Define a Context Menu

This example shows how to define a context menu.

When to Use a Context Menu

Context menus are displayed when users right-click the graphics object for which you assign the context menu. Context menus enable you to provide choices to users for interaction with graphics objects.

Program a context menu when you want user to be able to:

• Choose among specific options by right-clicking a graphics object.

• Provide an indication of what each option is via the menu label.

• Produce a specific result without knowing key combinations.

How to Define a Context Menu

• Create a ContextMenu object by calling the uicontextmenu function with an output argument.

• Create each menu item using uimenu.

• Define callbacks for each menu item in the context menu.

• Parent the individual menu items to the context menu and assign the respective callback.

• Assign the ContextMenu object to the ContextMenu property of the object for which you are defining the context menu.

function cm = defineCM
cm = uicontextmenu;
uimenu(cm,"Text","Wider","MenuSelectedFcn",@increaseLW);
uimenu(cm,"Text","Inspect","MenuSelectedFcn",@inspectLine);
end

function increaseLW(~,~)
% Increase line width
h = gco;
orgLW = h.LineWidth;
h.LineWidth = orgLW+1;
end

function inspectLine(~,~)
% Open the property inspector
h = gco;
inspect(h)
end

The defineCM function returns the context menu object that it creates. Assign this object to the ContextMenu property of the line objects created by the plot function.

plot(rand(1,5),"ContextMenu",defineCM)