A menu
| Chapter 31. Building applications |

## A menu

The menu is shown at the right side of the headerbar. It is meant to collect infrequently used actions that affect the whole application.

Just like the application window, we specify our menu in a ui file, and add it as a resource to our binary.

To make the menu appear, we have to load the ui file and associate the resulting menu model with the menu button that we've added to the headerbar. Since menus work by activating `Gio::Action`s, we also have to add a suitable set of actions to our application.

Adding the actions is best done in the `on_startup()` default signal handler, which is guaranteed to be called once for each primary application instance.

Our preferences menu item does not do anything yet, but the Quit menu item is fully functional. It can also be activated by the usual Ctrl-Q shortcut. The shortcut is added with `Gtk::Application::set_accel_for_action()`.

The menu looks like this:

Figure 31.4. A menu

Source Code

File: `exampleapplication.h` (For use with gtkmm 4)

    #ifndef GTKMM_EXAMPLEAPPLICATION_H
    #define GTKMM_EXAMPLEAPPLICATION_H

    #include <gtkmm.h>

    class ExampleAppWindow;

    class ExampleApplication: public Gtk::Application
    {
    protected:
      ExampleApplication();

    public:
      static Glib::RefPtr<ExampleApplication> create();

    protected:
      // Override default signal handlers:
      void on_startup() override;
      void on_activate() override;
      void on_open(const Gio::Application::type_vec_files& files,
        const Glib::ustring& hint) override;

    private:
      ExampleAppWindow* create_appwindow();
      void on_action_preferences();
      void on_action_quit();
    };

    #endif /* GTKMM_EXAMPLEAPPLICATION_H */

File: `exampleappwindow.h` (For use with gtkmm 4)

    #ifndef GTKMM_EXAMPLEAPPWINDOW_H_
    #define GTKMM_EXAMPLEAPPWINDOW_H_

    #include <gtkmm.h>

    class ExampleAppWindow : public Gtk::ApplicationWindow
    {
    public:
      ExampleAppWindow(BaseObjectType* cobject,
        const Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::Builder>& refBuilder);

      static ExampleAppWindow* create();

      void open_file_view(const Glib::RefPtr<Gio::File>& file);

    protected:
      Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::Builder> m_refBuilder;
      Gtk::Stack* m_stack {nullptr};
      Gtk::MenuButton* m_gears {nullptr};
    };

    #endif /* GTKMM_EXAMPLEAPPWINDOW_H */

File: `exampleapplication.cc` (For use with gtkmm 4)

    #include "exampleapplication.h"
    #include "exampleappwindow.h"
    #include <iostream>
    #include <exception>

    ExampleApplication::ExampleApplication()
    : Gtk::Application("org.gtkmm.examples.application", Gio::Application::Flags::HANDLES_OPEN)
    {
      // Delete a window when it is removed from the application.
      signal_window_removed().connect([](Gtk::Window* window) { delete window; });
    }

    Glib::RefPtr<ExampleApplication> ExampleApplication::create()
    {
      return Glib::make_refptr_for_instance<ExampleApplication>(new ExampleApplication());
    }

    ExampleAppWindow* ExampleApplication::create_appwindow()
    {
      auto appwindow = ExampleAppWindow::create();

      // Make sure that the application runs for as long this window is still open.
      add_window(*appwindow);

      // A window can be added to an application with Gtk::Application::add_window()
      // or Gtk::Window::set_application(). When all added windows have been removed,
      // the application stops running (Gtk::Application::run() returns),
      // unless Gio::Application::hold() has been called.

      return appwindow;
    }

    void ExampleApplication::on_startup()
    {
      // Call the base class's implementation.
      Gtk::Application::on_startup();

      // Add actions and keyboard accelerators for the menu.
      add_action("preferences", sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ExampleApplication::on_action_preferences));
      add_action("quit", sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ExampleApplication::on_action_quit));
      set_accel_for_action("app.quit", "<Ctrl>Q");
    }

    void ExampleApplication::on_activate()
    {
      try
      {
        // The application has been started, so let's show a window.
        auto appwindow = create_appwindow();
        appwindow->present();
      }
      // If create_appwindow() throws an exception (perhaps from Gtk::Builder),
      // no window has been created, no window has been added to the application,
      // and therefore the application will stop running.
      catch (const Glib::Error& ex)
      {
        std::cerr << "ExampleApplication::on_activate(): " << ex.what() << std::endl;
      }
      catch (const std::exception& ex)
      {
        std::cerr << "ExampleApplication::on_activate(): " << ex.what() << std::endl;
      }
    }

    void ExampleApplication::on_open(const Gio::Application::type_vec_files& files,
      const Glib::ustring& /* hint */)
    {
      // The application has been asked to open some files,
      // so let's open a new view for each one.
      ExampleAppWindow* appwindow = nullptr;
      auto windows = get_windows();
      if (windows.size() > 0)
        appwindow = dynamic_cast<ExampleAppWindow*>(windows[0]);

      try
      {
        if (!appwindow)
          appwindow = create_appwindow();

        for (const auto& file : files)
          appwindow->open_file_view(file);

        appwindow->present();
      }
      catch (const Glib::Error& ex)
      {
        std::cerr << "ExampleApplication::on_open(): " << ex.what() << std::endl;
      }
      catch (const std::exception& ex)
      {
        std::cerr << "ExampleApplication::on_open(): " << ex.what() << std::endl;
      }
    }

    void ExampleApplication::on_action_preferences()
    {

    }

    void ExampleApplication::on_action_quit()
    {
      // Gio::Application::quit() will make Gio::Application::run() return,
      // but it's a crude way of ending the program. The window is not removed
      // from the application. Neither the window's nor the application's
      // destructors will be called, because there will be remaining reference
      // counts in both of them. If we want the destructors to be called, we
      // must remove the window from the application. See ExampleApplication's constructor.
      // A window can be removed from an application with Gtk::Application::remove_window()
      // or Gtk::Window::unset_application().
      auto windows = get_windows();
      for (auto window : windows)
        remove_window(*window);

      // Not really necessary, when Gtk::Application::remove_window() is called,
      // unless Gio::Application::hold() has been called without a corresponding
      // call to Gio::Application::release().
      quit();
    }

File: `exampleappwindow.cc` (For use with gtkmm 4)

    #include "exampleappwindow.h"
    #include <iostream>
    #include <stdexcept>

    ExampleAppWindow::ExampleAppWindow(BaseObjectType* cobject,
      const Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::Builder>& refBuilder)
    : Gtk::ApplicationWindow(cobject),
      m_refBuilder(refBuilder)
    {
      // Get widgets from the Gtk::Builder file.
      m_stack = m_refBuilder->get_widget<Gtk::Stack>("stack");
      if (!m_stack)
        throw std::runtime_error("No \"stack\" object in window.ui");

      m_gears = m_refBuilder->get_widget<Gtk::MenuButton>("gears");
      if (!m_gears)
        throw std::runtime_error("No \"gears\" object in window.ui");

      // Connect the menu to the MenuButton m_gears.
      // (The connection between action and menu item is specified in gears_menu.ui.)
      auto menu_builder = Gtk::Builder::create_from_resource("/org/gtkmm/exampleapp/gears_menu.ui");
      auto menu = menu_builder->get_object<Gio::MenuModel>("menu");
      if (!menu)
        throw std::runtime_error("No \"menu\" object in gears_menu.ui");

      m_gears->set_menu_model(menu);
    }

    //static
    ExampleAppWindow* ExampleAppWindow::create()
    {
      // Load the Builder file and instantiate its widgets.
      auto refBuilder = Gtk::Builder::create_from_resource("/org/gtkmm/exampleapp/window.ui");

      auto window = Gtk::Builder::get_widget_derived<ExampleAppWindow>(refBuilder, "app_window");
      if (!window)
        throw std::runtime_error("No \"app_window\" object in window.ui");

      return window;
    }

    void ExampleAppWindow::open_file_view(const Glib::RefPtr<Gio::File>& file)
    {
      const Glib::ustring basename = file->get_basename();

      auto scrolled = Gtk::make_managed<Gtk::ScrolledWindow>();
      scrolled->set_expand(true);
      auto view = Gtk::make_managed<Gtk::TextView>();
      view->set_editable(false);
      view->set_cursor_visible(false);
      scrolled->set_child(*view);
      m_stack->add(*scrolled, basename, basename);

      try
      {
        char* contents = nullptr;
        gsize length = 0;

        file->load_contents(contents, length);
        view->get_buffer()->set_text(contents, contents+length);
        g_free(contents);
      }
      catch (const Glib::Error& ex)
      {
        std::cout << "ExampleAppWindow::open_file_view(\"" << file->get_parse_name()
          << "\"):\n  " << ex.what() << std::endl;
      }
    }

File: `main.cc` (For use with gtkmm 4)

    #include "../step1/main.cc"
    // Equal to the corresponding file in step1

File: `exampleapp.gresource.xml` (For use with gtkmm 4)

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <gresources>
      <gresource prefix="/org/gtkmm/exampleapp">
        <file preprocess="xml-stripblanks">window.ui</file>
        <file preprocess="xml-stripblanks">gears_menu.ui</file>
      </gresource>
    </gresources>

File: `gears_menu.ui` (For use with gtkmm 4)

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <interface>
      <menu id="menu">
        <section>
          <item>
            <attribute name="label" translatable="yes">_Preferences</attribute>
            <attribute name="action">app.preferences</attribute>
          </item>
        </section>
        <section>
          <item>
            <attribute name="label" translatable="yes">_Quit</attribute>
            <attribute name="action">app.quit</attribute>
          </item>
        </section>
      </menu>
    </interface>

File: `window.ui` (For use with gtkmm 4)

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <interface>
      <object class="GtkApplicationWindow" id="app_window">
        <property name="title" translatable="yes">Example Application</property>
        <property name="default-width">600</property>
        <property name="default-height">400</property>
        <child type="titlebar">
          <object class="GtkHeaderBar" id="header">
            <child type="title">
              <object class="GtkStackSwitcher" id="tabs">
                <property name="stack">stack</property>
              </object>
            </child>
            <child type="end">
              <object class="GtkMenuButton" id="gears">
                <property name="direction">none</property>
              </object>
            </child>
          </object>
        </child>
        <child>
          <object class="GtkBox" id="content_box">
            <property name="orientation">vertical</property>
            <child>
              <object class="GtkStack" id="stack"/>
            </child>
          </object>
        </child>
      </object>
    </interface>

Opening files |  | A preference dialog