wx.MenuItem¶

A menu item represents an item in a menu.

Note that you usually don’t have to deal with it directly as wx.Menu methods usually construct an object of this class for you.

Also please note that the methods related to fonts and bitmaps are currently only implemented for Windows, Mac and GTK+.

^^

Events Emitted by this Class¶

Handlers bound for the following event types will receive one of the wx.CommandEvent wx.MenuEvent parameters.

EVT_MENU: Process a wxEVT_MENU command, which is generated by a menu item. This type of event is sent as wx.CommandEvent.
EVT_MENU_RANGE: Process a wxEVT_MENU command, which is generated by a range of menu items. This type of event is sent as wx.CommandEvent.
EVT_MENU_OPEN: A menu is about to be opened. On Windows, this is only sent once for each navigation of the menubar (up until all menus have closed). This type of event is sent as wx.MenuEvent.
EVT_MENU_CLOSE: A menu has been just closed. This type of event is sent as wx.MenuEvent.
EVT_MENU_HIGHLIGHT: The menu item with the specified id has been highlighted. If the id is ID_NONE, highlighting has been removed from the previously highlighted menu item and there is no highlighted item any more. This is used by wx.Frame to show help prompts in the status bar. This type of event is sent as wx.MenuEvent.
EVT_MENU_HIGHLIGHT_ALL: A menu item has been highlighted, i.e. the currently selected menu item has changed. This type of event is sent as wx.MenuEvent. ^^

See also

wx.MenuBar, wx.Menu

Class Hierarchy¶

Inheritance diagram for class MenuItem:

Methods Summary¶

`__init__`	Constructs a wx.MenuItem object.
`AddExtraAccel`	Add an extra accelerator for this menu item.
`Check`	Checks or unchecks the menu item.
`ClearExtraAccels`	Clear the extra accelerators list.
`Enable`	Enables or disables the menu item.
`GetAccel`	Get our accelerator or `None` (caller must delete the pointer)
`GetBackgroundColour`	Returns the background colour associated with the menu item.
`GetBitmap`	Returns the item bitmap.
`GetBitmapBundle`	Returns the bitmap bundle containing the bitmap used for this item.
`GetDisabledBitmap`	Returns the bitmap used for disabled items.
`GetFont`	Returns the font associated with the menu item.
`GetHelp`	Returns the help string associated with the menu item.
`GetId`	Returns the menu item identifier.
`GetItemLabel`	Returns the text associated with the menu item including any accelerator characters that were passed to the constructor or `SetItemLabel` .
`GetItemLabelText`	Returns the text associated with the menu item, without any accelerator characters.
`GetKind`	Returns the item kind, one of `ITEM_SEPARATOR` , `ITEM_NORMAL` , `ITEM_CHECK` or `ITEM_RADIO` .
`GetLabelText`	Strips all accelerator characters and mnemonics from the given text.
`GetMarginWidth`	Gets the width of the menu item checkmark bitmap.
`GetMenu`	Returns the menu this menu item is in, or `None` if this menu item is not attached.
`GetSubMenu`	Returns the submenu associated with the menu item, or `None` if there isn’t one.
`GetTextColour`	Returns the text colour associated with the menu item.
`IsCheck`	Returns `True` if the item is a check item.
`IsCheckable`	Returns `True` if the item is checkable.
`IsChecked`	Returns `True` if the item is checked.
`IsEnabled`	Returns `True` if the item is enabled.
`IsRadio`	Returns `True` if the item is a radio button.
`IsSeparator`	Returns `True` if the item is a separator.
`IsSubMenu`	Returns `True` if the item is a submenu.
`SetAccel`	Set the accel for this item - this may also be done indirectly with `SetText`
`SetBackgroundColour`	Sets the background colour associated with the menu item.
`SetBitmap`	Sets the bitmap for the menu item.
`SetBitmaps`	Sets the checked/unchecked bitmaps for the menu item.
`SetDisabledBitmap`	Sets the to be used for disabled menu items.
`SetFont`	Sets the font associated with the menu item.
`SetHelp`	Sets the help string.
`SetItemLabel`	Sets the label associated with the menu item.
`SetMarginWidth`	Sets the width of the menu item checkmark bitmap.
`SetMenu`	Sets the parent menu which will contain this menu item.
`SetSubMenu`	Sets the submenu of this menu item.
`SetTextColour`	Sets the text colour associated with the menu item.

Properties Summary¶

`Accel`	See `GetAccel` and `SetAccel`
`BackgroundColour`	See `GetBackgroundColour` and `SetBackgroundColour`
`Bitmap`	See `GetBitmap` and `SetBitmap`
`BitmapBundle`	See `GetBitmapBundle`
`DisabledBitmap`	See `GetDisabledBitmap` and `SetDisabledBitmap`
`Enabled`	See `IsEnabled` and `Enable`
`Font`	See `GetFont` and `SetFont`
`Help`	See `GetHelp` and `SetHelp`
`Id`	See `GetId`
`ItemLabel`	See `GetItemLabel` and `SetItemLabel`
`ItemLabelText`	See `GetItemLabelText`
`Kind`	See `GetKind`
`MarginWidth`	See `GetMarginWidth` and `SetMarginWidth`
`Menu`	See `GetMenu` and `SetMenu`
`SubMenu`	See `GetSubMenu` and `SetSubMenu`
`TextColour`	See `GetTextColour` and `SetTextColour`

Class API¶

class wx.MenuItem(Object)¶

Possible constructors:

MenuItem(parentMenu=None, id=ID_SEPARATOR, text="",
         helpString="", kind=ITEM_NORMAL, subMenu=None)

A menu item represents an item in a menu.

Methods¶

__init__(self, parentMenu=None, id=ID_SEPARATOR, text="", helpString="", kind=ITEM_NORMAL, subMenu=None)¶

Constructs a wx.MenuItem object.

Menu items can be standard, or “stock menu items”, or custom. For the standard menu items (such as commands to open a file, exit the program and so on, see Stock Items for the full list) it is enough to specify just the stock ID and leave text and helpString empty. Some platforms (currently wxGTK only, and see the remark in SetBitmap documentation) will also show standard bitmaps for stock menu items.

Leaving at least text empty for the stock menu items is actually strongly recommended as they will have appearance and keyboard interface (including standard accelerators) familiar to the user.

For the custom (non-stock) menu items, text must be specified and while helpString may be left empty, it’s recommended to pass the item description (which is automatically shown by the library in the status bar when the menu item is selected) in this parameter.

Finally note that you can e.g. use a stock menu label without using its stock help string:

# use all stock properties:
helpMenu.Append(wx.ID_ABOUT)

# use the stock label and the stock accelerator but not the stock help string:
helpMenu.Append(wx.ID_ABOUT, "", "My custom help string")

# use all stock properties except for the bitmap:
mymenu = wx.MenuItem(helpMenu, wx.ID_ABOUT)
mymenu.SetBitmap(wx.ArtProvider.GetBitmap(wx.ART_WARNING))
helpMenu.Append(mymenu)

that is, stock properties are set independently one from the other.

Parameters

parentMenu (wx.Menu) – Menu that the menu item belongs to. Can be None if the item is going to be added to the menu later.
id (int) – Identifier for this menu item. May be ID_SEPARATOR , in which case the given kind is ignored and taken to be ITEM_SEPARATOR instead.
text (string) – Text for the menu item, as shown on the menu. See SetItemLabel for more info.
helpString (string) – Optional help string that will be shown on the status bar.
kind (ItemKind) – May be ITEM_SEPARATOR , ITEM_NORMAL , ITEM_CHECK or ITEM_RADIO .
subMenu (wx.Menu) – If not None, indicates that the menu item is a submenu.

AddExtraAccel(self, accel)¶

Add an extra accelerator for this menu item.

Additional accelerators are not shown in the item’s label, but still will trigger the menu command when pressed.

They can be useful to let multiple keys be used as accelerators for the same command, e.g. WXK_ADD and WXK_NUMPAD_ADD .

Parameters: accel (AcceleratorEntry) –

New in version 4.1/wxWidgets-3.1.6.

Availability

Only available for MSW, GTK.

Check(self, check=True)¶

Checks or unchecks the menu item.

Note that this only works when the item is already appended to a menu.

Parameters: check (bool) –

ClearExtraAccels(self)¶

Clear the extra accelerators list.

This doesn’t affect the main item accelerator (if any).

New in version 4.1/wxWidgets-3.1.6.

Enable(self, enable=True)¶

Enables or disables the menu item.

Parameters: enable (bool) –

GetAccel(self)¶

Get our accelerator or None (caller must delete the pointer)

Return type: wx.AcceleratorEntry

GetBackgroundColour(self)¶

Returns the background colour associated with the menu item.

Return type: wx.Colour

Availability

Only available for MSW.

GetBitmap(self, *args, **kw)¶

Overloaded Implementations:

GetBitmap (self)

Returns the item bitmap.

This method exists only for compatibility, please use GetBitmapBundle in the new code.

Return type: wx.Bitmap

GetBitmap (self, checked)

Returns the checked or unchecked bitmap.

This overload only exists in wxMSW, avoid using it in portable code.

Parameters: checked (bool) –
Return type: wx.Bitmap

GetBitmapBundle(self)¶

Returns the bitmap bundle containing the bitmap used for this item.

The returned bundle is invalid, i.e. empty, if no bitmap is associated with the item.

Return type: wx.BitmapBundle

New in version 4.2/wxWidgets-3.2.0.

See also

SetBitmap

GetDisabledBitmap(self)¶

Returns the bitmap used for disabled items.

Return type: wx.Bitmap

Availability

Only available for MSW.

GetFont(self)¶

Returns the font associated with the menu item.

Return type: wx.Font

Availability

Only available for MSW.

GetHelp(self)¶

Returns the help string associated with the menu item.

Return type: string

GetId(self)¶

Returns the menu item identifier.

Return type: int

GetItemLabel(self)¶

Returns the text associated with the menu item including any accelerator characters that were passed to the constructor or SetItemLabel .

Return type: string

See also

GetItemLabelText , GetLabelText

GetItemLabelText(self)¶

Returns the text associated with the menu item, without any accelerator characters.

Return type: string

See also

GetItemLabel , GetLabelText

GetKind(self)¶

Returns the item kind, one of ITEM_SEPARATOR , ITEM_NORMAL , ITEM_CHECK or ITEM_RADIO .

Return type: wx.ItemKind

static GetLabelText(text)¶

Strips all accelerator characters and mnemonics from the given text.

For example:

wx.MenuItem.GetLabelfromText("&Hello\tCtrl-h")

will return just "Hello" .

Parameters: text (string) –
Return type: string

See also

GetItemLabelText , GetItemLabel

GetMarginWidth(self)¶

Gets the width of the menu item checkmark bitmap.

Return type: int

Availability

Only available for MSW.

GetMenu(self)¶

Returns the menu this menu item is in, or None if this menu item is not attached.

Return type: wx.Menu

GetSubMenu(self)¶

Returns the submenu associated with the menu item, or None if there isn’t one.

Return type: wx.Menu

GetTextColour(self)¶

Returns the text colour associated with the menu item.

Return type: wx.Colour

Availability

Only available for MSW.

IsCheck(self)¶

Returns True if the item is a check item.

Unlike IsCheckable this doesn’t return True for the radio buttons.

Return type: bool

New in version 2.9.5.

IsCheckable(self)¶

Returns True if the item is checkable.

Notice that the radio buttons are considered to be checkable as well, so this method returns True for them too. Use IsCheck if you want to test for the check items only.

Return type: bool

IsChecked(self)¶

Returns True if the item is checked.

Return type: bool

IsEnabled(self)¶

Returns True if the item is enabled.

Return type: bool

IsRadio(self)¶

Returns True if the item is a radio button.

Return type: bool

New in version 2.9.5.

IsSeparator(self)¶

Returns True if the item is a separator.

Return type: bool

IsSubMenu(self)¶

Returns True if the item is a submenu.

Return type: bool

SetAccel(self, accel)¶

Set the accel for this item - this may also be done indirectly with SetText

Parameters: accel (wx.AcceleratorEntry) –

SetBackgroundColour(self, colour)¶

Sets the background colour associated with the menu item.

Parameters: colour (wx.Colour) –

Availability

Only available for MSW.

SetBitmap(self, *args, **kw)¶

Overloaded Implementations:

SetBitmap (self, bmp)

Sets the bitmap for the menu item.

Notice that GTK+ uses a global setting called gtk-menu-images to determine if the images should be shown in the menus at all. If it is off (which is the case in e.g. Gnome 2.28 by default), no images will be shown, consistently with the native behaviour.

Parameters: bmp (wx.BitmapBundle) –

SetBitmap (self, bmp, checked)

Sets the checked or unchecked bitmap for the menu item.

It is equivalent to MenuItem.SetBitmaps(bmp, NullBitmap) if checked is True or SetBitmaps(wxNullBitmap, bmp) otherwise.

Note that different bitmaps for checked and unchecked item states are not supported in most ports, while setting just a single bitmap using the overload above is supported in all of them.

Parameters

bmp (wx.BitmapBundle) –
checked (bool) –

Availability

Only available for MSW.

SetBitmaps(self, checked, unchecked=NullBitmap)¶

Sets the checked/unchecked bitmaps for the menu item.

The first bitmap is also used as the single bitmap for uncheckable menu items.

Parameters

checked (wx.BitmapBundle) –
unchecked (wx.BitmapBundle) –

Availability

Only available for MSW.

SetDisabledBitmap(self, disabled)¶

Sets the to be used for disabled menu items.

Parameters: disabled (wx.BitmapBundle) –

Availability

Only available for MSW.

SetFont(self, font)¶

Sets the font associated with the menu item.

Parameters: font (wx.Font) –

Availability

Only available for MSW.

SetHelp(self, helpString)¶

Sets the help string.

Parameters: helpString (string) –

SetItemLabel(self, label)¶

Sets the label associated with the menu item.

Note that if the ID of this menu item corresponds to a stock ID, then it is not necessary to specify a label: wxWidgets will automatically use the stock item label associated with that ID. See the constructor for more info.

The label string for the normal menu items (not separators) may include the accelerator which can be used to activate the menu item from keyboard. An accelerator key can be specified using the ampersand & character. In order to embed an ampersand character in the menu item text, the ampersand must be doubled.

Optionally you can specify also an accelerator string appending a tab character \t followed by a valid key combination (e.g. CTRL+V ). Its general syntax is any combination of "CTRL" , "RAWCTRL" , "ALT" and "SHIFT" strings (case doesn’t matter) separated by either '-' or '+' characters and followed by the accelerator itself. Notice that CTRL corresponds to the “Ctrl” key on most platforms but not under macOS where it is mapped to “Cmd” key on Mac keyboard. Usually this is exactly what you want in portable code but if you really need to use the (rarely used for this purpose) “Ctrl” key even under Mac, you may use RAWCTRL to prevent this mapping. Under the other platforms RAWCTRL is the same as plain CTRL .

The accelerator may be any alphanumeric character, any function key (from F1 to F12 ), any numpad digit key using KP_ prefix (i.e. from KP_0 to KP_9 ) or one of the special strings listed below (again, case doesn’t matter) corresponding to the specified key code:

Del or Delete: wx.WXK_DELETE
Back: wx.WXK_BACK
Ins or Insert: wx.WXK_INSERT
Enter or Return: wx.WXK_RETURN
PgUp or PageUp: wx.WXK_PAGEUP
PgDn or PageDown: wx.WXK_PAGEDOWN
Left: wx.WXK_LEFT
Right: wx.WXK_RIGHT
Up: wx.WXK_UP
Down: wx.WXK_DOWN
Home: wx.WXK_HOME
End: wx.WXK_END
Space: wx.WXK_SPACE
Tab: wx.WXK_TAB
Esc or Escape: wx.WXK_ESCAPE
Cancel: wx.WXK_CANCEL
Clear: wx.WXK_CLEAR
Menu: wx.WXK_MENU
Pause: wx.WXK_PAUSE
Capital: wx.WXK_CAPITAL
Select: wx.WXK_SELECT
Print: wx.WXK_PRINT
Execute: wx.WXK_EXECUTE
Snapshot: wx.WXK_SNAPSHOT
Help: wx.WXK_HELP
Add: wx.WXK_ADD
Separator: wx.WXK_SEPARATOR
Subtract: wx.WXK_SUBTRACT
Decimal: wx.WXK_DECIMAL
Divide: wx.WXK_DIVIDE
Num_lock: wx.WXK_NUMLOCK
Scroll_lock: wx.WXK_SCROLL
KP_Space: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_SPACE
KP_Tab: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_TAB
KP_Enter: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_ENTER
KP_Home: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_HOME
KP_Left: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_LEFT
KP_Up: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_UP
KP_Right: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_RIGHT
KP_Down: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_DOWN
KP_PageUp: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_PAGEUP
KP_PageDown: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_PAGEDOWN
KP_Prior: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_PAGEUP
KP_Next: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_PAGEDOWN
KP_End: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_END
KP_Begin: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_BEGIN
KP_Insert: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_INSERT
KP_Delete: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_DELETE
KP_Equal: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_EQUAL
KP_Multiply: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_MULTIPLY
KP_Add: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_ADD
KP_Separator: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_SEPARATOR
KP_Subtract: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_SUBTRACT
KP_Decimal: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_DECIMAL
KP_Divide: wx.WXK_NUMPAD_DIVIDE
Windows_Left: wx.WXK_WINDOWS_LEFT
Windows_Right: wx.WXK_WINDOWS_RIGHT
Windows_Menu: wx.WXK_WINDOWS_MENU
Command: wx.WXK_COMMAND

Examples:

self.myMenuItem.SetItemLabel("My &item\tCTRL+I")
self.myMenuItem2.SetItemLabel("Clean and build\tF7")
self.myMenuItem3.SetItemLabel("Simple item")
self.myMenuItem4.SetItemLabel("Item with &accelerator")

Parameters: label (string) –

Note

In wxGTK using "SHIFT" with non-alphabetic characters currently doesn’t work, even in combination with other modifiers, due to GTK+ limitation. E.g. Shift+Ctrl+A works but Shift+Ctrl+1 or Shift+/ do not, so avoid using accelerators of this form in portable code.

Note

In GTk, the left/right/up/down arrow keys do not work as accelerator keys for a menu item unless a modifier key is used. Additionally, the following keycodes are not supported as menu accelerator keys: