Menu Button
A button that opens a menu of actions or options.
🤖 AI Implementation GuideDemo
Basic Menu Button
Click the button or use keyboard to open the menu.
Last action: None
With Disabled Items
Disabled items are skipped during keyboard navigation.
Last action: None
Note: "Export" is disabled and will be skipped during keyboard navigation
Accessibility Features
WAI-ARIA Roles
| Role | Target Element | Description |
|---|---|---|
button | Trigger (<button>) | The trigger that opens the menu (implicit via <button> element) |
menu | Container (<ul>) | A widget offering a list of choices to the user |
menuitem | Each item (<li>) | An option in a menu |
WAI-ARIA menu role (opens in new tab)
WAI-ARIA Properties (Button)
| Attribute | Values | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
aria-haspopup | "menu" | Yes | Indicates the button opens a menu |
aria-expanded | true | false | Yes | Indicates whether the menu is open |
aria-controls | ID reference | No | References the menu element |
WAI-ARIA Properties (Menu)
| Attribute | Target | Values | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
aria-labelledby | menu | ID reference | Yes* | References the button that opens the menu |
aria-label | menu | String | Yes* | Provides an accessible name for the menu |
aria-disabled | menuitem | true | No | Indicates the menu item is disabled |
* Either aria-labelledby or aria-label is required for an accessible name
Keyboard Support
Button (Closed Menu)
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter / Space | Open menu and focus first item |
| Down Arrow | Open menu and focus first item |
| Up Arrow | Open menu and focus last item |
Menu (Open)
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Down Arrow | Move focus to next item (wraps to first) |
| Up Arrow | Move focus to previous item (wraps to last) |
| Home | Move focus to first item |
| End | Move focus to last item |
| Escape | Close menu and return focus to button |
| Tab | Close menu and move focus to next focusable element |
| Enter / Space | Activate focused item and close menu |
| Type character | Type-ahead: focus item starting with typed character(s) |
Focus Management
This component uses the Roving Tabindex pattern for focus management:
- Only one menu item has
tabindex="0"at a time - Other menu items have
tabindex="-1" - Arrow keys move focus between items with wrapping
- Disabled items are skipped during navigation
- Focus returns to button when menu closes
Hidden State
When closed, the menu uses both hidden and inert attributes to:
- Hide the menu from visual display
- Remove the menu from the accessibility tree
- Prevent keyboard and mouse interaction with hidden items
Source Code
MenuButton.vue
<template>
<div ref="containerRef" :class="`apg-menu-button ${className}`.trim()">
<button
ref="buttonRef"
:id="buttonId"
type="button"
class="apg-menu-button-trigger"
aria-haspopup="menu"
:aria-expanded="isOpen"
:aria-controls="menuId"
v-bind="$attrs"
@click="toggleMenu"
@keydown="handleButtonKeyDown"
>
{{ label }}
</button>
<ul
:id="menuId"
role="menu"
:aria-labelledby="buttonId"
class="apg-menu-button-menu"
:hidden="!isOpen || undefined"
:inert="!isOpen || undefined"
>
<li
v-for="item in items"
:key="item.id"
:ref="(el) => setItemRef(item.id, el)"
role="menuitem"
:tabindex="getTabIndex(item)"
:aria-disabled="item.disabled || undefined"
class="apg-menu-button-item"
@click="handleItemClick(item)"
@keydown="(e) => handleMenuKeyDown(e, item)"
@focus="handleItemFocus(item)"
>
{{ item.label }}
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</template>
<script setup lang="ts">
import { ref, computed, onUnmounted, nextTick, watch, useId } from 'vue';
export interface MenuItem {
id: string;
label: string;
disabled?: boolean;
}
export interface MenuButtonProps {
items: MenuItem[];
label: string;
defaultOpen?: boolean;
className?: string;
}
const props = withDefaults(defineProps<MenuButtonProps>(), {
defaultOpen: false,
className: '',
});
const emit = defineEmits<{
itemSelect: [itemId: string];
}>();
defineOptions({
inheritAttrs: false,
});
// Refs
const containerRef = ref<HTMLDivElement>();
const buttonRef = ref<HTMLButtonElement>();
const menuItemRefs = ref<Record<string, HTMLLIElement>>({});
// Use Vue 3.5+ useId for SSR-safe unique IDs
const instanceId = useId();
const isOpen = ref(props.defaultOpen);
const focusedIndex = ref(-1);
const typeAheadBuffer = ref('');
const typeAheadTimeoutId = ref<number | null>(null);
const typeAheadTimeout = 500;
// Computed
const buttonId = computed(() => `${instanceId}-button`);
const menuId = computed(() => `${instanceId}-menu`);
const availableItems = computed(() => props.items.filter((item) => !item.disabled));
// Map of item id to index in availableItems for O(1) lookup
const availableIndexMap = computed(() => {
const map = new Map<string, number>();
availableItems.value.forEach(({ id }, index) => map.set(id, index));
return map;
});
onUnmounted(() => {
if (typeAheadTimeoutId.value !== null) {
clearTimeout(typeAheadTimeoutId.value);
}
});
// Watch focusedIndex to focus the correct item (also react to availableItems changes)
watch([() => isOpen.value, () => focusedIndex.value, availableItems], async () => {
if (!isOpen.value || focusedIndex.value < 0) return;
const targetItem = availableItems.value[focusedIndex.value];
if (targetItem) {
await nextTick();
menuItemRefs.value[targetItem.id]?.focus();
}
});
// Helper functions
const setItemRef = (id: string, el: unknown) => {
if (el instanceof HTMLLIElement) {
menuItemRefs.value[id] = el;
} else if (el === null) {
delete menuItemRefs.value[id];
}
};
const getTabIndex = (item: MenuItem): number => {
if (item.disabled) return -1;
const availableIndex = availableIndexMap.value.get(item.id) ?? -1;
return availableIndex === focusedIndex.value ? 0 : -1;
};
// Menu control
const closeMenu = () => {
isOpen.value = false;
focusedIndex.value = -1;
// Clear type-ahead state
typeAheadBuffer.value = '';
if (typeAheadTimeoutId.value !== null) {
clearTimeout(typeAheadTimeoutId.value);
typeAheadTimeoutId.value = null;
}
};
const openMenu = (focusPosition: 'first' | 'last') => {
if (availableItems.value.length === 0) {
isOpen.value = true;
return;
}
isOpen.value = true;
const targetIndex = focusPosition === 'first' ? 0 : availableItems.value.length - 1;
focusedIndex.value = targetIndex;
};
const toggleMenu = () => {
if (isOpen.value) {
closeMenu();
} else {
openMenu('first');
}
};
// Event handlers
const handleItemClick = async (item: MenuItem) => {
if (item.disabled) return;
emit('itemSelect', item.id);
closeMenu();
await nextTick();
buttonRef.value?.focus();
};
const handleItemFocus = (item: MenuItem) => {
if (item.disabled) return;
const availableIndex = availableIndexMap.value.get(item.id) ?? -1;
if (availableIndex >= 0) {
focusedIndex.value = availableIndex;
}
};
const handleButtonKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
switch (event.key) {
case 'Enter':
case ' ':
event.preventDefault();
openMenu('first');
break;
case 'ArrowDown':
event.preventDefault();
openMenu('first');
break;
case 'ArrowUp':
event.preventDefault();
openMenu('last');
break;
}
};
const handleTypeAhead = (char: string) => {
const { value: items } = availableItems;
if (items.length === 0) return;
if (typeAheadTimeoutId.value !== null) {
clearTimeout(typeAheadTimeoutId.value);
}
typeAheadBuffer.value += char.toLowerCase();
const buffer = typeAheadBuffer.value;
const isSameChar = buffer.length > 1 && buffer.split('').every((c) => c === buffer[0]);
const currentFocusedIndex = focusedIndex.value;
const itemsLength = items.length;
let startIndex: number;
let searchStr: string;
if (isSameChar) {
typeAheadBuffer.value = buffer[0];
searchStr = buffer[0];
startIndex = currentFocusedIndex >= 0 ? (currentFocusedIndex + 1) % itemsLength : 0;
} else if (buffer.length === 1) {
searchStr = buffer;
startIndex = currentFocusedIndex >= 0 ? (currentFocusedIndex + 1) % itemsLength : 0;
} else {
searchStr = buffer;
startIndex = currentFocusedIndex >= 0 ? currentFocusedIndex : 0;
}
for (let i = 0; i < itemsLength; i++) {
const index = (startIndex + i) % itemsLength;
const option = items[index];
if (option.label.toLowerCase().startsWith(searchStr)) {
focusedIndex.value = index;
break;
}
}
typeAheadTimeoutId.value = window.setTimeout(() => {
typeAheadBuffer.value = '';
typeAheadTimeoutId.value = null;
}, typeAheadTimeout);
};
const handleMenuKeyDown = async (event: KeyboardEvent, item: MenuItem) => {
const { value: items } = availableItems;
const itemsLength = items.length;
// Guard: no available items
if (itemsLength === 0) {
if (event.key === 'Escape') {
event.preventDefault();
closeMenu();
await nextTick();
buttonRef.value?.focus();
}
return;
}
const currentIndex = availableIndexMap.value.get(item.id) ?? -1;
// Guard: disabled item received focus
if (currentIndex < 0) {
if (event.key === 'Escape') {
event.preventDefault();
closeMenu();
await nextTick();
buttonRef.value?.focus();
}
return;
}
switch (event.key) {
case 'ArrowDown': {
event.preventDefault();
const nextIndex = (currentIndex + 1) % itemsLength;
focusedIndex.value = nextIndex;
break;
}
case 'ArrowUp': {
event.preventDefault();
const prevIndex = currentIndex === 0 ? itemsLength - 1 : currentIndex - 1;
focusedIndex.value = prevIndex;
break;
}
case 'Home': {
event.preventDefault();
focusedIndex.value = 0;
break;
}
case 'End': {
event.preventDefault();
focusedIndex.value = itemsLength - 1;
break;
}
case 'Escape': {
event.preventDefault();
closeMenu();
await nextTick();
buttonRef.value?.focus();
break;
}
case 'Tab': {
closeMenu();
break;
}
case 'Enter':
case ' ': {
event.preventDefault();
if (!item.disabled) {
emit('itemSelect', item.id);
closeMenu();
await nextTick();
buttonRef.value?.focus();
}
break;
}
default: {
// Type-ahead: single printable character
const { key, ctrlKey, metaKey, altKey } = event;
if (key.length === 1 && !ctrlKey && !metaKey && !altKey) {
event.preventDefault();
handleTypeAhead(key);
}
}
}
};
// Click outside handler
const handleClickOutside = (event: MouseEvent) => {
const { value: container } = containerRef;
if (container && !container.contains(event.target as Node)) {
closeMenu();
}
};
watch(
() => isOpen.value,
(newIsOpen) => {
if (newIsOpen) {
document.addEventListener('mousedown', handleClickOutside);
} else {
document.removeEventListener('mousedown', handleClickOutside);
}
}
);
onUnmounted(() => {
document.removeEventListener('mousedown', handleClickOutside);
});
</script> Usage
Example
<script setup lang="ts">
import MenuButton from './MenuButton.vue';
const items = [
{ id: 'cut', label: 'Cut' },
{ id: 'copy', label: 'Copy' },
{ id: 'paste', label: 'Paste' },
{ id: 'delete', label: 'Delete', disabled: true },
];
const handleItemSelect = (itemId: string) => {
console.log('Selected:', itemId);
};
</script>
<template>
<!-- Basic usage -->
<MenuButton
:items="items"
label="Actions"
@item-select="handleItemSelect"
/>
<!-- With default open state -->
<MenuButton
:items="items"
label="Actions"
default-open
@item-select="handleItemSelect"
/>
</template> API
MenuButton Props
| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
items | MenuItem[] | required | Array of menu items |
label | string | required | Button label text |
defaultOpen | boolean | false | Whether menu is initially open |
className | string | '' | Additional CSS class for the container |
Events
| Event | Payload | Description |
|---|---|---|
item-select | string | Emitted when a menu item is selected |
MenuItem Interface
Types
interface MenuItem {
id: string;
label: string;
disabled?: boolean;
} Testing
Tests verify APG compliance across keyboard interaction, ARIA attributes, and accessibility requirements.
Test Categories
High Priority: APG Mouse Interaction
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
Button click | Opens menu on button click |
Toggle | Clicking button again closes menu |
Item click | Clicking menu item activates and closes menu |
Disabled item click | Clicking disabled item does nothing |
Click outside | Clicking outside menu closes it |
High Priority: APG Keyboard Interaction (Button)
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
Enter | Opens menu, focuses first enabled item |
Space | Opens menu, focuses first enabled item |
ArrowDown | Opens menu, focuses first enabled item |
ArrowUp | Opens menu, focuses last enabled item |
High Priority: APG Keyboard Interaction (Menu)
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
ArrowDown | Moves focus to next enabled item (wraps) |
ArrowUp | Moves focus to previous enabled item (wraps) |
Home | Moves focus to first enabled item |
End | Moves focus to last enabled item |
Escape | Closes menu, returns focus to button |
Tab | Closes menu, moves focus out |
Enter/Space | Activates item and closes menu |
Disabled skip | Skips disabled items during navigation |
High Priority: Type-Ahead Search
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
Single character | Focuses first item starting with typed character |
Multiple characters | Typed within 500ms form prefix search string |
Wrap around | Search wraps from end to beginning |
Buffer reset | Buffer resets after 500ms of inactivity |
High Priority: APG ARIA Attributes
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
aria-haspopup | Button has aria-haspopup="menu" |
aria-expanded | Button reflects open state (true/false) |
aria-controls | Button references menu ID |
role="menu" | Menu container has menu role |
role="menuitem" | Each item has menuitem role |
aria-labelledby | Menu references button for accessible name |
aria-disabled | Disabled items have aria-disabled="true" |
High Priority: Focus Management (Roving Tabindex)
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
tabIndex=0 | Focused item has tabIndex=0 |
tabIndex=-1 | Non-focused items have tabIndex=-1 |
Initial focus | First enabled item receives focus when menu opens |
Focus return | Focus returns to button when menu closes |
Medium Priority: Accessibility
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
axe violations | No WCAG 2.1 AA violations (via jest-axe) |
Testing Tools
- Vitest (opens in new tab) - Test runner
- Testing Library (opens in new tab) - Framework-specific testing utilities
- jest-axe (opens in new tab) - Automated accessibility testing
See testing-strategy.md (opens in new tab) for full documentation.
Resources
- WAI-ARIA APG: Menu Button Pattern (opens in new tab)
- AI Implementation Guide (llm.md) (opens in new tab) - ARIA specs, keyboard support, test checklist