------- function in altboot.func------------
# $1 = name
# dump pref name for use in curses menu (HvT)
menu_pref() {
        data_name="$1"
        echo "`eval echo -e \\$${data_name} | sed -e 's/ / /g' -e 's/###/\" /g'  -e 's/##/ \"/g'`"
}

----------env---------------

menu='1##really long title###2##really long title###'

--------test function------
[henry@kermit menu]$ printf "%s\n" 1 "really long title" 2 "really long title"
1
really long title
2
really long title
[henry@kermit menu]$  echo `menu_pref menu`
1 "really long title" 2 "really long title"
[henry@kermit menu]$ printf "%s\n" `menu_pref menu`
1
"really
long
title"
2
"really
long
title"
[henry@kermit menu]$