Adding ActionListener to JMenu

Question

Is it possible to add actionListener to Jmenu object
for example File, Format, Exit these are Menus added in the menuBar not menu items
on clicking the Exit the frame shuld get closed.
For detecting the action clicked on the Menu shall i use actionListener?
I have tried using MenuListener its getting invoked on selection
I dont want it on selection , I want the frame to be displayed only on clicking that menu.

Answer 1

Alas, whilst a JMenu is-a JMenuItem (the Composite Pattern at work), it doesn't function entriely like on,
and registering ActionListeners with a JMenu doesn't work. Try MenuListener:
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
public class ActionExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Action sample = new SampleAction();
        JMenu menu = new JMenu("Menu");
        menu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_M);
        menu.add(sample);
        menu.addMenuListener(new SampleMenuListener());
        JToolBar tb = new JToolBar();
        tb.add(sample);
        JTextField field = new JTextField(10);
        field.setAction(sample);
        JFrame f = new JFrame("ActionExample");
        JMenuBar mb = new JMenuBar();
        mb.add(menu);
        f.setJMenuBar(mb);
        f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        f.getContentPane().add(tb, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        f.getContentPane().add(field, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        f.pack();
        f.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        f.setVisible(true);
class SampleMenuListener implements MenuListener {
    public void menuSelected(MenuEvent e) {
        System.out.println("menuSelected");
    public void menuDeselected(MenuEvent e) {
        System.out.println("menuDeelected");
    public void menuCanceled(MenuEvent e) {
        System.out.println("menuCanceled");
class SampleAction extends AbstractAction {
    public SampleAction() {
        super("Sample");
        putValue(ACCELERATOR_KEY, KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("alt S"));
        putValue(MNEMONIC_KEY, new Integer(KeyEvent.VK_S));
        putValue(SHORT_DESCRIPTION, "Just a sample action");
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt) {
        System.out.println("sample...");
}