---
title: "menu(_:update:at:shouldCancel:)"
framework: appkit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "appkit/nsmenudelegate/menu(_:update:at:shouldcancel:)"
---

# menu(_:update:at:shouldCancel:)

Invoked to let the delegate update a menu item before it is displayed.

## Declaration

```swift
@MainActor optional func menu(_ menu: NSMenu, update item: NSMenuItem, at index: Int, shouldCancel: Bool) -> Bool
```

## Parameters

- `menu`: The menu object that owns item.
- `item`: The menu-item object that may be updated.
- `index`: The integer index of the menu item.
- `shouldCancel`: Set to doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/true if, due to some user action, the menu no longer needs to be displayed before all the menu items have been updated. You can ignore this flag, return doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/true, and continue; or you can save your work (to save time the next time your delegate is called) and return doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/false to stop the updating.

## Return Value

Return Value true to continue the process. If you return false, your menu(_:update:at:shouldCancel:) is not called again. In that case, it’s your responsibility to trim any extra items from the menu.

## Discussion

Discussion If your numberOfItems(in:) delegate method returns a positive value, then your menu(_:update:at:shouldCancel:) method is called for each item in the menu. You can then update the menu title, image, and so forth for each menu item.

## See Also

### Updating Menu Layout

- [confinementRect(for:on:)](appkit/nsmenudelegate/confinementrect(for:on:).md)