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
\newcommand{\menuitem}{\texttt}% Menu item formatting
\newcommand{\menusep}{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}% Menu separator
\newcommand{\menuend}{\relax}% Menu end
\makeatletter
\newcommand{\menulist}[1]{% \menulist{<menu list>}
  \def\menu@sep{\def\menu@sep{\menusep}}% https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/89187/5764
  \renewcommand*{\do}[1]{\menu@sep\menuitem{##1}}%
  \menulistparser{#1}% Process list
  \menuend%
}
\makeatother
\DeclareListParser{\menulistparser}{:}% List separator is ':'
\begin{document}

\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>} parses the list and formats each entry using \menuitem{..} but also adds a custom separator \menusep. The last menu item is followed by \menuend. The \menusep is applied with a "single delay" using one of the Cunning LaTeX tricks.

Answer 2

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 3

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 4

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}

Answer 5

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}