Overview
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Quick Info

Windows NT
Yes
Win95
Yes
Win32s
Yes
Import Library
user32.lib
Header File
winuser.h
Unicode
WinNT
Platform Notes
None

AppendMenu

The AppendMenu function appends a new item to the end of the specified menu bar, drop-down menu, submenu, or shortcut menu. You can use this function to specify the content, appearance, and behavior of the menu item.

The AppendMenu function has been superseded by the InsertMenuItem function. You can still use AppendMenu, however, if you do not need any of the extended features of InsertMenuItem.

BOOL AppendMenu(

HMENU hMenu,
// handle to menu to be changed
UINT uFlags,
// menu-item flags
UINT uIDNewItem,
// menu-item identifier or handle of drop-down menu or submenu
LPCTSTR lpNewItem
// menu-item content
);

Parameters

hMenu

Identifies the menu bar, drop-down menu, submenu, or shortcut menu to be changed.

uFlags

Specifies flags to control the appearance and behavior of the new menu item. This parameter can be a combination of the values listed in the following Remarks section.

uIDNewItem

Specifies either the identifier of the new menu item or, if the uFlags parameter is set to MF_POPUP, the handle to the drop-down menu or submenu.

lpNewItem

Specifies the content of the new menu item. The interpretation of lpNewItem depends on whether the uFlags parameter includes the MF_BITMAP, MF_OWNERDRAW, or MF_STRING flag, as follows:

Value
Description
MF_BITMAP
Contains a bitmap handle.
MF_OWNERDRAW
Contains a 32-bit value supplied by the application that can be used to maintain additional data related to the menu item. The value is in the itemData member of the structure pointed to by the lparam parameter of the WM_MEASURE or WM_DRAWITEM message sent when the menu is created or its appearance is updated.
MF_STRING
Contains a pointer to a null-terminated string.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

The application must call the DrawMenuBar function whenever a menu changes, whether or not the menu is in a displayed window.

The following flags can be set in the uFlags parameter:

Value
Description
MF_BITMAP
Uses a bitmap as the menu item. The lpNewItem parameter contains the handle to the bitmap.
MF_CHECKED
Places a check mark next to the menu item. If the application provides check-mark bitmaps (see SetMenuItemBitmaps), this flag displays the check mark bitmap next to the menu item.
MF_DISABLED
Disables the menu item so it cannot be selected, but the flag does not gray it.
MF_ENABLED
Enables the menu item so it can be selected, and restores it from its grayed state.
MF_GRAYED
Disables the menu item and grays it so it cannot be selected.
MF_MENUBARBREAK
Functions the same as the MF_MENUBREAK flag for a menu bar. For a drop-down menu, submenu, or shortcut menu, the new column is separated from the old column by a vertical line.
MF_MENUBREAK
Places the item on a new line (for a menu bar) or in a new column (for a drop-down menu, submenu, or shortcut menu) without separating columns.
MF_OWNERDRAW
Specifies that the item is an owner-drawn item. Before the menu is displayed for the first time, the window that owns the menu receives a WM_MEASUREITEM message to retrieve the width and height of the menu item. The WM_DRAWITEM message is then sent to the window procedure of the owner window whenever the appearance of the menu item must be updated.
MF_POPUP
Specifies that the menu item opens a drop-down menu or submenu. The uIDNewItem parameter specifies the handle to the drop-down menu or submenu. This flag is used to add a menu name to a menu bar, or a menu item that opens a submenu to a drop-down menu, submenu, or shortcut menu.
MF_SEPARATOR
Draws a horizontal dividing line. This flag is used only in a drop-down menu, submenu, or shortcut menu. The line cannot be grayed, disabled, or highlighted. The lpNewItem and uIDNewItem parameters are ignored.
MF_STRING
Specifies that the menu item is a text string; the lpNewItem parameter points to the string.
MF_UNCHECKED
Does not place a check mark next to the item (default). If the application supplies check-mark bitmaps (see SetMenuItemBitmaps), this flag displays the unchecked bitmap next to the menu item.

The following groups of flags cannot be used together:

  • MF_DISABLED, MF_ENABLED, and MF_GRAYED

  • MF_BITMAP, MF_STRING, and MF_OWNERDRAW

  • MF_MENUBARBREAK and MF_MENUBREAK

  • MF_CHECKED and MF_UNCHECKED

See Also

CreateMenu
, DeleteMenu, DestroyMenu, DrawMenuBar, InsertMenu, InsertMenuItem, ModifyMenu, RemoveMenu, SetMenuItemBitmaps

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