> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ocornut/imgui/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Menus

> Menu bars and context menus in Dear ImGui

Menus provide organized navigation and command access in your application. Dear ImGui supports menu bars, popup menus, and context menus.

## Menu Bars

### Window Menu Bar

Add a menu bar to the current window:

```cpp theme={null}
IMGUI_API bool BeginMenuBar();
IMGUI_API void EndMenuBar();
```

<Note>
  Requires `ImGuiWindowFlags_MenuBar` flag set on the parent window.
</Note>

```cpp theme={null}
ImGui::Begin("Window", NULL, ImGuiWindowFlags_MenuBar);

if (ImGui::BeginMenuBar()) {
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("New")) { /* action */ }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) { /* action */ }
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Edit")) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Undo", "Ctrl+Z")) { /* action */ }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Redo", "Ctrl+Y")) { /* action */ }
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    ImGui::EndMenuBar();
}

ImGui::End();
```

### Main Menu Bar

Create a full-screen menu bar at the top:

```cpp theme={null}
IMGUI_API bool BeginMainMenuBar();
IMGUI_API void EndMainMenuBar();
```

```cpp theme={null}
if (ImGui::BeginMainMenuBar()) {
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("New")) { }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) { }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save", "Ctrl+S")) { }
        ImGui::Separator();
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Quit", "Alt+F4")) { }
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Edit")) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Undo", "Ctrl+Z")) { }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Redo", "Ctrl+Y", false, false)) { }  // Disabled
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    ImGui::EndMainMenuBar();
}
```

## Menu Items

### BeginMenu() / EndMenu()

Create a sub-menu:

```cpp theme={null}
IMGUI_API bool BeginMenu(const char* label, bool enabled = true);
IMGUI_API void EndMenu();
```

<ParamField path="label" type="const char*" required>
  Menu label
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="enabled" type="bool" default="true">
  Whether the menu can be opened
</ParamField>

```cpp theme={null}
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("New")) { }
    
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Open Recent")) {
        ImGui::MenuItem("file1.txt");
        ImGui::MenuItem("file2.txt");
        ImGui::MenuItem("file3.txt");
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    
    ImGui::Separator();
    
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Quit")) { }
    
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}
```

### MenuItem()

Create a clickable menu item:

```cpp theme={null}
IMGUI_API bool MenuItem(const char* label, const char* shortcut = NULL,
                        bool selected = false, bool enabled = true);
IMGUI_API bool MenuItem(const char* label, const char* shortcut,
                        bool* p_selected, bool enabled = true);
```

<ParamField path="label" type="const char*" required>
  Menu item label
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="shortcut" type="const char*">
  Keyboard shortcut text (for display only, not processed)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="selected" type="bool">
  Display a checkmark if true
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="enabled" type="bool" default="true">
  Whether the item can be clicked
</ParamField>

<CodeGroup>
  ```cpp Basic Menu Items theme={null}
  if (ImGui::MenuItem("New")) {
      CreateNewFile();
  }

  if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) {
      OpenFileDialog();
  }

  if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save", "Ctrl+S")) {
      SaveFile();
  }
  ```

  ```cpp Checkable Menu Items theme={null}
  static bool show_grid = true;
  static bool show_axis = false;

  ImGui::MenuItem("Show Grid", NULL, &show_grid);
  ImGui::MenuItem("Show Axis", NULL, &show_axis);
  ```

  ```cpp Disabled Menu Items theme={null}
  // Disabled menu item
  ImGui::MenuItem("Redo", "Ctrl+Y", false, false);

  // Conditionally disabled
  bool can_save = HasUnsavedChanges();
  if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save", "Ctrl+S", false, can_save)) {
      SaveFile();
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Nested Menus

Create hierarchical menu structures:

```cpp theme={null}
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("New")) { }
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) { }
    
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Open Recent")) {
        ImGui::MenuItem("project1.dat");
        ImGui::MenuItem("project2.dat");
        
        if (ImGui::BeginMenu("More..")) {
            ImGui::MenuItem("project3.dat");
            ImGui::MenuItem("project4.dat");
            ImGui::EndMenu();
        }
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    
    ImGui::Separator();
    
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Quit", "Alt+F4")) { }
    
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}
```

## Menu Separators

Add visual separators between menu items:

```cpp theme={null}
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("New")) { }
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open")) { }
    
    ImGui::Separator();
    
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save")) { }
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save As")) { }
    
    ImGui::Separator();
    
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Quit")) { }
    
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}
```

## Context Menus

### BeginPopupContextItem()

Context menu for the last item:

```cpp theme={null}
IMGUI_API bool BeginPopupContextItem(const char* str_id = NULL, ImGuiPopupFlags popup_flags = 0);
```

```cpp theme={null}
ImGui::Text("Right-click me");
if (ImGui::BeginPopupContextItem()) {
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Copy")) { }
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Paste")) { }
    ImGui::EndPopup();
}
```

### BeginPopupContextWindow()

Context menu for the current window:

```cpp theme={null}
IMGUI_API bool BeginPopupContextWindow(const char* str_id = NULL, ImGuiPopupFlags popup_flags = 0);
```

```cpp theme={null}
if (ImGui::BeginPopupContextWindow()) {
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Close")) { }
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Minimize")) { }
    ImGui::EndPopup();
}
```

### BeginPopupContextVoid()

Context menu when clicking in empty space:

```cpp theme={null}
IMGUI_API bool BeginPopupContextVoid(const char* str_id = NULL, ImGuiPopupFlags popup_flags = 0);
```

```cpp theme={null}
if (ImGui::BeginPopupContextVoid()) {
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("New Window")) { }
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Settings")) { }
    ImGui::EndPopup();
}
```

## Complex Menu Contents

Menus can contain any widgets:

```cpp theme={null}
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Options")) {
    static bool enabled = true;
    ImGui::MenuItem("Enabled", "", &enabled);
    
    // Child window for scrollable content
    ImGui::BeginChild("child", ImVec2(0, 60), ImGuiChildFlags_Borders);
    for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
        ImGui::Text("Scrolling Text %d", i);
    ImGui::EndChild();
    
    static float f = 0.5f;
    ImGui::SliderFloat("Value", &f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
    
    static int n = 0;
    ImGui::Combo("Combo", &n, "Yes\0No\0Maybe\0\0");
    
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}
```

## Menu with Colors

Display color swatches in menus:

```cpp theme={null}
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Colors")) {
    float sz = ImGui::GetTextLineHeight();
    
    for (int i = 0; i < ImGuiCol_COUNT; i++) {
        const char* name = ImGui::GetStyleColorName((ImGuiCol)i);
        ImVec2 p = ImGui::GetCursorScreenPos();
        
        // Draw color swatch
        ImGui::GetWindowDrawList()->AddRectFilled(p, 
            ImVec2(p.x + sz, p.y + sz), 
            ImGui::GetColorU32((ImGuiCol)i));
        
        ImGui::Dummy(ImVec2(sz, sz));
        ImGui::SameLine();
        ImGui::MenuItem(name);
    }
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}
```

## Appending to Existing Menus

You can append to menus multiple times:

```cpp theme={null}
// First definition
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Options")) {
    ImGui::MenuItem("Option A");
    ImGui::MenuItem("Option B");
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}

// Later in code - append more items
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Options")) {
    ImGui::MenuItem("Option C");
    ImGui::MenuItem("Option D");
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}
```

## Complete Example

```cpp theme={null}
void ShowMenuDemo() {
    // Main menu bar
    if (ImGui::BeginMainMenuBar()) {
        if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("New", "Ctrl+N")) {
                // Create new file
            }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) {
                // Open file dialog
            }
            
            if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Open Recent")) {
                ImGui::MenuItem("document1.txt");
                ImGui::MenuItem("document2.txt");
                ImGui::MenuItem("document3.txt");
                ImGui::EndMenu();
            }
            
            ImGui::Separator();
            
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save", "Ctrl+S")) {
                // Save file
            }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save As..")) {
                // Save as dialog
            }
            
            ImGui::Separator();
            
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Quit", "Alt+F4")) {
                // Quit application
            }
            
            ImGui::EndMenu();
        }
        
        if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Edit")) {
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Undo", "Ctrl+Z")) { }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Redo", "Ctrl+Y")) { }
            
            ImGui::Separator();
            
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Cut", "Ctrl+X")) { }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Copy", "Ctrl+C")) { }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Paste", "Ctrl+V")) { }
            
            ImGui::EndMenu();
        }
        
        if (ImGui::BeginMenu("View")) {
            static bool show_grid = true;
            static bool show_ruler = false;
            
            ImGui::MenuItem("Show Grid", NULL, &show_grid);
            ImGui::MenuItem("Show Ruler", NULL, &show_ruler);
            
            ImGui::EndMenu();
        }
        
        ImGui::EndMainMenuBar();
    }
    
    // Window with context menu
    ImGui::Begin("Window with Context Menu");
    
    ImGui::Text("Right-click on me!");
    if (ImGui::BeginPopupContextItem()) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Action 1")) { }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Action 2")) { }
        ImGui::Separator();
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Close")) { }
        ImGui::EndPopup();
    }
    
    // Context menu for empty space
    if (ImGui::BeginPopupContextWindow()) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Clear")) { }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Reset")) { }
        ImGui::EndPopup();
    }
    
    ImGui::End();
}
```

## Best Practices

<Note>
  Keyboard shortcuts in `MenuItem()` are displayed but not automatically processed. You need to implement the actual keyboard handling separately.
</Note>

<Tip>
  Use `Separator()` to group related menu items visually.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  Always call `EndMenu()` only if `BeginMenu()` returns true. Always call `EndMenuBar()` only if `BeginMenuBar()` returns true.
</Warning>

<Tip>
  Context menus default to right-click. Use `ImGuiPopupFlags_MouseButtonLeft` or `ImGuiPopupFlags_MouseButtonMiddle` for different buttons.
</Tip>