Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar?

Reply to Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar? on Wed, 10 Apr 2019 03:55:26 GMT

ryan — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 03:55:26 GMT

I'd like to partition my Scripts folder, and have another application menu bar item alongside Extensions, Scripts, Window etc. with another menu corresponding to a directory on my HD. I've got the bare bones of a custom menu ready, but not sure if there's a stock function for linking the menu structure to a local directory.

TIA!
Ryan

Reply to Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar? on Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:41:38 GMT

gferreira — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:41:38 GMT

hello @ryan,

here’s a function to create a new menu item for a folder structure with .py files:

from AppKit import NSApp, NSMenu, NSMenuItem
from lib.UI.fileBrowser import RFPathItem

def addMenu(name, path):
    '''Creates a new menu item in RoboFont’s main application menu.'''

    # create a new menu
    menu = NSMenu.alloc().initWithTitle_(name)

    # create a path item that will build the menu and connect all the callbacks
    pathItem = RFPathItem(path, ['.py'], isRoot=True)
    pathItem.getMenu(title=name, parentMenu=menu)

    # get the main menu
    menubar = NSApp().mainMenu()

    # search if the menu item already exists
    newItem = menubar.itemWithTitle_(name)
    if not newItem:
        # if not, create one and append it before `Help`
        newItem = NSMenuItem.alloc().initWithTitle_action_keyEquivalent_(name, '', '')
        menubar.insertItem_atIndex_(newItem, menubar.numberOfItems()-1)

    # set the menu as submenu
    newItem.setSubmenu_(menu)
    
addMenu('My Menu', '/path/to/scripts/folder')

you can set it as a start-up script, so the menu will always be there when you open RoboFont.

(will be added to the docs soon… thanks!)

Reply to Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar? on Wed, 10 Apr 2019 11:55:54 GMT

ryan — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 11:55:54 GMT

Thanks, @gferreira! This is exactly what I was looking for. Do you know of any resources that explain how to work with AppKit? Apple’s documentation feels less accessible/thorough to me, but I could be missing something.

Thanks again,
Ryan

Reply to Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar? on Wed, 10 Apr 2019 13:48:46 GMT

frederik — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 13:48:46 GMT

for the AppKit Apple docs opt for the objc version and replace : by _ for the python version.
use print(dir(nsObject)) to find all the methods and attributes

Reply to Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar? on Wed, 10 Apr 2019 16:50:55 GMT

frederik — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 16:50:55 GMT

the preferred way is to use mojo.UI.MenuBuilder

from mojo.UI import MenuBuilder

def callback(sender):
    pass

builder = MenuBuilder([("test", callback), ("test 2", callback)])

menu = builder.getMenu()
print(menu)

name = "My Menu"

# get the menu bar
menubar = NSApp().mainMenu()

newItem = menubar.itemWithTitle_(name)
if not newItem:
    # if not, create one and append it before `Help`
    newItem = NSMenuItem.alloc().initWithTitle_action_keyEquivalent_(name, '', '')
    menubar.insertItem_atIndex_(newItem, menubar.numberOfItems()-1)

# set the menu as submenu
newItem.setSubmenu_(menu)

Reply to Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar? on Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:50:44 GMT

ryan — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:50:44 GMT

Thanks @frederik

When I hit the native Update Menu, it doesn't update my custom menu item (if I added a new script, etc.)

Is there a way to update the custom menu without having to restart RF?
The following little script seems to not work:

import AppKit
menu = AppKit.NSApp().mainMenu()
menu.update()

P.S. I did end up using @gferreira ’s menu-building script because it was already replicating a folder's pathing. Is there a way to mirror a folder with MenuBuilder?

Reply to Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar? on Sat, 23 Jan 2021 11:09:59 GMT

frederik — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 11:09:59 GMT

yeah, "Update Menu" only updates from the script folder as set in the preferences.

In Gustavo's example you'll need to add menu item with a callback to a script that is populating that menu. Hope that makes sense :)

Reply to Easy way to replicate Scripts menu bar? on Sat, 23 Jan 2021 21:08:06 GMT

ryan — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 21:08:06 GMT

Ah! Ok I rewrote Gustavo’s script to rebuild the menu each time it's run. So I can just rerun the script when I want it to update.

# menuTitle: _ Add / Update Custom Scripts Menu

from AppKit import NSApp, NSMenu, NSMenuItem
from lib.UI.fileBrowser import RFPathItem

def addMenu(name, path):
	'''Creates a new menu item in RoboFont’s main application menu.'''

	# create a new menu
	menu = NSMenu.alloc().initWithTitle_(name)

	# create a path item that will build the menu and connect all the callbacks
	pathItem = RFPathItem(path, ['.py'], isRoot=True)
	pathItem.getMenu(title=name, parentMenu=menu)

	# get the main menu
	menubar = NSApp().mainMenu()

	# search if the menu item already exists
	newItem = menubar.itemWithTitle_(name)
	if newItem:
	    menubar.removeItem_(newItem)
	
	newItem = NSMenuItem.alloc().initWithTitle_action_keyEquivalent_(name, '', '')
	menubar.insertItem_atIndex_(newItem, menubar.numberOfItems()-3)

	# set the menu as submenu
	newItem.setSubmenu_(menu)
	
addMenu('menu name', '/path/to/folder/')

Key lines:

if newItem:
  menubar.removeItem_(newItem)