Application Menus

package main

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

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

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

    // Add standard menus (platform-appropriate)
    if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
        menu.AddRole(application.AppMenu)  // macOS only
    }
    menu.AddRole(application.FileMenu)
    menu.AddRole(application.EditMenu)
    menu.AddRole(application.WindowMenu)
    menu.AddRole(application.HelpMenu)

    // Set the application menu
    app.Menu.Set(menu)

    // Create window with UseApplicationMenu to inherit the menu on Windows/Linux
    app.Window.NewWithOptions(application.WebviewWindowOptions{
        UseApplicationMenu: true,
    })

    app.Run()
}

// Create a new menu
menu := app.NewMenu()

// Add a top-level menu
fileMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("File")

// Add menu items
fileMenu.Add("New").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Handle New
})

fileMenu.Add("Open").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Handle Open
})

fileMenu.AddSeparator()

fileMenu.Add("Quit").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    app.Quit()
})

// Set the application menu once
app.Menu.Set(menu)

// Create windows that inherit the menu on Windows/Linux
app.Window.NewWithOptions(application.WebviewWindowOptions{
    UseApplicationMenu: true,  // Window uses the app menu
})

```go
app.Menu.Set(menu)
```

The menu appears at the top of the screen and persists even when all windows are closed. The `UseApplicationMenu` option has no effect on macOS since all apps use the global menu.

```go
// Option 1: Use application menu (recommended)
app.Menu.Set(menu)
window := app.Window.NewWithOptions(application.WebviewWindowOptions{
    UseApplicationMenu: true,
})

// Option 2: Set menu directly on window
window.SetMenu(menu)
```

Each window can have its own menu, or inherit the application menu. The menu appears in the window's title bar.

```go
// Option 1: Use application menu (recommended)
app.Menu.Set(menu)
window := app.Window.NewWithOptions(application.WebviewWindowOptions{
    UseApplicationMenu: true,
})

// Option 2: Set menu directly on window
window.SetMenu(menu)
```

Behaviour varies by desktop environment. Some (like Unity) support global menus.

// Old approach - no longer needed
if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
    app.Menu.Set(menu)
} else {
    window.SetMenu(menu)
}

window.SetMenu(customMenu)  // Overrides UseApplicationMenu

menu := app.NewMenu()

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

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

**FileMenu**:
- New (⌘N)
- Open... (⌘O)
- ---
- Close Window (⌘W)

**EditMenu**:
- Undo (⌘Z)
- Redo (⇧⌘Z)
- ---
- Cut (⌘X)
- Copy (⌘C)
- Paste (⌘V)
- Select All (⌘A)

**WindowMenu**:
- Minimise (⌘M)
- Zoom
- ---
- Bring All to Front

**HelpMenu**:
- [App Name] Help

**EditMenu**:
- Undo (Ctrl+Z)
- Redo (Ctrl+Y)
- ---
- Cut (Ctrl+X)
- Copy (Ctrl+C)
- Paste (Ctrl+V)
- Select All (Ctrl+A)

**WindowMenu**:
- Minimise
- Maximise

**HelpMenu**:
- About [App Name]

menu.AddRole(application.FileMenu)

fileMenu := menu.FindByRole(application.FileMenu).GetSubmenu()
fileMenu.Add("Import...").OnClick(handleImport)
fileMenu.Add("Export...").OnClick(handleExport)

// Add a custom top-level menu
toolsMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("Tools")

// Add items
toolsMenu.Add("Settings").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    showSettingsWindow()
})

toolsMenu.AddSeparator()

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

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

// Add submenu
advancedMenu := toolsMenu.AddSubmenu("Advanced")
advancedMenu.Add("Configure...").OnClick(showAdvancedSettings)

var saveMenuItem *application.MenuItem

func createMenu() {
    menu := app.NewMenu()
    fileMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("File")
    
    saveMenuItem = fileMenu.Add("Save")
    saveMenuItem.SetEnabled(false)  // Initially disabled
    saveMenuItem.OnClick(handleSave)
    
    app.Menu.Set(menu)
}

func onDocumentChanged() {
    saveMenuItem.SetEnabled(hasUnsavedChanges())
    menu.Update()  // Important!
}

updateMenuItem := menu.Add("Check for Updates")

updateMenuItem.OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    updateMenuItem.SetLabel("Checking...")
    menu.Update()
    
    checkForUpdates()
    
    updateMenuItem.SetLabel("Check for Updates")
    menu.Update()
})

func rebuildFileMenu() {
    menu := app.NewMenu()
    fileMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("File")
    
    fileMenu.Add("New").OnClick(handleNew)
    fileMenu.Add("Open").OnClick(handleOpen)
    
    // Add recent files dynamically
    if hasRecentFiles() {
        recentMenu := fileMenu.AddSubmenu("Open Recent")
        for _, file := range getRecentFiles() {
            filePath := file  // Capture for closure
            recentMenu.Add(filepath.Base(file)).OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
                openFile(filePath)
            })
        }
        recentMenu.AddSeparator()
        recentMenu.Add("Clear Recent").OnClick(clearRecentFiles)
    }
    
    fileMenu.AddSeparator()
    fileMenu.Add("Quit").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
        app.Quit()
    })
    
    app.Menu.Set(menu)
}

viewMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("View")

// Toggle fullscreen
viewMenu.Add("Toggle Fullscreen").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    if window, ok := app.Window.GetByName("main"); ok {
        window.ToggleFullscreen()
    }
})

// Zoom controls
viewMenu.Add("Zoom In").SetAccelerator("CmdOrCtrl++").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Increase zoom
})

viewMenu.Add("Zoom Out").SetAccelerator("CmdOrCtrl+-").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Decrease zoom
})

viewMenu.Add("Reset Zoom").SetAccelerator("CmdOrCtrl+0").OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Reset zoom
})

menuItem.OnClick(func(ctx *application.Context) {
    window := application.Get().Window.Current() // the window the menu was invoked from
    // Use window
})

if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
    menu.AddRole(application.AppMenu)  // Adds About, Preferences, Quit
    
    // Don't add Quit to File menu on macOS
    // Don't add About to Help menu on macOS
}

if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
    menu.AddRole(application.FileMenu) // Exit is added automatically
    menu.AddRole(application.HelpMenu) // About is added automatically
}

package main

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

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

    // Create and set menu
    createMenu(app)

    // Create main window with UseApplicationMenu for cross-platform menu support
    app.Window.NewWithOptions(application.WebviewWindowOptions{
        UseApplicationMenu: true,
    })

    app.Run()
}

func createMenu(app *application.App) {
    menu := app.NewMenu()

    // Platform-specific application menu (macOS only)
    if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
        menu.AddRole(application.AppMenu)
    }

    // File menu — AddRole returns the receiver menu, not the role submenu.
    // To add items into the File submenu, look it up via FindByRole + GetSubmenu.
    menu.AddRole(application.FileMenu)
    fileMenu := menu.FindByRole(application.FileMenu).GetSubmenu()
    fileMenu.Add("Import...").SetAccelerator("CmdOrCtrl+I").OnClick(handleImport)
    fileMenu.Add("Export...").SetAccelerator("CmdOrCtrl+E").OnClick(handleExport)

    // Edit menu
    menu.AddRole(application.EditMenu)

    // View menu
    viewMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("View")
    viewMenu.Add("Toggle Fullscreen").SetAccelerator("F11").OnClick(toggleFullscreen)
    viewMenu.AddSeparator()
    viewMenu.AddCheckbox("Show Sidebar", true).OnClick(toggleSidebar)
    viewMenu.AddCheckbox("Show Toolbar", true).OnClick(toggleToolbar)

    // Tools menu
    toolsMenu := menu.AddSubmenu("Tools")
    
    // Settings location varies by platform
    if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
        // On macOS, Preferences is in Application menu (added by AppMenu role)
    } else {
        toolsMenu.Add("Settings").SetAccelerator("CmdOrCtrl+,").OnClick(showSettings)
    }
    
    toolsMenu.AddSeparator()
    toolsMenu.AddCheckbox("Dark Mode", false).OnClick(toggleDarkMode)

    // Window menu
    menu.AddRole(application.WindowMenu)

    // Help menu
    helpMenu := menu.AddRole(application.HelpMenu)
    helpMenu.Add("Documentation").OnClick(openDocumentation)
    
    // About location varies by platform
    if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
        // On macOS, About is in Application menu (added by AppMenu role)
    } else {
        helpMenu.AddSeparator()
        helpMenu.Add("About").OnClick(showAbout)
    }

    // Set the application menu
    app.Menu.Set(menu)
}

func handleImport(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Implementation
}

func handleExport(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Implementation
}

func toggleFullscreen(ctx *application.Context) {
    window := application.Get().Window.Current()
    window.ToggleFullscreen()
}

func toggleSidebar(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Implementation
}

func toggleToolbar(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Implementation
}

func showSettings(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Implementation
}

func toggleDarkMode(ctx *application.Context) {
    isDark := ctx.ClickedMenuItem().Checked()
    // Apply theme
}

func openDocumentation(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Open browser
}

func showAbout(ctx *application.Context) {
    // Show about dialog
}

[Learn More →](/features/menus/reference)

[Learn More →](/features/menus/context)

[Learn More →](/features/menus/systray)

[Learn More →](/guides/menus)