# Changing RawMenuAnchor close order

> Closing a `RawMenuAnchor` now triggers `onClose` and `onCloseRequested` callbacks for all descendant `RawMenuAnchor`s in a coordinated sequence.




:::important
These breaking change docs are accurate, as of the release
under which they are published. Over time, the
workarounds described here might become inaccurate.
We don't, in general, keep these breaking change docs up
to date as of each release.

The [breaking change index file](/release/breaking-changes)
lists the docs created for each release.
:::


## Summary

Closing a `RawMenuAnchor` now triggers the `onCloseRequested`
and `onClose` callbacks for all descendant `RawMenuAnchor`s.
The `onCloseRequested` callback is triggered top-down,
starting from the triggering `RawMenuAnchor` and moving to its descendants,
while the `onClose` callback is triggered bottom-up.
If a `RawMenuAnchor` is already closed,
calls to `MenuController.close` and `MenuController.closeChildren`
don't trigger the `onCloseRequested` callback.

## Background

`RawMenuAnchor` is a low-level widget used to build custom menu systems.
Previously, a `RawMenuAnchor` didn't automatically
notify its descendants when it was closed.
You had to manually call `controller.closeChildren()`
within the `onCloseRequested` callback
to close descendant `RawMenuAnchor`s.

Furthermore, the `onClose` callback timing was inconsistent.
A parent `RawMenuAnchor`'s `onClose` could be executed
before its descendants had finished closing.

The updated behavior ensures that when a parent `RawMenuAnchor` begins to close,
it subsequently triggers `onCloseRequested` for all of its
descendant `RawMenuAnchor`s in a top-down manner.

When `hideOverlay` is called from within `onCloseRequested` to close the menu,
all descendant `RawMenuAnchor`s have their `onClose` callbacks
executed in a bottom-up order.
This means that the most recently opened `RawMenuAnchor`
now has its `onClose` callback executed first,
followed by its parent, and so on up the hierarchy.

This design allows for a coordinated closing sequence
where child `RawMenuAnchor`s can perform any necessary cleanup
before their parents finalize the closing process.

Finally, if a `RawMenuAnchor` is already closed,
calls to `MenuController.close` and `MenuController.closeChildren`
don't trigger the `onCloseRequested` callback,
preventing unnecessary callback executions.

## Migration guide

If your code does not override the default implementation of
`RawMenuAnchor.onCloseRequested` or your `RawMenuAnchor`
does not contain submenus, no changes are required.

If you have a custom implementation of `onCloseRequested`
in a `RawMenuAnchor` containing submenus,
`controller.closeChildren()` is now called automatically
when the parent menu closes.
Make sure that your implementation of `onCloseRequested`
still behaves correctly with this automatic call.
Immediate calls to `controller.closeChildren()` within your
`onCloseRequested` callback are no longer necessary.
Remove those calls.

Additionally, if your logic relied on the
parent's `onClose` callback firing before its descendants,
refactor your code to account for the new bottom-up execution order.

Code before migration:

```dart
RawMenuAnchor(
  controller: menuController,
  onCloseRequested: (hideOverlay) {
    if (!animationController.isForwardOrCompleted) {
      return;
    }

    // Descendant submenus must be closed before the parent menu.
    // This is now handled automatically, so this call is no longer necessary.
    menuController.closeChildren();
    animationController.reverse().whenComplete(hideOverlay);
  },
  onClose: () {
    // This might have executed before descendants called onClose().
    _handleMenuClosed();
  },
  // ...
)
```

Code after migration:

```dart
RawMenuAnchor(
  controller: menuController,
  onCloseRequested: (hideOverlay) {
    if (!animationController.isForwardOrCompleted) {
      return;
    }

    // `menuController.closeChildren()` is now called automatically.
    animationController.reverse().whenComplete(hideOverlay);
  },
  onClose: () {
    // This now executes only after all descendant submenus have
    // called `onClose()`.
    _handleMenuClosed();
  },
  // ...
)
```

:::important
This migration is not supported by `dart fix`
:::

## Timeline

Landed in version: 3.44.0-0.1.pre<br>
In stable release: 3.44

## References

API documentation:

* [`RawMenuAnchor`][]
* [`RawMenuAnchor.onCloseRequested`][]

Relevant issues:

* [[widgets/raw_menu_anchor.dart] onClose should be called by descendant menus before parent][issue-182355]

Relevant PRs:

* [[widgets/raw_menu_anchor.dart] Always onClose and onCloseRequested on descendants before parent.][pr-182357]

[`RawMenuAnchor`]: https://api.flutter.dev/flutter/widgets/RawMenuAnchor-class.html
[`RawMenuAnchor.onCloseRequested`]: https://api.flutter.dev/flutter/widgets/RawMenuAnchor/onCloseRequested.html
[issue-182355]: https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/182355
[pr-182357]: https://github.com/flutter/flutter/pull/182357