# Urgent help! horizontal xml menu width needs to be text width
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/urgent-help-horizontal-xml-menu-width-needs-to-be-text-width/170088
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [November 22, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/urgent-help-horizontal-xml-menu-width-needs-to-be-text-width/170088 "2005-11-22T18:18:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@thesainter](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/thesainter)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/urgent-help-horizontal-xml-menu-width-needs-to-be-text-width/170088/1 "2005-11-22T18:18:41Z")
Please could someone help me with the following. I have been through this tutorial [http://www.kirupa.com/developer/act…opdown\_menu.htm](http://../developer/actionscript/xml_dropdown_menu.htm) of the xml drop down menu. Made some adjustments with help from other posts to make it horizontal.
but the width of the buttons (menu items) need to be created/adjusted according to the text. and not according the movie it created.
Could someone help me solve this problem? I just can’t get it done.
the as:
// generates a list of menu items (effectively one menu)
// given the inputted parameters. This makes the main menu
// as well as any of the submenus
GenerateMenu = function(container, name, x, y, depth, node\_xml, direction) {
// variable declarations
var curr\_node;
var curr\_item;
var curr\_menu = container.createEmptyMovieClip(name, depth);
```
// for all items or XML nodes (items and menus)
// within this node_xml passed for this menu
for (var i=0; i<node_xml.childNodes.length; i++) {
// movieclip for each menu item
curr_item = curr_menu.attachMovie("menuitem","item"+i+"_mc", i);
curr_item._width = childNodes.length;
if (direction == "horizontal") {
curr_item._x = x + i*curr_item._width;
curr_item._y = y;
}
if (direction == "vertical") {
curr_item._x = x;
curr_item._y = y + i*curr_item._height;
}
curr_item.trackAsMenu = true;
// item properties assigned from XML
curr_node = node_xml.childNodes*;
curr_item.action = curr_node.attributes.action;
curr_item.variables = curr_node.attributes.variables;
curr_item.name.text = curr_node.attributes.name;
// item submenu behavior for rollover event
if (node_xml.childNodes*.nodeName == "menu"){
// open a submenu
curr_item.node_xml = curr_node;
curr_item.onRollOver = curr_item.onDragOver = function(){
var x = this._x + this._width - 186.3;
var y = this._y + 26;
GenerateMenu(curr_menu, "submenu_mc", x, y, 1000, this.node_xml, "vertical");
// show a hover color
this.name.textColor = (0xFFFFFF);
var col = new Color(this.background);
col.setRGB(0x008185);
};
}else{ // nodeName == "item"
curr_item.arrow._visible = false;
// close existing submenu
curr_item.onRollOver = curr_item.onDragOver = function(){
curr_menu.submenu_mc.removeMovieClip();
// show a hover color
this.name.textColor = (0xCCCCCC);
var col = new Color(this.background);
col.setRGB(0x008185);
};
}
curr_item.onRollOut = curr_item.onDragOut = function(){
// restore color
this.name.textColor = (0x004445);
var col = new Color(this.background);
col.setTransform({ra:100,rb:0,ga:100,gb:0,ba:100,b b:0});
};
// any item, menu opening or not can have actions
curr_item.onRelease = function(){
Actions[this.action](this.variables);
CloseSubmenus();
};
} // end for loop
```
};
// create the main menu, this will be constantly visible
CreateMainMenu = function(x, y, depth, menu\_xml){
// generate a menu list
GenerateMenu(this, “mainmenu\_mc”, x, y, depth, menu\_xml.firstChild, “horizontal”);
// close only submenus if visible durring a mouseup
// this main menu (mainmenu\_mc) will remain
mainMenu\_mc.onMouseUp = function(){
if (mainmenu\_mc.submenu\_mc && !mainmenu\_mc.hitTest(\_root.\_xmouse, \_root.\_ymouse, true)){
CloseSubmenus();
}
};
};
// closes all submenus by removing the submenu\_mc
// in the main menu (if it exists)
CloseSubmenus = function(){
mainmenu\_mc.submenu\_mc.removeMovieClip();
};
// This actions object handles methods for actions
// defined by the XML called when a menu item is pressed
Actions = Object();
Actions.loadSWF = function(targetMovie) {
if (section != targetMovie) {
section = targetMovie;
\_root.transition.gotoAndPlay(“closing”);
};
}
Actions.newMenu = function(menuxml){
menu\_xml.load(menuxml);
};
// load XML, when done, run CreateMainMenu to interpret it
menu\_xml = new XML();
menu\_xml.ignoreWhite = true;
menu\_xml.onLoad = function(ok){
// create main menu after successful loading of XML
if (ok){
CreateMainMenu(1, 110, 0, this);
}else{
message\_txt.text = “Error Loading XML”;
}
};
// load first XML menu
menu\_xml.load(“menu2.xml”);
// preload function and transition
this.createEmptyMovieClip(“temp”, 1000);
function preload() {
this.transition.txtPercentage = “”;
temp.onEnterFrame = function() {
var t = this.\_parent.content.getBytesTotal(), l = this.\_parent.content.getBytesLoaded();
if (t) {
var percent = Math.round(l\*100/t);
if (l == t) {
this.\_parent.transition.gotoAndPlay(“opening”);
this.\_parent.transition.txtPercentage = “Done Loading”;
delete this.onEnterFrame;
} else {
this.\_parent.transition.txtPercentage = percent+" %";
}
} else {
this.\_parent.transition.txtPercentage = “”;
}
};
}
the xml:
\
\