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Adding a RetroArch menu option

Files you need to change

msg_hash_us.c
msg_hash_us.h
msg_hash_**.c (If you speak more than one language)
msg_hash_**.h (If you speak more than one language)
msg_hash_lbl.h
msg_hash.h
menu_cbs_sublabel.c
menu_setting.c
menu_displaylist.c
configuration.c
configuration.h
config.def.h

Creating the menu variable

For this example the variable will be an int named test_menu_option.

  1. Open config.def.h
  2. Add static const int test_menu_option = 0; the 0 can be any number, this is just the default value, the user will change it later.
  3. Open configuration.h
  4. There are sections for each variable type(string, float, int, uint and bool) go to "ints" and add int test_menu_option;
  5. Open configuration.c
  6. Add SETTING_INT("test_menu_option", &settings->ints.test_menu_option, true, test_menu_option, false); to populate_settings_int.

The variable is now setup but the menu still doesnt know it exists.

Making the menu read the variable

The variables name must now be configured

  1. Open msg_hash.h
  2. Add MENU_LABEL(TEST_MENU_OPTION) to enum msg_hash_enums
  3. Open intl/msg_hash_lbl.h
  4. Add MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_TEST_MENU_OPTION, "test_menu_option") in the MENU_ENUM_LABEL_ section this is how RetroArch identifies the option.
  5. Open intl/msg_hash_us.h
  6. Add MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_TEST_MENU_OPTION, "Test Menu Option") in the MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_ section this is what the user actually sees.
  7. Add MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_TEST_MENU_OPTION, "Unused Text") in the MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_ section, sublabels are only used by xmb and glui, they are unused by rgui.
  8. Open intl/msg_hash_us.c
  9. Add case MENU_ENUM_LABEL_TEST_MENU_OPTION: snprintf(s, len, "Help text"); break; to menu_hash_get_help_us_enum this is the variable info that is shown when you push rshift.

The option is now defined but the menu has still not been told to display it.

Displaying your option

Now the menu has to be told how to display the option.

  1. Open menu/cbs/menu_cbs_sublabel.c
  2. Add default_sublabel_macro(action_bind_sublabel_test_menu_option, MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_TEST_MENU_OPTION) to the block of default_sublabel_macro functions.
  3. Add case MENU_ENUM_LABEL_TEST_MENU_OPTION: BIND_ACTION_SUBLABEL(cbs, action_bind_sublabel_test_menu_option); break; to the menu_cbs_init_bind_sublabel function.
  4. Open menu/menu_setting.c
  5. Find your variables section(saving, netplay, video, ...) and add CONFIG_INT(list, list_info, &settings->ints.test_menu_option, MENU_ENUM_LABEL_TEST_MENU_OPTION, MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_TEST_MENU_OPTION, test_menu_option, &group_info, &subgroup_info, parent_group, general_write_handler, general_read_handler); the menu knows everything it needs now.
  6. Open menu/menu_displaylist.c
  7. Find your variables section and add menu_displaylist_parse_settings_enum(menu, info, MENU_ENUM_LABEL_TEST_MENU_OPTION, PARSE_ONLY_INT, false); the position of this command in the list is what determines the order of the menu entries, the first run is at the top of the list.

Finishing

There may be slight differences between variable types but for the most part if you want a string or bool just swap where ever you saw int for string or bool.

The variables name always follows the same format just replace test_menu_option, TEST_MENU_OPTION and "Test Menu Option" with your variables actual name in the same format of uppercase, lowercase or string.

This guide only effects the menu variables and the english name, if you speak another language do what you did to intl/msg_hash_us.c/h to your language files as well.

Last update: 2024-04-25