Siticone Context Menu Button

The SiticoneContextMenuButton is a comprehensive all-in-one control that combines an animated icon button with a built-in dropdown menu system. It eliminates the need for separate ContextMenuStrip controls by managing its own collection of ContextualMenuItem objects. It features extensive theming, particle-based visual effects (Ripple), sound integration, and a notification badge system.

Manage the dropdown menu directly through the control properties without needing external components.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`MenuItems`	List<ContextualMenuItem>	btn.MenuItems.Add(new ContextualMenuItem("Profile")); The collection of items displayed when the button is clicked. Supports text, images, and custom fonts per item.
`MenuBackColor`	Color	btn.MenuBackColor = Color.White; The background color of the dropdown panel.
`ShowDropDownShadow`	bool	btn.ShowDropDownShadow = true; If true, the dropdown menu renders a system-level drop shadow (OS dependent).

Theme Engine

The control includes a robust theme manager that styles both the button and the dropdown menu simultaneously.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`CurrentTheme`	MenuButtonTheme	btn.CurrentTheme = MenuButtonTheme.Midnight; Applies a pre-defined color palette to the button and its menu. Options include: `Light`, `Dark`, `Primary`, `Neon`, `Glass`, `Sunset`, etc.
`MenuItemHoverBackColor`	Color	btn.MenuItemHoverBackColor = Color.AliceBlue; The background color of a menu item when the mouse hovers over it.
`GradientAngle`	float	btn.GradientAngle = 45f; Angle for the button's background gradient (if Start/End colors differ).

Icon & Animations

Customize the vector icon behavior, including morphing animations and continuous effects.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`AnimationType`	ButtonIconAnimationType	btn.AnimationType = ButtonIconAnimationType.MorphToX; The visual effect played on trigger. MorphToX: Transforms hamburger lines to 'X'. Pulse: Rhythmic scaling. Rotate: Spins the icon. Wavy: Oscillates lines in a wave pattern.
`LineStyle`	ButtonIconLineStyle	btn.LineStyle = ButtonIconLineStyle.Rounded; Visual style of the icon lines (Solid, Dotted, Wavy, ZigZag, etc.).
`EnableRippleEffect`	bool	btn.EnableRippleEffect = true; Renders a material-design ripple animation upon clicking.
`UltraFastPerformance`	bool	btn.UltraFastPerformance = true; Disables high-cost visual effects (Shadows, Gradients, Ripples) for use in data grids or high-density forms.

Badge System

Integrated notification badge for displaying counts (e.g., unread messages).

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`BadgeValue`	int	btn.BadgeValue = 3; The number displayed on the badge. Values > 99 are displayed as "99+". Set to 0 to hide the badge.
`ButtonMenuBadgePosition`	Enum	btn.ButtonMenuBadgePosition = ButtonMenuBadgePosition.TopRight; Position of the badge: TopRight, TopLeft, BottomRight, BottomLeft.
`BadgeBackColor`	Color	btn.BadgeBackColor = Color.Red; Background color of the notification circle.

Events

Events for handling menu selection and state changes.

Event	Description
`MenuItemClicked`	Fires when a user selects an item from the dropdown menu. Provides the `ContextualMenuItem` that was clicked.
`MenuOpened`	Fires when the dropdown menu is shown.
`MenuClosed`	Fires when the dropdown menu is hidden.

Usage Examples

Example 1: Basic Menu Setup

Initializes a context menu button with three items and applies the "Ocean" theme. It handles the MenuItemClicked event to determine which action to take.

C# - Basic Implementation

public void InitializeMenu()
{
                var menuBtn = new SiticoneContextMenuButton();
    
                // 1. Apply Theme
    menuBtn.CurrentTheme = MenuButtonTheme.Ocean;
    
                // 2. Add Items
    menuBtn.MenuItems.Add(new ContextualMenuItem("View Profile"));
    menuBtn.MenuItems.Add(new ContextualMenuItem("Account Settings"));
    menuBtn.MenuItems.Add(new ContextualMenuItem("Logout"));

                // 3. Handle Clicks
    menuBtn.MenuItemClicked += (sender, e) =>
    {
                MessageBox.Show($"Selected: {e.ClickedItem.Text}");
        
                if (e.ClickedItem.Text == "Logout")
        {
                PerformLogout();
        }
    };

                this.Controls.Add(menuBtn);
}

Example 2: Visual Customization

Creates a highly stylized button with a gradient background, a specific icon style (Wavy), and a Pulse animation trigger.

C# - Custom Visuals

private void SetupVisuals()
{
                var btn = new SiticoneContextMenuButton();
    
                // Gradient Background
    btn.BackColorStart = Color.DarkViolet;
    btn.BackColorEnd = Color.BlueViolet;
    btn.GradientAngle = 45f;
    
                // Icon Style
    btn.IconColor = Color.White;
    btn.LineStyle = ButtonIconLineStyle.Wavy;
    btn.IconThickness = 2.5f;

                // Animation
    btn.AnimationType = ButtonIconAnimationType.Pulse;
    btn.AnimationTrigger = ButtonIconAnimationTrigger.OnHover;
    
                this.Controls.Add(btn);
}

Example 3: Validation & ReadOnly Mode

Demonstrates how to lock the menu button based on application state. When IsReadOnly is true, clicking the button triggers a "Shake" animation and a beep instead of opening the menu.

C# - ReadOnly Lock

public void SetBusyState(bool isBusy)
{
                if (isBusy)
    {
                // Lock the menu during busy operations
        menuButton.IsReadOnly = true;
        
                // Provide feedback when user attempts to click
        menuButton.CanShake = true;
        menuButton.CanBeep = true;
        
                // Optional: Change visual appearance to indicate disabled state
        menuButton.ReadOnlyIconColor = Color.Gray;
    }
                else
    {
        menuButton.IsReadOnly = false;
    }
}

Example 4: Badge Notifications

Updates the badge count dynamically. Useful for notification centers or inbox menus.

C# - Badge Update

public void OnNewMessageReceived(int unreadCount)
{
                // Update the number displayed
    menuButton.BadgeValue = unreadCount;
    
                // Customize color based on urgency
                if (unreadCount > 10)
    {
        menuButton.BadgeBackColor = Color.DarkRed;
    }
                else
    {
        menuButton.BadgeBackColor = Color.Red;
    }

                // Set position
    menuButton.ButtonMenuBadgePosition = ButtonMenuBadgePosition.TopRight;
}