1.97.1 Instance variables

menu_item <-> accelerator: [name]*

Used by menu->key, which will make the menu behave as if this menu_item was selected if the argument key matches this slot.

menu_item <- active: bool

When @on, the menu_item may be selected by the user. When @off, the menu_item is insensitive to events. Normally the menu will indicate this by greying the menu_item.

Defaults: @on (active to events)

See also

- menu->off
- menu_item-condition
- menu->active_all_items

menu_item <- colour: [colour]

Colour used to paint the label of this menu_item. Normally used only to create colour palets.

Defaults: @default (its default value) will paint the menu_item in the colour of its associated menu_item<-menu.

See also

- menu_item-label
- menu_item-font

menu_item <-> condition: code*

Applicable to popup-menu's only. When not @nil, the truth value of this code object is tested just before the popup menu is mapped on the screen and the item is made menu_item<-active according the this truth value.

Tested by popup->update.

Defaults: @nil (popup->update does not change activation status).

See also

- menu->off
- popup->update
- menu_item-active
- popup-update_message

menu_item <- end_group: bool

Popup-menus only. When @on, a line is painted between this item and the next.

Defaults: @off (no line is painted).

menu_item <- font: [font]

Font used to paint the menu_item<-label. Normally used to realise font-selection menus.

Defaults: When @default, menu<-value_font of the associated menu_item<-menu is used.

See also

- menu-value_font
- menu_item-label
- menu_item-colour

menu_item <- label: [name|image]

When a name, the menu will display this text in the menu_item<-colour and menu_item<-font specified with this item. When is is an image, the menu will display this image in menu_item<-colour.

The initial value is normally computed by menu_item<-default_label from the menu_item<-value by menu_item->initialise.

See also

- menu_item-value
- menu_item->initialise
- menu_item<-default_label
- menu_item-colour
- menu_item-font

menu_item <- menu: menu*

Menu I'm part of. Used to forward changes to the associated menu which is responsible for the visual representation and event-processing for this menu_item.

The menu maintains a list of menu_items manipulated in menu<-members.

See also

menu-members

menu_item <-> message: [code]*

Message executed when the item is selected. When @nil, no message will be sent. When @default, the menu_item<-message from the associated menu_item<-menu will be sent.

The arguments forwarded depend on the menu. See description with class menu.

See also

class menu

menu_item <- popup: popup*

Popup menu's only. When not @nil, this is the pullright menu associated with this item. The menu_item<-convert method transforms popup objects in menu_items with this popup associated, which allows appending popup menu's to popup menus to create pullright menus.

Defaults: @nil

See also

- menu_item<-convert
- class popup

menu_item <- selected: bool

Describes whether or not the menu_item is currently selected. Whether multiple menu_items may be selected at the same time is determined by menu<->multiple_selection. The visual feedback is determined by menu<->feedback.

See also

- menu->selection
- menu-feedback
- menu-multiple_selection

menu_item <- value: any

Value associated with this item. Menu items have both a value and a label. The latter is displayed while the value is used for internal communication in the program.

This separation is useful for two purposes. First of all menu's are often used to select some value. For example a colour in a drawing tool. In this case the colour object is used as a value, while an all-1's image with is used as label and menu_item<->colour is set to menu_item<->value. When the user selects a menu-item, the colour object to be used may be read directly from the menu_item<->value object of the menu_item.

Second, this mechanism may be used to implement multi-language interfaces. In this case the menu_item<->value represents the internal name used by the program and the menu_item<->label the external name that may be in a different language.

The default menu_item<->label is compute from the initial menu_item<->value using menu_item<-default_label.

See also

- menu_item<-default_label
- menu_item-label