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BeginMenuBar

bool ImGui::BeginMenuBar()
Append to menu-bar of current window (requires ImGuiWindowFlags_MenuBar flag set on parent window).
​
return
bool
True if menu bar is open. Only call EndMenuBar() if this returns true.
// Example
ImGui::Begin("Window", NULL, ImGuiWindowFlags_MenuBar);
if (ImGui::BeginMenuBar()) {
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) { /* Do stuff */ }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save", "Ctrl+S")) { /* Do stuff */ }
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    ImGui::EndMenuBar();
}
ImGui::End();

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EndMenuBar

void ImGui::EndMenuBar()
Close menu bar. Only call EndMenuBar() if BeginMenuBar() returns true.

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BeginMainMenuBar

bool ImGui::BeginMainMenuBar()
Create and append to a full screen menu-bar.
​
return
bool
True if menu bar is open. Only call EndMainMenuBar() if this returns true.
// Example
if (ImGui::BeginMainMenuBar()) {
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("New", "Ctrl+N")) { /* Do stuff */ }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) { /* Do stuff */ }
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Edit")) {
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Undo", "Ctrl+Z")) { /* Do stuff */ }
        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Redo", "Ctrl+Y")) { /* Do stuff */ }
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    ImGui::EndMainMenuBar();
}

​
EndMainMenuBar

void ImGui::EndMainMenuBar()
Close main menu bar. Only call EndMainMenuBar() if BeginMainMenuBar() returns true.

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BeginMenu

bool ImGui::BeginMenu(const char* label, bool enabled = true)
Create a sub-menu entry. Only call EndMenu() if this returns true.
​
label
const char*
Menu label
​
enabled
bool
default:"true"
Whether the menu is enabled (grayed out if false)
​
return
bool
True when menu is open
// Example
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("New")) { /* Do stuff */ }
    if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open")) { /* Do stuff */ }
    if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Recent Files")) {
        ImGui::MenuItem("file1.txt");
        ImGui::MenuItem("file2.txt");
        ImGui::EndMenu();
    }
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}

// Disabled menu
if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Disabled", false)) {
    // This won't be reached
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}

​
EndMenu

void ImGui::EndMenu()
Close menu. Only call EndMenu() if BeginMenu() returns true. 
bool ImGui::MenuItem(const char* label, const char* shortcut = NULL, bool selected = false, bool enabled = true)
Menu item. Returns true when activated.
​
label
const char*
Menu item label
​
shortcut
const char*
default:"NULL"
Keyboard shortcut text (display only, not processed by ImGui)
​
selected
bool
default:"false"
Whether the item is selected (displays checkmark)
​
enabled
bool
default:"true"
Whether the item is enabled
​
return
bool
True when activated
// Example
if (ImGui::MenuItem("New", "Ctrl+N")) {
    // New file
}

if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) {
    // Open file
}

ImGui::Separator();

if (ImGui::MenuItem("Quit", "Alt+F4")) {
    // Quit application
}

// With checkmark
static bool show_grid = true;
if (ImGui::MenuItem("Show Grid", NULL, show_grid)) {
    show_grid = !show_grid;
}

// Disabled
if (ImGui::MenuItem("Disabled Item", NULL, false, false)) {
    // Won't be reached
}

bool ImGui::MenuItem(const char* label, const char* shortcut, bool* p_selected, bool enabled = true)
Menu item with pointer to selection state. Returns true when activated, and toggles *p_selected if p_selected != NULL.
​
label
const char*
Menu item label
​
shortcut
const char*
Keyboard shortcut text
​
p_selected
bool*
Pointer to selection state (automatically toggled)
​
enabled
bool
default:"true"
Whether the item is enabled
​
return
bool
True when activated
// Example
static bool show_wireframe = false;
static bool show_normals = false;
static bool show_grid = true;

if (ImGui::BeginMenu("View")) {
    ImGui::MenuItem("Wireframe", NULL, &show_wireframe);
    ImGui::MenuItem("Normals", NULL, &show_normals);
    ImGui::MenuItem("Grid", NULL, &show_grid);
    ImGui::EndMenu();
}

​
Complete Example

// Full menu system example
void ShowMenuExample() {
    if (ImGui::BeginMainMenuBar()) {
        if (ImGui::BeginMenu("File")) {
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("New", "Ctrl+N")) {
                // Create new file
            }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Open", "Ctrl+O")) {
                // Open file
            }
            if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Open Recent")) {
                ImGui::MenuItem("project1.txt");
                ImGui::MenuItem("project2.txt");
                ImGui::MenuItem("project3.txt");
                ImGui::EndMenu();
            }
            ImGui::Separator();
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save", "Ctrl+S")) {
                // Save file
            }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Save As..", "Ctrl+Shift+S")) {
                // Save as
            }
            ImGui::Separator();
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Quit", "Alt+F4")) {
                // Quit application
            }
            ImGui::EndMenu();
        }
        
        if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Edit")) {
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Undo", "Ctrl+Z")) {
                // Undo
            }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Redo", "Ctrl+Y", false, false)) {
                // Redo (disabled)
            }
            ImGui::Separator();
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Cut", "Ctrl+X")) {
                // Cut
            }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Copy", "Ctrl+C")) {
                // Copy
            }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Paste", "Ctrl+V")) {
                // Paste
            }
            ImGui::EndMenu();
        }
        
        if (ImGui::BeginMenu("View")) {
            static bool show_grid = true;
            static bool show_wireframe = false;
            static bool show_normals = false;
            
            ImGui::MenuItem("Grid", NULL, &show_grid);
            ImGui::MenuItem("Wireframe", NULL, &show_wireframe);
            ImGui::MenuItem("Normals", NULL, &show_normals);
            
            ImGui::Separator();
            
            if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Camera")) {
                if (ImGui::MenuItem("Perspective")) {
                    // Set perspective camera
                }
                if (ImGui::MenuItem("Orthographic")) {
                    // Set orthographic camera
                }
                ImGui::EndMenu();
            }
            ImGui::EndMenu();
        }
        
        if (ImGui::BeginMenu("Help")) {
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Documentation")) {
                // Open docs
            }
            if (ImGui::MenuItem("About")) {
                // Show about dialog
            }
            ImGui::EndMenu();
        }
        
        ImGui::EndMainMenuBar();
    }
}

​
Notes

  • MenuItem keyboard shortcuts are displayed but NOT processed by Dear ImGui. You need to handle keyboard input yourself.
  • You can use ## in labels to hide text after it (useful for creating unique IDs).
  • Menus can be nested to any depth.
  • Use ImGui::Separator() to add horizontal lines between menu items.
  • MenuItem returns true on activation, which happens on mouse release (not press).

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