Accelerators

Accelerators are handled by the GTK+ accelerator map. All actions are assigned an accelerator path (which normally has the form <Actions>/group-name/action-name) and a shortcut is associated with this accelerator path. All menuitems and toolitems take on this accelerator path. The GTK+ accelerator map code makes sure that the correct shortcut is displayed next to the menu item.

GtkActionGroup as GtkBuildable

The GtkActionGroup implementation of the GtkBuildable interface accepts GtkAction objects as <child> elements in UI definitions.

Note that it is probably more common to define actions and action groups in the code, since they are directly related to what the code can do.

The GtkActionGroup implementation of the GtkBuildable interface supports a custom <accelerator> element, which has attributes named “key“ and “modifiers“ and allows to specify accelerators. This is similar to the <accelerator> element of GtkWidget, the main difference is that it doesn’t allow you to specify a signal.

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<object class="GtkActionGroup" id="actiongroup">
  <child>
      <object class="GtkAction" id="About">
          <property name="name">About</property>
          <property name="stock_id">gtk-about</property>
          <signal handler="about_activate" name="activate"/>
      </object>
      <accelerator key="F1" modifiers="GDK_CONTROL_MASK | GDK_SHIFT_MASK"/>
  </child>
</object>

gtk_action_group_new ()

GtkActionGroup *
gtk_action_group_new (const gchar *name);

Creates a new GtkActionGroup object. The name of the action group is used when associating keybindings with the actions.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_get_name ()

const gchar *
gtk_action_group_get_name (GtkActionGroup *action_group);

Gets the name of the action group.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_get_sensitive ()

gboolean
gtk_action_group_get_sensitive (GtkActionGroup *action_group);

Returns TRUE if the group is sensitive. The constituent actions can only be logically sensitive (see gtk_action_is_sensitive()) if they are sensitive (see gtk_action_get_sensitive()) and their group is sensitive.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_set_sensitive ()

void
gtk_action_group_set_sensitive (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                gboolean sensitive);

Changes the sensitivity of action_group

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_get_visible ()

gboolean
gtk_action_group_get_visible (GtkActionGroup *action_group);

Returns TRUE if the group is visible. The constituent actions can only be logically visible (see gtk_action_is_visible()) if they are visible (see gtk_action_get_visible()) and their group is visible.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_set_visible ()

void
gtk_action_group_set_visible (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                              gboolean visible);

Changes the visible of action_group .

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_get_accel_group ()

GtkAccelGroup *
gtk_action_group_get_accel_group (GtkActionGroup *action_group);

Gets the accelerator group.

Since 3.6

gtk_action_group_set_accel_group ()

void
gtk_action_group_set_accel_group (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                  GtkAccelGroup *accel_group);

Sets the accelerator group to be used by every action in this group.

Since 3.6

gtk_action_group_get_action ()

GtkAction *
gtk_action_group_get_action (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                             const gchar *action_name);

Looks up an action in the action group by name.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_list_actions ()

GList *
gtk_action_group_list_actions (GtkActionGroup *action_group);

Lists the actions in the action group.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_add_action ()

void
gtk_action_group_add_action (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                             GtkAction *action);

Adds an action object to the action group. Note that this function does not set up the accel path of the action, which can lead to problems if a user tries to modify the accelerator of a menuitem associated with the action. Therefore you must either set the accel path yourself with gtk_action_set_accel_path(), or use gtk_action_group_add_action_with_accel (..., NULL).

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_add_action_with_accel ()

void
gtk_action_group_add_action_with_accel
                               (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                GtkAction *action,
                                const gchar *accelerator);

Adds an action object to the action group and sets up the accelerator.

If accelerator is NULL, attempts to use the accelerator associated with the stock_id of the action.

Accel paths are set to <Actions>/group-name/action-name.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_remove_action ()

void
gtk_action_group_remove_action (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                GtkAction *action);

Removes an action object from the action group.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_add_actions ()

void
gtk_action_group_add_actions (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                              const GtkActionEntry *entries,
                              guint n_entries,
                              gpointer user_data);

This is a convenience function to create a number of actions and add them to the action group.

The “activate” signals of the actions are connected to the callbacks and their accel paths are set to <Actions>/group-name/action-name.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_add_actions_full ()

void
gtk_action_group_add_actions_full (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                   const GtkActionEntry *entries,
                                   guint n_entries,
                                   gpointer user_data,
                                   GDestroyNotify destroy);

This variant of gtk_action_group_add_actions() adds a GDestroyNotify callback for user_data .

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_add_toggle_actions ()

void
gtk_action_group_add_toggle_actions (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                     const GtkToggleActionEntry *entries,
                                     guint n_entries,
                                     gpointer user_data);

This is a convenience function to create a number of toggle actions and add them to the action group.

The “activate” signals of the actions are connected to the callbacks and their accel paths are set to <Actions>/group-name/action-name.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_add_toggle_actions_full ()

void
gtk_action_group_add_toggle_actions_full
                               (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                const GtkToggleActionEntry *entries,
                                guint n_entries,
                                gpointer user_data,
                                GDestroyNotify destroy);

This variant of gtk_action_group_add_toggle_actions() adds a GDestroyNotify callback for user_data .

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_add_radio_actions ()

void
gtk_action_group_add_radio_actions (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                    const GtkRadioActionEntry *entries,
                                    guint n_entries,
                                    gint value,
                                    GCallback on_change,
                                    gpointer user_data);

This is a convenience routine to create a group of radio actions and add them to the action group.

The “changed” signal of the first radio action is connected to the on_change callback and the accel paths of the actions are set to <Actions>/group-name/action-name.

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_add_radio_actions_full ()

void
gtk_action_group_add_radio_actions_full
                               (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                const GtkRadioActionEntry *entries,
                                guint n_entries,
                                gint value,
                                GCallback on_change,
                                gpointer user_data,
                                GDestroyNotify destroy);

This variant of gtk_action_group_add_radio_actions() adds a GDestroyNotify callback for user_data .

Since 2.4

GtkTranslateFunc ()

gchar *
(*GtkTranslateFunc) (const gchar *path,
                     gpointer func_data);

The function used to translate messages in e.g. GtkIconFactory and GtkActionGroup.

gtk_action_group_set_translate_func ()

void
gtk_action_group_set_translate_func (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                     GtkTranslateFunc func,
                                     gpointer data,
                                     GDestroyNotify notify);

Sets a function to be used for translating the label and tooltip of GtkActionEntrys added by gtk_action_group_add_actions().

If you’re using gettext(), it is enough to set the translation domain with gtk_action_group_set_translation_domain().

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_set_translation_domain ()

void
gtk_action_group_set_translation_domain
                               (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                const gchar *domain);

Sets the translation domain and uses g_dgettext() for translating the label and tooltip of GtkActionEntrys added by gtk_action_group_add_actions().

If you’re not using gettext() for localization, see gtk_action_group_set_translate_func().

Since 2.4

gtk_action_group_translate_string ()

const gchar *
gtk_action_group_translate_string (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                                   const gchar *string);

Translates a string using the function set with gtk_action_group_set_translate_func(). This is mainly intended for language bindings.

Since 2.6

struct GtkActionGroup

struct GtkActionGroup;

struct GtkActionGroupClass

struct GtkActionGroupClass {
  GObjectClass parent_class;

  GtkAction *(* get_action) (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
                             const gchar    *action_name);
};

struct GtkActionEntry

struct GtkActionEntry {
  const gchar     *name;
  const gchar     *stock_id;
  const gchar     *label;
  const gchar     *accelerator;
  const gchar     *tooltip;
  GCallback  callback;
};

GtkActionEntry structs are used with gtk_action_group_add_actions() to construct actions.

struct GtkToggleActionEntry

struct GtkToggleActionEntry {
  const gchar     *name;
  const gchar     *stock_id;
  const gchar     *label;
  const gchar     *accelerator;
  const gchar     *tooltip;
  GCallback  callback;
  gboolean   is_active;
};

GtkToggleActionEntry structs are used with gtk_action_group_add_toggle_actions() to construct toggle actions.

struct GtkRadioActionEntry

struct GtkRadioActionEntry {
  const gchar *name;
  const gchar *stock_id;
  const gchar *label;
  const gchar *accelerator;
  const gchar *tooltip;
  gint   value; 
};

GtkRadioActionEntry structs are used with gtk_action_group_add_radio_actions() to construct groups of radio actions.

The “accel-group” property

  “accel-group”              GtkAccelGroup *

The accelerator group the actions of this group should use.

Flags: Read / Write

The “name” property

  “name”                     gchar *

A name for the action.

Flags: Read / Write / Construct Only

Default value: NULL

The “sensitive” property

  “sensitive”                gboolean

Whether the action group is enabled.

Flags: Read / Write

Default value: TRUE

The “visible” property

  “visible”                  gboolean

Whether the action group is visible.

Flags: Read / Write

Default value: TRUE

The “connect-proxy” signal

void
user_function (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
               GtkAction      *action,
               GtkWidget      *proxy,
               gpointer        user_data)

The ::connect-proxy signal is emitted after connecting a proxy to an action in the group. Note that the proxy may have been connected to a different action before.

This is intended for simple customizations for which a custom action class would be too clumsy, e.g. showing tooltips for menuitems in the statusbar.

GtkUIManager proxies the signal and provides global notification just before any action is connected to a proxy, which is probably more convenient to use.

Since 2.4

The “disconnect-proxy” signal

void
user_function (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
               GtkAction      *action,
               GtkWidget      *proxy,
               gpointer        user_data)

The ::disconnect-proxy signal is emitted after disconnecting a proxy from an action in the group.

GtkUIManager proxies the signal and provides global notification just before any action is connected to a proxy, which is probably more convenient to use.

Since 2.4

The “post-activate” signal

void
user_function (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
               GtkAction      *action,
               gpointer        user_data)

The ::post-activate signal is emitted just after the action in the action_group is activated

This is intended for GtkUIManager to proxy the signal and provide global notification just after any action is activated.

Since 2.4

The “pre-activate” signal

void
user_function (GtkActionGroup *action_group,
               GtkAction      *action,
               gpointer        user_data)

The ::pre-activate signal is emitted just before the action in the action_group is activated

This is intended for GtkUIManager to proxy the signal and provide global notification just before any action is activated.

Since 2.4