---
title: MenuBar
order: 25
layout: page
---

[[components.menubar]]
= MenuBar

ifdef::web[]
[.sampler]
image:{live-demo-image}[alt="Live Demo", link="http://demo.vaadin.com/sampler/#ui/interaction/menu-bar"]
endif::web[]

The [classname]#MenuBar# component allows creating horizontal drop-down menus, much like the main menu in desktop applications.

[[figure.components.menubar]]
.Menu Bar
image::img/menubar-example1.png[width=40%, scaledwidth=60%]

The menu items open as the user navigates them by hovering or clicking with the mouse.
Menus can have separators to divide items into sub-sections.
Menu items can have an icon and styling.
They can also be checkable, so that the user can click on them to toggle between checked and unchecked.

[[components.menubar.creation]]
== Creating a Menu

The actual menu bar component is first created as follows:

[source, java]
----
MenuBar barmenu = new MenuBar();
main.addComponent(barmenu);
----

You insert the top-level menu items to the [classname]#MenuBar# object with the
[methodname]#addItem()# method. It takes a string label, an icon resource, and a
command as its parameters. The icon and command are not required and can be
[parameter]#null#. The [methodname]#addItem()# method returns a
[classname]#MenuBar.MenuItem# object, which you can use to add sub-menu items.
The [classname]#MenuItem# has an identical [methodname]#addItem()# method.

For example (the command is explained later):


[source, java]
----
// A top-level menu item that opens a submenu
MenuItem drinks = barmenu.addItem("Beverages", null, null);

// Submenu item with a sub-submenu
MenuItem hots = drinks.addItem("Hot", null, null);
hots.addItem("Tea",
    new ThemeResource("icons/tea-16px.png"),    mycommand);
hots.addItem("Coffee",
    new ThemeResource("icons/coffee-16px.png"), mycommand);

// Another submenu item with a sub-submenu
MenuItem colds = drinks.addItem("Cold", null, null);
colds.addItem("Milk",      null, mycommand);
colds.addItem("Weissbier", null, mycommand);

// Another top-level item
MenuItem snacks = barmenu.addItem("Snacks", null, null);
snacks.addItem("Weisswurst", null, mycommand);
snacks.addItem("Bratwurst",  null, mycommand);
snacks.addItem("Currywurst", null, mycommand);

// Yet another top-level item
MenuItem servs = barmenu.addItem("Services", null, null);
servs.addItem("Car Service", null, mycommand);
----


[[components.menubar.commands]]
== Handling Menu Selection

Menu selection is handled by executing a __command__ when the user selects an
item from the menu. A command is a call-back class that implements the
[classname]#MenuBar.Command# interface.


[source, java]
----
// A feedback component
final Label selection = new Label("-");
main.addComponent(selection);

// Define a common menu command for all the menu items.
MenuBar.Command mycommand = new MenuBar.Command() {
    public void menuSelected(MenuItem selectedItem) {
        selection.setValue("Ordered a " +
                           selectedItem.getText() +
                           " from menu.");
    }
};
----


ifdef::web[]
[[components.menubar.menuitem]]
== Menu Items

Menu items have properties such as a caption, icon, enabled, visible, and
description (tooltip). The meaning of these is the same as for components.

Submenus are created by adding sub-items to an item with [methodname]#addItem()#
or [methodname]#addItemBefore()#.

The __command__ property is a [classname]#MenuBar.Command# that is called when
the particular menu item is selected. The [methodname]#menuSelected()# callback
gets the clicked menu item as its parameter.

Menus can have __separators__, which are defined before or after an item with
[methodname]#addSeparatorBefore()# or [methodname]#addSeparator()# on the item,
respectively.


[source, java]
----
MenuItem drinks = barmenu.addItem("Beverages", null, null);
...

// A sub-menu item after a separator
drinks.addSeparator();
drinks.addItem("Quit Drinking", null, null);
----

Enabling __checkable__ on an menu item with [methodname]#setCheckable()# allows
the user to switch between checked and unchecked state by clicking on the item.
You can set the checked state with [methodname]#setChecked()#. Note that if such
an item has a command, the checked state is not flipped automatically, but you
need to do it explicitly.

Menu items have various other properties as well, see the API documentation for
more details.

endif::web[]

[[components.menubar.css]]
== CSS Style Rules


[source, css]
----
.v-menubar { }
  .v-menubar-submenu { }
    .v-menubar-menuitem { }
      .v-menubar-menuitem-caption { }
    .v-menubar-menuitem-selected { }
    .v-menubar-submenu-indicator { }
----

The menu bar has the overall style name [literal]#++.v-menubar++#. Each menu
item has [literal]#++.v-menubar-menuitem++# style normally and additionally
[literal]#++.v-menubar-selected++# when the item is selected, that is, when the
mouse pointer hovers over it. The item caption is inside a
[literal]#++v-menubar-menuitem-caption++#. In the top-level menu bar, the items
are directly under the component element.

Submenus are floating [literal]#++v-menubar-submenu++# elements outside the menu
bar element. Therefore, you should not try to match on the component element for
the submenu popups. In submenus, any further submenu levels are indicated with a
[literal]#++v-menubar-submenu-indicator++#.

ifdef::web[]
[[components.menubar.css.menuitems]]
=== Styling Menu Items

You can set the CSS style name for the menu items with
[methodname]#setStyleName()#, just like for components. The style name will be
prepended with [literal]#++v-menubar-menuitem-++#. As [classname]#MenuBar# does
not indicate the previous selection in any way, you can do that by highlighting
the previously selected item. However, beware that the [literal]#++selected++#
style for menu items, that is, [literal]#++v-menubar-menuitem-selected++#, is
reserved for mouse-hover indication.

[source, java]
----
MenuBar barmenu = new MenuBar();
barmenu.addStyleName("mybarmenu");
layout.addComponent(barmenu);

// A feedback component
final Label selection = new Label("-");
layout.addComponent(selection);

// Define a common menu command for all the menu items
MenuBar.Command mycommand = new MenuBar.Command() {
    MenuItem previous = null;

    public void menuSelected(MenuItem selectedItem) {
        selection.setValue("Ordered a " +
                selectedItem.getText() +
                " from menu.");

        if (previous != null)
            previous.setStyleName(null);
        selectedItem.setStyleName("highlight");
        previous = selectedItem;
    }
};

// Put some items in the menu
barmenu.addItem("Beverages", null, mycommand);
barmenu.addItem("Snacks", null, mycommand);
barmenu.addItem("Services", null, mycommand);
----

You could then style the highlighting in CSS as follows:

[source, css]
----
.mybarmenu .v-menubar-menuitem-highlight {
    background: #000040; /* Dark blue */
}
----

endif::web[]