Enable using MenuBar as an alternative for ComboBox

[tznind]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

I have been exploring using a MenuBar as a dropdown menu. It works like a dropdown style combo box and looks better and gives clearer indication of what the active/new selections will be.

But there is a problem in that the user cannot Tab to the view. I have tried setting the following but it does not work.

CanFocus = true,
TabStop = true

Describe the solution you'd like
Tab to work for MenuBar when TabStop is set.

Describe alternatives you've considered
I can probably still do a workaround by intercepting Tab on the View before it and adding a callback to manually popping the menu open.

I will probably have to do this anyway so that the user can Tab out of the menu and back to other views.

[tznind]

So I was experimenting thismorning and it turns out you can tab to (yay!) it but it doesn't open (boo).

I have gotten it to open with:

menuBar.Enter += (e) => {
	allowedTypeMenuBar.OpenMenu (0);
};

The trouble is that I cannot then close it again! First I tried these events (which do not get called at all)

// Does not fire
dropdownMenu.KeyPress += (k) => {
	if (k.KeyEvent.Key == Key.Tab) {
		dropdownMenu.CloseMenu (false);
	}
};
// Does not fire
dropdownMenu.Leave += (e) => {
	dropdownMenu.CloseMenu (false);
};

Next I tried this in the hosting windows public override bool ProcessHotKey (KeyEvent keyEvent) which does get fired but doesnt close the menu. Even though CloseMenu is called! Is there something about manual open the menu (like above) that is not registering events correctly for close @BDisp?

if (allowedTypeMenuBar != null &&
		keyEvent.Key == Key.Tab &&
		allowedTypeMenuBar.IsMenuOpen) 
{
		allowedTypeMenuBar.CloseMenu (false, false, false);
}

[tznind]

Here is a minimum repro

using Terminal.Gui;
using System.Data;

Application.Init();

var win = new Window("Example App (Ctrl+Q to quit)");

var mb = new MenuBar(
    new []{new MenuBarItem( new []{
        new MenuItem("Item1",null,()=>{}),
        new MenuItem("Item2",null,()=>{}),
    })}){
    CanFocus = true,
    TabStop = true,
    X = 10,
    Width = 10,
    Text = "Open Me",
    };

mb.Enter += (e) => {
	mb.OpenMenu ();
};

win.Add(new TextField("SomeText"){Width = 9});
win.Add(mb);
Application.Run(win);
Application.Shutdown();

[BDisp]

@tznind I could make it to open and close. The problem is I have to tab/shift tab twice to close it because when we tab on the TextField, the MenuBar get focus and the Enter event open the menu, where also have a instruction to set focus to the opened menu. Unfortunately since this operation is made during the Enter event for the MenuBar getting focus, on the end is the MenuBar who get the focus. It seems that we can't set a new focus to other view on the Enter or Leave events.

[tig]

Would it make sense to rename this Issue to "Enable using MenuBar as a replacement for ComboBox?"

[BDisp]

Would it make sense to rename this Issue to "Enable using MenuBar as a replacement for ComboBox?"

I have a WIP where the ListView is decouple from the ComboBox and will use the ColectionNavigator. Instead of "replacement" can I suggest maintaining the current "alternative" and naming the new as MenuCombo or ComboMenu?

[tig]

I agree we should have both.

I don't believe "combo" as a term makes sense for this one tho.

Is it really a new view or is it just a MenuBar used in a particular way?

[BDisp]

Is it really a new view or is it just a MenuBar used in a particular way?

About your question must be @tznind who can answer. I only said that I'm improvement the current ComboBox and I would like to maintain it, to not be replaced. Then the @tznind idea will be another new view, I think.

[tznind]

I agree with @tig that MenuBar should be placeable anywhere and therefore used like a 'Drop Down List' without creating a new class. This is already working in FileDialog.

So I think we could call this issue done?