---
title: Introduction to Application Menus and Pop-up Lists
framework: cocoa
role: article
path: apple-archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/MenuList
---

# Introduction to Application Menus and Pop-up Lists

Explains how Cocoa menus and lists work and how to manipulate items within them.

## Organization of This Document

This programming topic contains the following articles:

- [How Menus Work](Articles/HowMenusWork.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000259-CJBGFCAA) describes classes for managing menus. - [Enabling Menu Items](Articles/EnablingMenuItems.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000261-BAJBFGED) describes how to enable and disable menu items. - [Using Menu Item States](Articles/MenuItemStates.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000260-BCICJEDA) describes how to check and uncheck a menu item by changing its state. - [Removing a Menu](Articles/RemovingMenu.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40004965-SW1) describes how to programmatically remove a menu from the menu bar. - [Setting a Menu Item’s Key Equivalent](Articles/SettingMenuKeyEquiv.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000264-BBCDCAIG) describes how to assign a key equivalent to a menu item. - [Managing Pop-Up Buttons and Pull-Down Lists](Articles/ManagingPopUpItems.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000274-BAJDEEJA) describes how to work with pop-up buttons and pull-down lists. - [Displaying a Contextual Menu](Articles/DisplayContextMenu.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40004968-SW1) describes how to display a contextual menu associated with a view. - [Views in Menu Items](Articles/ViewsInMenuItems.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40005166-SW1) describes how you can provide a menu item with a custom view.

[Next](Articles/HowMenusWork.html)

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