HMENU

HMENU is a TypoScript object used in the TYPO3 content management system to generate frontend navigation menus. It acts as a container that defines how menu items are gathered and how they are rendered, including support for multiple levels and different presentation styles. HMENU itself does not produce output; it delegates rendering to level-specific objects such as TMENU or GMENU.

The core concept is that HMENU collects a set of pages based on a “special” instruction and then renders each level with a corresponding renderer. The special property determines how pages are selected, with common options such as rootline (pages along the path from the site root to the current page), directory (subtree starting at a given page), or list (a direct list under a starting page). Special.value or related settings refine the starting point or scope.

Within an HMENU, one or more levels are defined by assigning renderers to numeric keys (1, 2, etc.). Each level typically uses a TMENU (text-based menu rendering) or GMENU (graphical menu rendering) and supports state-based subobjects such as NO (normal), ACT (active page), and IFSUB (items with submenus). These subobjects control presentation details like wrapping, link attributes, and CSS classes. Common options include wrap for the level, wrapItemAndSub for list items, and ATag* properties for link attributes.

Example configurations show HMENU with a chosen special setting, a 1 = TMENU level for the first depth, and optional second levels for deeper navigation. HMENU remains a foundational tool for flexible, code-driven menu generation in TYPO3.