How to get the currently selected Menu or MenuItem

Question

How can I retrieve the currently selected menu or menu item when clicked on it and the subsequent path will be printed on console. In this code I have done the menus and sub menus up to 4 levels. And want to print the path of selected menus and submenus when clicked on. I am using swing concept for this program. Please help. Thanks in advance.

import java.awt.Component;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
import javax.swing.MenuElement;
import javax.swing.MenuSelectionManager;
import javax.swing.event.ChangeEvent;
import javax.swing.event.ChangeListener;

public class Menu {

  public static void main(final String args[]) {
    JFrame frame = new JFrame("MenuSample Example");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();

JMenu worldMenu = new JMenu("world");
menuBar.add(worldMenu);


JMenu indMenu = new JMenu("India");
worldMenu.add(indMenu);
/* creates menu */
JMenu odMenu = new JMenu("Odisha");
indMenu.add(odMenu);

JMenu delhiMenu = new JMenu("Delhi");
indMenu.add(delhiMenu);

JMenu upMenu = new JMenu("Uttar Pradesh");
indMenu.add(upMenu);

JMenu mpMenu = new JMenu("Madhya Pradesh");
    indMenu.add(mpMenu);

    JMenu ausMenu = new JMenu("Australia");
worldMenu.add(ausMenu);

JMenu AmericaMenu = new JMenu("America");
worldMenu.add(AmericaMenu);

/* creates submenu */
JMenu bbMenu = new JMenu("Bhubaneswar");
odMenu.add(bbMenu);

JMenu bmMenu = new JMenu("Berhampur");
odMenu.add(bmMenu);
/*creates sub sub menu */
JMenuItem rjMenuItem = new JMenuItem("Raj Mahal");
bbMenu.add(rjMenuItem);

JMenuItem abMenuItem = new JMenuItem("Acharya Bihar");
bbMenu.add(abMenuItem);

JMenuItem bnMenuItem = new JMenuItem("Bani Bihar");
bbMenu.add(bnMenuItem);
/* retrieving path */

MenuSelectionManager.defaultManager().addChangeListener(
        new ChangeListener() {
          public void stateChanged(ChangeEvent evt) {

            MenuElement[] path = MenuSelectionManager.defaultManager()
                .getSelectedPath();

            //
            int s=0;

            for (int i = 0; i < path.length; i++) {
                Component c = path[i].getComponent();
                if (c instanceof JMenuItem) {
                JMenuItem mi = (JMenuItem) c;
                String label = mi.getText();
                System.out.println("LEVEL----" + s);
                System.out.println("you hv selected:"+label);
                s++;


              }
            }

          }
        });

    //

    frame.setJMenuBar(menuBar);
    frame.setSize(350, 250);
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }
}

Answer 1

How to get the currently selected

1. Menu - A parent JMenu cannot be selected. Why would you want to know if the mouse is over it?
2. MenuItem - Embrace the Action interface

It is an all too common oversight to not use the Action interface. When developing with Swing make Action your friend, it will treat you well. You went down the wrong path with MenuSelectionManager.

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;

public class MenuExample {
    private JFrame frame;
    private JLabel choiceIndicator;

    MenuExample create() {
        frame = createFrame();
        choiceIndicator = new JLabel();
        frame.setJMenuBar(createMenuBar());
        frame.getContentPane().add(createContent());

        return this;
    }

    private Component createContent() {
        JPanel panel = new JPanel();

        panel.add(new JLabel("Last menu item choice:"));
        panel.add(choiceIndicator);

        return panel;
    }

    private JMenuBar createMenuBar() {
        JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();
        menuBar.add(createWorld());
        return menuBar;
    }

    private JMenu createWorld() {
        JMenu worldMenu = new JMenu("World");

        worldMenu.add(createIndia());
        worldMenu.add(new JMenu("Australia"));
        worldMenu.add(new JMenu("America"));

        return worldMenu;
    }

    private JMenu createIndia() {
        JMenu india = new JMenu("India");

        india.add(createOdisha());
        india.add(new JMenu("Delhi"));
        india.add(new JMenu("Uttar Pradesh"));
        india.add(new JMenu("Madhya Pradesh"));

        return india;
    }

    private JMenuItem createOdisha() {
        JMenu menu = new JMenu("Odisha");

        menu.add(createBhubaneswar());
        menu.add(new JMenu("Berhampur"));

        return menu;
    }

    private JMenuItem createBhubaneswar() {
        JMenu menu = new JMenu("Bhubaneswar");
        menu.add(choiceItem("Raj Mahal"));
        menu.add(choiceItem("Acharya Bihar"));
        menu.add(choiceItem("Bani Bihar"));

        return menu;
    }

    private JMenuItem choiceItem(String text) {
        return new JMenuItem(new Choice(text, choiceIndicator));
    }

    private JFrame createFrame() {
        JFrame frame = new JFrame(getClass().getSimpleName());
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

        return frame;
    }

    void show() {
        frame.setSize(350, 250);
        frame.setResizable(false);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                new MenuExample().create().show();
            }
        });
    }

    class Choice extends AbstractAction {
        private final JLabel choiceIndicator;

        public Choice(String text, JLabel choiceIndicator) {
            this(text, null, null, null, choiceIndicator);
        }

        public Choice(String text, ImageIcon icon, String desc, Integer mnemonic, JLabel choiceIndicator) {
            super(text, icon);
            putValue(SHORT_DESCRIPTION, desc);
            putValue(MNEMONIC_KEY, mnemonic);

            this.choiceIndicator = choiceIndicator;
        }

        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            choiceIndicator.setText(e.getActionCommand());
        }
    }
}