Menu#

Menu is tkinter’s menu widget (tk.Menu), themed by ttkbootstrap and re-exported as ttk.Menu. It backs menu bars, cascading submenus, and right-click context menus; ttkbootstrap adds helpers for the native macOS application menu. Entries are addressed by integer index (0-based) or the special index "end" / "active" / "last". This page is the complete reference for its own options and methods; the shared widget methods are under Capabilities.

Options#

Option	Type	Description
`autostyle`	`bool`	Constructor only. `True` (default) paints the menu with the active theme and repaints on a theme switch; `False` opts out.
`font`	`str \| Font`	The font for entry labels.
`foreground` (`fg`)	`str`	The text color of entries.
`background` (`bg`)	`str`	The menu background color.
`activeforeground`	`str`	The text color of the entry under the pointer.
`activebackground`	`str`	The background color of the entry under the pointer.
`activeborderwidth`	`int`	The border width of the entry under the pointer, in pixels.
`disabledforeground`	`str`	The text color of disabled entries.
`selectcolor`	`str`	The indicator color of checkbutton / radiobutton entries.
`borderwidth` (`bd`)	`int`	The 3-D border width in pixels.
`relief`	`str`	The border style: `"flat"`, `"raised"`, `"sunken"`, `"groove"`, `"ridge"`, or `"solid"`.
`tearoff`	`bool`	`True` adds a dashed line that tears the menu into a floating window.
`tearoffcommand`	`callable`	A callback invoked when the menu is torn off.
`postcommand`	`callable`	A callback invoked just before the menu is posted — use it to update entries lazily.
`title`	`str`	The title shown on a torn-off menu.
`type`	`str`	The menu flavor: `"normal"`, `"menubar"`, or `"tearoff"`. Set when the menu is created; changing it later has no effect.
`cursor`	`str`	The mouse cursor over the menu (see Cursors).
`takefocus`	`bool`	Whether the menu accepts keyboard focus during traversal.

Methods#

Adding entries#

Every add_* appends an entry; the parallel insert_* methods take a leading index and insert before it.

add_command(**options)

Append a command entry.

Parameters:: options – label, command, accelerator (shown shortcut text), underline, state, image, compound.
Returns:: None.

add_cascade(**options)

Append a submenu entry.

Parameters:: options – label and menu (a child Menu), plus underline, state.
Returns:: None.

add_checkbutton(**options)

Append a checkbutton entry that toggles a variable.

Parameters:: options – label, variable, onvalue, offvalue, command.
Returns:: None.

add_radiobutton(**options)

Append a radiobutton entry — one choice in a group sharing a variable.

Parameters:: options – label, variable, value, command.
Returns:: None.

add_separator(**options)

Append a horizontal separator line.

Returns:: None.

insert(index, itemType, **options)

Insert an entry of itemType ("command", "cascade", "checkbutton", "radiobutton", "separator") before index. The insert_command / insert_cascade / insert_checkbutton / insert_radiobutton / insert_separator shortcuts wrap this, and add(itemType, **options) is the appending equivalent that the add_* shortcuts wrap.

Returns:: None.

Configuring and removing entries#

entryconfigure(index, **options)

Set (or query) options on an existing entry. Alias: entryconfig.

Parameters:

index – the entry to change.
options – any options valid for that entry type.

Returns:

the option spec when queried with a single option name, else None.

entrycget(index, option): Return one option of an entry.

delete(index1, index2=None)

Delete an entry, or a range of entries.

Returns:: None.

index(index)

Resolve an index expression to an integer entry number.

Return type:: int

type(index)

Return the type of an entry — "command", "cascade", "checkbutton", "radiobutton", "separator", or "tearoff".

Return type:: str

Posting and invoking#

tk_popup(x, y, entry='')

Pop the menu up as a context menu at a screen position — the usual way to show a right-click menu.

Parameters:

x (int) – screen x, in pixels.
y (int) – screen y, in pixels.
entry – an entry to position under the pointer.

Returns:

None.

post(x, y)

Map the menu at a screen position (lower-level than tk_popup).

Returns:: None.

unpost()

Unmap the menu.

Returns:: None.

invoke(index)

Invoke the action of an entry as if the user chose it.

Returns:: the value returned by the entry’s command, if any.

activate(index)

Highlight an entry as the active one.

Returns:: None.

xposition(index)

Return the x pixel coordinate of an entry within the menu; yposition(index) is the vertical counterpart.

Return type:: int

macOS application menu (ttkbootstrap)#

These ttkbootstrap additions wire a menu bar into the native macOS menu conventions. Each is a no-op off macOS, so the same code runs everywhere.

add_application_menu()

Add and return the macOS application menu — the bold, app-named menu that owns About, Preferences…, and Quit.

Returns:: the application menu, or None off macOS.
Return type:: Menu | None

add_window_menu(label='Window')

Add and return the macOS standard Window menu.

Returns:: the Window menu, or None off macOS.
Return type:: Menu | None

add_help_menu(label='Help', command=None)

Add and return a Help menu, wired into the macOS Help conventions.

Parameters:: command – a callback for the search/help action.
Returns:: the Help menu, or None off macOS.
Return type:: Menu | None

on_preferences(callback)

Enable the macOS Preferences… item (⌘,) and call callback when it is chosen. Requires add_application_menu().

Returns:: None.

on_quit(callback)

Call callback when the user chooses macOS Quit (⌘Q). Requires add_application_menu().

Returns:: None.

Shared capabilities#

Menu also has the methods every widget inherits — configuration, event binding, lifecycle, and introspection. These are documented under Capabilities.