Create a command for 'menu sequences'

Question

I'm trying to create an extendable command that can take in a single argument (possibly in the following form):

\menuentry{File:New:Class}

And generate something like:

\texttt{File -> New -> Class} 

The issue is that the arguments have to be flexible. I should be able to provide any depth of menus. The reason for doing this is that I might want to change the formatting later on and I don't want to have to replace all the texttts manually.

Answer 1

The etoolbox package is rich with list processing options. Here's one attempt.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{etoolbox}% http://ctan.org/pkg/etoolbox
\begin{document}
\newcounter{menucount}\newcounter{curitem}% Counters
\newcommand{\menuitem}{\texttt}% Menu item formatting
\newcommand{\menusep}{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}% Menu separator
\newcommand{\menuend}{\relax}% Menu end
\newcommand{\menulist}[1]{% \menulist{<menu list>}
  \setcounter{menucount}{0}\setcounter{curitem}{0}% Reset menucount & curitem
  \renewcommand*{\do}[1]{\stepcounter{menucount}}%
  \menulistparser{#1}% Count menu items
  \renewcommand*{\do}[1]{\menuitem{##1}\stepcounter{curitem}\ifnumless{\value{curitem}}{\value{menucount}}{\menusep}{\menuend}}%
  \menulistparser{#1}% Process list
}
\DeclareListParser{\menulistparser}{:}% List separator is ':'

\menulist{File:New:Class}% 3 menu items

\menulist{Tools:Options:Advanced:Properties:Document}% 5 menu items

\menulist{}% 0 menu items/empty list

\menulist{Help}% 1 menu item

\renewcommand{\menusep}{~\rule{1ex}{1ex}~}\renewcommand{\menuend}{!}% Different separator and end
\menulist{Your:Menu:Sequence:Here}

\end{document}

\DeclareListParser{<cmd>}{<sep>} declares a list parser command <cmd> that processes a single argument as a list, with list item separator <sep>. The use of this definition is to accommodate an item:item:item:... style list. For regular CSV lists, you could also use \docsvlist which is predefined as \DeclareListParser{\docsvlist}{,} by etoolbox.

The main command \menulist{<menu list>} in the above MWE processes <menu list> twice. The first time it cycles through all the items, stepping menucount at every item, in order to count the number of list entries. The second time, it parses the list and formats each entry using \menuitem{..} but also adds a custom separator \menusep. The last menu item is followed by \menuend.

Answer 2

Here's an example using the xstring package

Have a look at the documentation- there are a lot of other commands that could help you customize this command.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xstring}

\newcommand{\menuentry}[1]{\StrSubstitute{#1}{:}{$\rightarrow$}[\dummy]\texttt{\dummy}}

\begin{document}

\menuentry{File:New:Class}

\menuentry{File:New:Class:SubClass}
\end{document}  

Answer 3

A LaTeX3 solution; some input and output parameters are customizable via a key-value syntax. Notice that the default delimiter : must be set after \ExplSyntaxOff. Keys set in the optional argument of \menuentry are local to that command only.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentCommand{\menuentry}{ O{} m }
  {
   \group_begin: % to segregate local changes to keys and font
   \keys_set:nn { menuentry } { #1 }
   \exp_args:NNx \seq_set_split:Nnn \l_menuentry_seq { \l_menuentry_inputsep_tl } { #2 }
   \tl_use:N \l_menuentry_font_tl
   \bool_set_false:N \l_tmpa_bool
   \seq_map_function:NN \l_menuentry_seq \menuentry_process:n
   \group_end:
  }
\NewDocumentCommand{\menuentryset} { m }
  { \keys_set:nn { menuentry } { #1 } }

\tl_new:N \l_menuentry_font_tl
\tl_new:N \l_menuentry_sep_tl
\tl_new:N \l_menuentry_inputsep_tl
\seq_new:N \l_menuentry_seq

\cs_new:Npn \menuentry_process:n #1
  {
   \bool_if:NTF \l_tmpa_bool 
     { \l_menuentry_sep_tl }
     { \bool_set_true:N \l_tmpa_bool }
   \tl_if_empty:nTF { #1 } {EMPTY~ARG!} { #1 }
  }
\keys_define:nn { menuentry }
  {
   menufont .tl_set:N = \l_menuentry_font_tl ,
   menusep  .tl_set:N = \l_menuentry_sep_tl,
   inputsep .tl_set:N = \l_menuentry_inputsep_tl,
  }
\keys_set:nn { menuentry }
  {
   menufont = \sffamily ,
   menusep  = ${}\to{}$
  }
\ExplSyntaxOff
\menuentryset{inputsep=:}

\begin{document}

\menuentry{}% 0 menu items/empty list

\menuentry{Help}% 1 menu item

\menuentry{File:New:Class}% 3 menu items

\menuentry{Tools:Options:Advanced:Properties:Document}% 5 menu items

\menuentryset{menufont=\ttfamily,menusep=~>{ },inputsep=/}

\menuentry{Help}% 1 menu item

\menuentry{File/New/Class}% 3 menu items

\menuentry[inputsep=|]{Tools|Options|Advanced|Properties|Document}% 5 menu items

\end{document}

---

Answer 4

You can place the menu items in a list and iterate over it. Here is a short MWE as to how to iterate over the list. I have included for a small image uncomment the relevant line to include your own.

\documentclass[justified]{tufte-book}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
\def\spacer{\hspace{3pt}}
\def\test{}
%\def\test{\includegraphics[height=7pt]{./graphics/web/add.png}}
\def\alist{Dashboard, Content, Structure, Hello~yannis, Log Out, \test}
\makeatletter
\noindent\fbox{%
\begin{minipage}{9cm}
\noindent\colorbox{black}{\small
\@for \i:=\alist \do{\color{white}
  \texttt\i\spacer 
}}
\smallskip
\tiny \lipsum[1-2]
\end{minipage}}
\makeatother
\end{document}

Answer 5

Adapting my solution from Micro-graphics inline in text you can use the \foreach from the pgf package to iterate over the list:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{etoolbox}

\newtoggle{FirstOne}%
\newcommand*{\Menu}[1]{%
   \toggletrue{FirstOne}%
   \foreach \x in {#1} {%
      \iftoggle{FirstOne}{}{${}\rightarrow{}$}%
      \texttt{\x}%
      \global\togglefalse{FirstOne}%
   }%
}%

\begin{document}
    \Menu{File,New,Class} and then more text.
\end{document}