Accessing the menu bar of Symbian C++ dialog-based applications returns a null pointer (Known Issue)

Accessing the menu bar of Symbian C++ dialog-based applications, for example to modify menu contents at runtime, returns a null pointer if no menu bar is defined in resources.

Article Metadata

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Tested with

Devices(s): All (S60)

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Compatibility

Platform(s): S60 3rd Edition (All Feature Packs)
S60 5th Edition

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Article

Keywords: MenuBar()

Created: User:Kbwiki (23 Nov 2009)

Last edited: hamishwillee (15 Jun 2012)

Description

CEikonEnv::Static()->AppUiFactory()->MenuBar() can be used in an S60 UI application to access the menu bar (a pointer to the CEikMenuBar instance), defined in the EIK_APP_INFO resource as follows:

 RESOURCE EIK_APP_INFO
   {
   menubar = r_myapp_menu_bar;          /* a link to a MENU_BAR resource */
   cba = R_AVKON_SOFTKEYS_OPTIONS_EXIT;
   }

A dialog-based application that omits the menubar definition will receive a null pointer when trying to access the menu bar using the above function.

Solution

Define a menu bar in the EIK_APP_INFO resource for a dialog-based application, then use the following buttons definition in the DIALOG resource:

 RESOURCE DIALOG r_myapp_main_dialog
   {  
   buttons = R_AVKON_SOFTKEYS_OPTIONS_EXIT;
   ...
   }

As a result, the menu bar (Options menu) can be accessed with CEikonEnv::Static()->AppUiFactory()->MenuBar().

See also

See S60 Platform: Time Zone Localiser Example for an example of a dialog-based application.