gtk:container, gtk:widget, gtk:buildable, gobject:object, common-lisp:standard-object, common-lisp:t

gtk:menu, gtk:menu-bar

The gtk:menu-shell class is the abstract base class used to derive the gtk:menu and gtk:menu-bar subclasses.

The gtk:menu-shell widget is a container of gtk:menu-item widgets arranged in a list which can be navigated, selected, and activated by the user to perform application functions. A gtk:menu-item widget can have a submenu associated with it, allowing for nested hierarchical menus.

Terminology

A menu item can be "selected", this means that it is displayed in the prelight state, and if it has a submenu, that submenu will be popped up.

A menu is "active" when it is visible onscreen and the user is selecting from it. A menubar is not active until the user clicks on one of its menuitems. When a menu is active, passing the mouse over a submenu will pop it up.

There is also a concept of the current menu and a current menu item. The current menu item is the selected menu item that is furthest down in the hierarchy. Every active menu shell does not necessarily contain a selected menu item, but if it does, then the parent menu shell must also contain a selected menu item. The current menu is the menu that contains the current menu item. It will always have a GTK grab and receive all key presses.