Application Menu

Application menus provide the main menu bar interface for your application. They appear at the top of the window on Windows and Linux, and at the top of the screen on macOS.

Creating an Application Menu

Create a new application menu using the NewMenu method:

menu := app.NewMenu()

Menu Roles

Wails provides predefined menu roles that automatically create platform-appropriate menu structures:

// Add standard application menu on macOS
if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
    menu.AddRole(application.AppMenu)
}

// Add standard menus
menu.AddRole(application.FileMenu)
menu.AddRole(application.EditMenu)
menu.AddRole(application.WindowMenu)
menu.AddRole(application.HelpMenu)

Platform Behaviour

The AppMenu role is specific to macOS and provides the standard application menu containing About, Preferences, and Quit items.

Available Roles

Role	Description	Platform Notes
AppMenu	Standard application menu	macOS only
FileMenu	File operations menu	All platforms
EditMenu	Text editing operations	All platforms
WindowMenu	Window management	All platforms
HelpMenu	Help and information	All platforms

Custom Menus

Create custom menus by adding items directly:

// Add a custom menu
customMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("Tools")
customMenu.Add("Settings").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Show settings dialogue
})

Menu Items

For detailed information about available menu item types and properties, refer to the Menu Reference documentation.

Window Control

Menu items can control the application windows:

viewMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("View")
viewMenu.Add("Toggle Fullscreen").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    window := app.CurrentWindow()
    if window.Fullscreen() {
        window.SetFullscreen(false)
    } else {
        window.SetFullscreen(true)
    }
})

Dynamic Menus

Menus can be updated dynamically based on application state:

projectMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("Project")
saveItem := projectMenu.Add("Save Project")

// Update based on state
saveItem.OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    if projectSaved {
        saveItem.SetEnabled(false)
        saveItem.SetLabel("Project Saved")
    }
    menu.Update()
})

Platform-Specific Considerations

macOS

On macOS, menus are deeply integrated with the system:

• Menus appear in the system menu bar at the top of the screen
• The application menu (⌘) is required and should be added using menu.AddRole(application.AppMenu)
• Standard keyboard shortcuts are automatically handled
• Menu styling follows system appearance
• The “About” menu item appears in the application menu
• Preferences are typically placed in the application menu

Windows

On Windows, menus follow the traditional Windows UI guidelines:

• Menus appear in the application window’s title bar
• Standard keyboard shortcuts should be explicitly set using SetAccelerator
• Menu styling matches the Windows theme
• The “About” menu item typically appears in the Help menu
• Settings/Preferences are typically placed in the Tools menu

Linux

On Linux, menu behaviour depends on the desktop environment:

• Menu appearance adapts to the desktop environment’s theme
• Some desktop environments (like Unity) support global menu bars
• Menu placement follows the desktop environment’s conventions
• Keyboard shortcuts should be explicitly set
• Settings are typically placed in the Edit menu

Best Practices

1. Use standard menu roles where appropriate
2. Follow platform-specific menu conventions
3. Provide keyboard shortcuts for common actions
4. Keep menu structures shallow and organised
5. Update menu items to reflect application state
6. Use clear, concise menu labels
7. Group related items logically

Warning

Always test menu functionality across all target platforms to ensure consistent behaviour and appearance.

Pro Tip

Consider using the application.CurrentWindow() method in menu handlers to affect the active window, rather than storing window references.

Complete Example

Here’s a comprehensive example demonstrating various menu features:

package main

import (
    "runtime"
    "github.com/wailsapp/wails/v3/pkg/application"
)

func main() {
    app := application.New(application.Options{
        Name: "Menu Demo",
    })

    // Create main menu
    menu := app.NewMenu()

    // Add platform-specific application menu
    if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
        menu.AddRole(application.AppMenu)
    }

    // Add standard menus
    fileMenu := menu.AddRole(application.FileMenu)
    menu.AddRole(application.EditMenu)
    menu.AddRole(application.WindowMenu)
    menu.AddRole(application.HelpMenu)

    // Add custom menu
    toolsMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("Tools")

    // Add checkbox item
    toolsMenu.AddCheckbox("Dark Mode", false).OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
        isDark := ctx.ClickedMenuItem().Checked()
        // Toggle theme
    })

    // Add radio group
    toolsMenu.AddRadio("Small Text", true).OnClick(handleFontSize)
    toolsMenu.AddRadio("Medium Text", false).OnClick(handleFontSize)
    toolsMenu.AddRadio("Large Text", false).OnClick(handleFontSize)

    // Add submenu
    advancedMenu := toolsMenu.AddSubmenu("Advanced")
    advancedMenu.Add("Configure...").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
        // Show configuration
    })

    // Set the menu
    app.SetMenu(menu)

    // Create main window
    app.NewWebviewWindow()

    err := app.Run()
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
}

func handleFontSize(ctx *application.Context) {
    size := ctx.ClickedMenuItem().Label()
    // Update font size
}