## GtkMenuShell GtkMenuShell — A base class for menu objects |

## Synopsis

    #include <gtk/gtk.h>

                GtkMenuShell;
    void        gtk_menu_shell_append           (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *child);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_prepend          (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *child);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_insert           (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *child,
                                                 gint position);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_deactivate       (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_select_item      (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *menu_item);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_select_first     (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 gboolean search_sensitive);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_deselect         (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_activate_item    (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *menu_item,
                                                 gboolean force_deactivate);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_cancel           (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell);
    void        gtk_menu_shell_set_take_focus   (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 gboolean take_focus);
    gboolean    gtk_menu_shell_get_take_focus   (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell);
    enum        GtkMenuDirectionType;

## Object Hierarchy

      GObject
       +----GInitiallyUnowned
             +----GtkObject
                   +----GtkWidget
                         +----GtkContainer
                               +----GtkMenuShell
                                     +----GtkMenuBar
                                     +----GtkMenu

## Implemented Interfaces

GtkMenuShell implements AtkImplementorIface.

## Properties

      "take-focus"           gboolean              : Read / Write

## Signals

    "activate-current"
                void        user_function      (GtkMenuShell *menushell,
                                                gboolean      force_hide,
                                                gpointer      user_data)       : Run last / Action
    "cancel"    void        user_function      (GtkMenuShell *menushell,
                                                gpointer      user_data)      : Run last / Action
    "cycle-focus"
                void        user_function      (GtkMenuShell     *menushell,
                                                GtkDirectionType *arg1,
                                                gpointer          user_data)      : Run last / Action
    "deactivate"
                void        user_function      (GtkMenuShell *menushell,
                                                gpointer      user_data)      : Run first
    "move-current"
                void        user_function      (GtkMenuShell        *menushell,
                                                GtkMenuDirectionType direction,
                                                gpointer             user_data)      : Run last / Action
    "selection-done"
                void        user_function      (GtkMenuShell *menushell,
                                                gpointer      user_data)      : Run first

## Description

A GtkMenuShell is the abstract base class used to derive the GtkMenu and GtkMenuBar subclasses.

A GtkMenuShell is a container of GtkMenuItem objects arranged in a list which can be navigated, selected, and activated by the user to perform application functions. A GtkMenuItem can have a submenu associated with it, allowing for nested hierarchical menus.

## Details

### GtkMenuShell

    typedef struct _GtkMenuShell GtkMenuShell;

The GtkMenuShell struct contains the following fields. (These fields should be considered read-only. They should never be set by an application.)

GList *children; | The list of GtkMenuItem objects contained by this GtkMenuShell.

### gtk_menu_shell_append ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_append           (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *child);

Adds a new GtkMenuItem to the end of the menu shell's item list.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell.
`child` : | The GtkMenuItem to add.

### gtk_menu_shell_prepend ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_prepend          (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *child);

Adds a new GtkMenuItem to the beginning of the menu shell's item list.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell.
`child` : | The GtkMenuItem to add.

### gtk_menu_shell_insert ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_insert           (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *child,
                                                 gint position);

Adds a new GtkMenuItem to the menu shell's item list at the position indicated by `position`.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell.
`child` : | The GtkMenuItem to add.
`position` : | The position in the item list where `child` is added. Positions are numbered from 0 to n-1.

### gtk_menu_shell_deactivate ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_deactivate       (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell);

Deactivates the menu shell. Typically this results in the menu shell being erased from the screen.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell.

### gtk_menu_shell_select_item ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_select_item      (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *menu_item);

Selects the menu item from the menu shell.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell.
`menu_item` : | The GtkMenuItem to select.

### gtk_menu_shell_select_first ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_select_first     (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 gboolean search_sensitive);

Select the first visible or selectable child of the menu shell; don't select tearoff items unless the only item is a tearoff item.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell
`search_sensitive` : | if `TRUE`, search for the first selectable menu item, otherwise select nothing if the first item isn't sensitive. This should be `FALSE` if the menu is being popped up initially.

Since 2.2

### gtk_menu_shell_deselect ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_deselect         (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell);

Deselects the currently selected item from the menu shell, if any.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell.

### gtk_menu_shell_activate_item ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_activate_item    (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 GtkWidget *menu_item,
                                                 gboolean force_deactivate);

Activates the menu item within the menu shell.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell.
`menu_item` : | The GtkMenuItem to activate.
`force_deactivate` : | If TRUE, force the deactivation of the menu shell after the menu item is activated.

### gtk_menu_shell_cancel ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_cancel           (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell);

Cancels the selection within the menu shell.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell

Since 2.4

### gtk_menu_shell_set_take_focus ()

    void        gtk_menu_shell_set_take_focus   (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell,
                                                 gboolean take_focus);

If `take_focus` is `TRUE` (the default) the menu shell will take the keyboard focus so that it will receive all keyboard events which is needed to enable keyboard navigation in menus.

Setting `take_focus` to `FALSE` is useful only for special applications like virtual keyboard implementations which should not take keyboard focus.

The `take_focus` state of a menu or menu bar is automatically propagated to submenus whenever a submenu is popped up, so you don't have to worry about recursively setting it for your entire menu hierarchy. Only when programmatically picking a submenu and popping it up manually, the `take_focus` property of the submenu needs to be set explicitely.

Note that setting it to `FALSE` has side-effects:

If the focus is in some other app, it keeps the focus and keynav in the menu doesn't work. Consequently, keynav on the menu will only work if the focus is on some toplevel owned by the onscreen keyboard.

To avoid confusing the user, menus with `take_focus` set to `FALSE` should not display mnemonics or accelerators, since it cannot be guaranteed that they will work.

See also `gdk_keyboard_grab()`

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell
`take_focus` : | `TRUE` if the menu shell should take the keyboard focus on popup.

Since 2.8

### gtk_menu_shell_get_take_focus ()

    gboolean    gtk_menu_shell_get_take_focus   (GtkMenuShell *menu_shell);

Returns `TRUE` if the menu shell will take the keyboard focus on popup.

`menu_shell` : | a GtkMenuShell
Returns : | `TRUE` if the menu shell will take the keyboard focus on popup.

Since 2.8

### enum GtkMenuDirectionType

    typedef enum
    {
      GTK_MENU_DIR_PARENT,
      GTK_MENU_DIR_CHILD,
      GTK_MENU_DIR_NEXT,
      GTK_MENU_DIR_PREV
    } GtkMenuDirectionType;

An enumeration representing directional movements within a menu.

GTK_MENU_DIR_PARENT | To the parent menu shell.
GTK_MENU_DIR_CHILD | To the submenu, if any, associated with the item.
GTK_MENU_DIR_NEXT | To the next menu item.
GTK_MENU_DIR_PREV | To the previous menu item.

## Property Details

### The "`take-focus`" property

      "take-focus"           gboolean              : Read / Write

A boolean that determines whether the menu and its submenus grab the keyboard focus. See `gtk_menu_shell_set_take_focus()` and `gtk_menu_shell_get_take_focus()`.

Default value: TRUE

Since 2.8

## Signal Details

### The "activate-current" signal

    void        user_function                  (GtkMenuShell *menushell,
                                                gboolean      force_hide,
                                                gpointer      user_data)       : Run last / Action

An action signal that activates the current menu item within the menu shell.

`menushell` : | the object which received the signal.
`force_hide` : | if TRUE, hide the menu after activating the menu item.
`user_data` : | user data set when the signal handler was connected.

### The "cancel" signal

    void        user_function                  (GtkMenuShell *menushell,
                                                gpointer      user_data)      : Run last / Action

An action signal which cancels the selection within the menu shell. Causes the GtkMenuShell::selection-done signal to be emitted.

`menushell` : | the object which received the signal.
`user_data` : | user data set when the signal handler was connected.

### The "cycle-focus" signal

    void        user_function                  (GtkMenuShell     *menushell,
                                                GtkDirectionType *arg1,
                                                gpointer          user_data)      : Run last / Action

`menushell` : | the object which received the signal.
`arg1` : |
`user_data` : | user data set when the signal handler was connected.

### The "deactivate" signal

    void        user_function                  (GtkMenuShell *menushell,
                                                gpointer      user_data)      : Run first

This signal is emitted when a menu shell is deactivated.

`menushell` : | the object which received the signal.
`user_data` : | user data set when the signal handler was connected.

### The "move-current" signal

    void        user_function                  (GtkMenuShell        *menushell,
                                                GtkMenuDirectionType direction,
                                                gpointer             user_data)      : Run last / Action

An action signal which moves the current menu item in the direction specified by `direction`.

`menushell` : | the object which received the signal.
`direction` : | the direction to move.
`user_data` : | user data set when the signal handler was connected.

### The "selection-done" signal

    void        user_function                  (GtkMenuShell *menushell,
                                                gpointer      user_data)      : Run first

This signal is emitted when a selection has been completed within a menu shell.

`menushell` : | the object which received the signal.
`user_data` : | user data set when the signal handler was connected.