of the menu text file into the source code further comprises compressing data, by the processor, included in the menu text file.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the menu text file comprises one or more set definitions, one or more variable definitions, and one or more menu definitions.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more set definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the set definition, a unique identifier of the set definition, and one or more set values.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more variable definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the variable definition and a unique identifier of the variable definition, and at least one keyword and value pair that defines another attribute of the variable definition.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more menu definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the menu definition, one or more indicators of a start of a page definition within the menu definition, and one or more indicators of a start of a line definition within a page definition.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory comprising computer program instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the computer program instructions, the processor configured to:

compile a menu text file into source code and store the source code of the menu text file within a binary file for modifying a menu;

load the binary file including the source code to an electronic device that is electronically connected to the processor; and

change, via the loaded binary file a menu on the electronic device without changing an existing firmware state of the electronic device; wherein the menu text file is compiled using firmware of the electronic device to generate the binary file.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the compilation compiling of the menu text file into the source code further comprises compressing data included in the menu text file.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the menu text file comprises one or more set definitions, one or more variable definitions, and one or more menu definitions.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each of the one or more set definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the set definition, a unique identifier of the set definition, and one or more set values.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each of the one or more variable definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the variable definition and a unique identifier of the variable definition, and at least one keyword and value pair that defines another attribute of the variable definition.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each of the one or more menu definitions comprises an indicator of a start of the menu definition, one or more indicators of a start of a page definition within the menu definition, and one or more indicators of a start of a line definition within a page definition.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the menu text file visually defines a menu for display by the electronic device, one or more pages of the menu, and one or more lines on each page of the menu.