Adopting menus and UIActions in your user interface
At a glance
| Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Add menus to your user interface, with built-in button support and bar-button items, and create custom menu experiences. |
| App architecture | A Swift sample with the source-visible chain AppDelegate → BarButtonItemDemoViewController → UIKit APIs. |
| Main patterns | View-controller organization, Delegate or data-source callbacks |
| Project style | 9 scanned source file(s) across Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries. |
| Execution model | Source-visible boundaries: DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter; none alone proves a background thread. |
| State/event model | No structured observation or publisher-scheduling marker indexed. |
| Key frameworks/packages | UIKit; these are source dependencies, not architecture labels. |
Project structure
Source bundle/
├── ControlMenus/
│ ├── AppDelegate.swift
│ ├── SegmentedControlDemoViewController.swift
│ ├── BarButtonItemDemoViewController.swift
│ ├── ButtonMenuDemoViewController.swift
│ ├── DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController.swift
│ ├── SceneDelegate.swift
│ ├── UpdateMenuViewController.swift
│ ├── ViewController.swift
│ └── CustomMenuControl.swift
├── Configuration/
│ └── SampleCode.xcconfig
└── ControlMenus.xcodeproj/
├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
└── project.pbxproj
Structure observations
- Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
- Primary languages: Swift.
- The verified tree contains 6 project/configuration file(s) and 11 source declaration(s).
Overall architecture
flowchart LR
N1["AppDelegate"]
N2["BarButtonItemDemoViewController"]
N3["UIKit APIs"]
N1 --> N2
N2 --> N3
Reference code
ControlMenus/AppDelegate.swift:10 — architecture anchor
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
// Override point for customization after application launch.
return true
}
// MARK: UISceneSession Lifecycle
func application(_ application: UIApplication,
configurationForConnecting connectingSceneSession: UISceneSession,
options: UIScene.ConnectionOptions) -> UISceneConfiguration {
/** Called when a new scene session is being created.
Use this method to select a configuration to create the new scene with.
*/
return UISceneConfiguration(name: "Default Configuration", sessionRole: connectingSceneSession.role)
}
func application(_ application: UIApplication,
didDiscardSceneSessions sceneSessions: Set<UISceneSession>) {
/** Called when the user discards a scene session.
If any sessions were discarded while the application was not running,
this will be called shortly after application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions.
Use this method to release any resources that were specific to the discarded scenes, as they will not return.
*/
}
}Interpretation
The arrows summarize the source-visible entry, role-named types or folders, and framework direction; when nodes come from structural folders, the sequence is a high-level interpretation rather than proof that every adjacent node calls the next. Ownership is claimed only where the next section cites a stored property or assignment. The diagram is intentionally limited to the dominant path into UIKit.
Ownership and state
classDiagram
BarButtonItemDemoViewController *-- UILabel : eventExplainer
BarButtonItemDemoViewController o-- Title : title
BarButtonItemDemoViewController o-- Toolbaritems : toolbarItems
ButtonMenuDemoViewController *-- UILabel : eventExplainer
Ownership evidence
ControlMenus/BarButtonItemDemoViewController.swift:13 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor
class BarButtonItemDemoViewController: UIViewController {
// ...
let eventExplainer = UILabel()
// ...
}| Owner | Object or state | Relationship | Mutation authority |
|---|---|---|---|
BarButtonItemDemoViewController |
UILabel (eventExplainer) |
creates and retains | Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable |
BarButtonItemDemoViewController |
Title (title) |
stores or receives | App/module collaborators |
BarButtonItemDemoViewController |
Toolbaritems (toolbarItems) |
stores or receives | App/module collaborators |
ButtonMenuDemoViewController |
UILabel (eventExplainer) |
creates and retains | Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable |
Composition arrows indicate a source-visible construction expression or locally owned value state; aggregation means the owner stores or receives a dependency without proving exclusive lifetime ownership.
Concurrency, scheduling, and thread safety
Evidence limit: actor isolation, async/await, or Task creation does not by itself prove background-thread execution; Sendable conformance alone does not prove thread-safe mutation.
| Concern | Source mechanism | Verified placement or handoff | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queue scheduling | DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter |
The source addresses the main dispatch queue. | ControlMenus/DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController.swift:22 |
@MainActor/MainActor.run, DispatchQueue.main, and RunLoop.main are reported as distinct isolation, queue, and event-loop mechanisms. A plain Task is kept separate from Task.detached; neither is labeled as a background thread.
Reference code
ControlMenus/DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController.swift:22 — representative execution boundary
DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 2.0) {
let items = (1...2).map { UIAction(title: "Dynamic Item \($0)") { action in } }
completion([UIMenu(title: "", options: .displayInline, children: items)])
}State propagation, frameworks, and dependencies
Evidence limit: an import proves a source-level compilation dependency at the cited line; it does not prove runtime use, architectural adoption, or whether a Swift package is a direct application dependency.
| Category | Mechanism or module | Verified role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source import | UIKit |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | ControlMenus/AppDelegate.swift:8 |
receive(on:) describes downstream delivery scheduling, while subscribe(on:) describes upstream subscription/request/cancel scheduling. An import Combine alone establishes neither behavior nor a Store, reducer, Redux, or other application architecture.
Class and protocol design
ControlMenus/AppDelegate.swift:11 — representative type boundary
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
// ...
return true
// ...
}| Type | Responsibility | Depends on or conforms to |
|---|---|---|
AppDelegate |
Receives callback-driven events | UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate |
SegmentedControlDemoViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController |
BarButtonItemDemoViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController |
ButtonMenuDemoViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController |
DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController |
SceneDelegate |
Receives callback-driven events | UIResponder, UIWindowSceneDelegate |
UpdateMenuViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController, UIContextMenuInteractionDelegate |
ViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController |
Colors |
Defines a closed set of feature states or choices | Int, CaseIterable, CustomStringConvertible |
Shapes |
Defines a closed set of feature states or choices | Int, CaseIterable, CustomStringConvertible |
No local protocol conformance is claimed as protocol-oriented design; external framework conformances are listed only as dependencies.
Access control
| Symbol | Access | Verified effect | Likely rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
titleLabel (ControlMenus/CustomMenuControl.swift:54) |
private |
Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. | Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation. |
SegmentedControlDemoViewController (ControlMenus/SegmentedControlDemoViewController.swift:9) |
implicit internal |
No explicit modifier means the Swift declaration is internal to the module. | Inference: app-target collaboration needs no exported library surface. |
Reference code
ControlMenus/CustomMenuControl.swift:54 — representative boundary
private lazy var titleLabel: UILabel = {
let label = UILabel()
// ...
}()Swift declarations without a modifier are internal; explicit private, fileprivate, private(set), public, or open entries above are interpreted by language semantics. Objective-C/C samples instead rely on header and implementation boundaries, which are not equivalent to Swift lexical privacy.
Logic ownership and placement
| Logic | Owning type or file | Placement rationale |
|---|---|---|
| View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | BarButtonItemDemoViewController, ButtonMenuDemoViewController, DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController, SegmentedControlDemoViewController |
The source’s Controller suffix makes this role explicit. |
| Receives callback-driven events | AppDelegate, SceneDelegate |
The source’s Delegate suffix makes this role explicit. |
Design patterns
| Pattern | Source evidence | Purpose or tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| View-controller organization | ControlMenus/BarButtonItemDemoViewController.swift:11 |
A controller is the verified coordination boundary; this is MVC-style only where a separate model is present. |
| Delegate or data-source callbacks | ControlMenus/AppDelegate.swift:11 |
Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner. |
Naming conventions
- Types: Controller: BarButtonItemDemoViewController, ButtonMenuDemoViewController, DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController, SegmentedControlDemoViewController, UpdateMenuViewController; Delegate: AppDelegate, SceneDelegate.
- Protocols: no local protocol declaration in the scanned source.
- Methods:
application,color,image,viewDidLoad,showExplainer,menuHandler,viewWillAppear,scene. - Files:
ControlMenus/AppDelegate.swift,ControlMenus/SegmentedControlDemoViewController.swift,ControlMenus/BarButtonItemDemoViewController.swift,ControlMenus/ButtonMenuDemoViewController.swift,ControlMenus/DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController.swift,ControlMenus/SceneDelegate.swift.
Architecture takeaways
AppDelegateis the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.- Framework work reaches UIKit through a deliberately small high-level chain; the detailed API graph remains inside the cited implementation files.
- Stored-property evidence identifies lifecycle collaboration; it does not by itself prove exclusive object ownership.
- Access-control conclusions separate verified language visibility from the likely design rationale.
- The source does not justify labeling the design protocol-oriented.
Source map
| Source file | Relevant symbols |
|---|---|
ControlMenus/AppDelegate.swift |
Cited implementation, AppDelegate, UIKit |
ControlMenus/BarButtonItemDemoViewController.swift |
Cited implementation, BarButtonItemDemoViewController |
ControlMenus/CustomMenuControl.swift |
Cited implementation, CustomMenuControl |
ControlMenus/SegmentedControlDemoViewController.swift |
SegmentedControlDemoViewController, Colors, Shapes |
ControlMenus/DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController.swift |
DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter, DeferredMenuElementDemoViewController |
ControlMenus/ButtonMenuDemoViewController.swift |
ButtonMenuDemoViewController |
ControlMenus/SceneDelegate.swift |
SceneDelegate |
ControlMenus/UpdateMenuViewController.swift |
UpdateMenuViewController |
ControlMenus/ViewController.swift |
ViewController |