Use StatusBarPanel
using System; using System.Drawing; using System.Windows.Forms; class MenuHelpFirstTry: Form { StatusBarPanel sbpMenuHelp; string strSavePanelText; public static void Main() { Application.Run(new MenuHelpFirstTry()); } public MenuHelpFirstTry() { StatusBar sb = new StatusBar(); sb.Parent = this; sb.ShowPanels = true; sbpMenuHelp = new StatusBarPanel(); sbpMenuHelp.Text = "Ready"; sbpMenuHelp.AutoSize = StatusBarPanelAutoSize.Spring; sb.Panels.Add(sbpMenuHelp); Menu = new MainMenu(); EventHandler ehSelect = new EventHandler(MenuOnSelect); MenuItem mi = new MenuItem("File"); mi.Select += ehSelect; Menu.MenuItems.Add(mi); mi = new MenuItem("Open"); mi.Select += ehSelect; Menu.MenuItems[0].MenuItems.Add(mi); mi = new MenuItem("Close"); mi.Select += ehSelect; Menu.MenuItems[0].MenuItems.Add(mi); mi = new MenuItem("Save"); mi.Select += ehSelect; Menu.MenuItems[0].MenuItems.Add(mi); mi = new MenuItem("Edit"); mi.Select += ehSelect; Menu.MenuItems.Add(mi); mi = new MenuItem("Cut"); mi.Select += ehSelect; Menu.MenuItems[1].MenuItems.Add(mi); mi = new MenuItem("Copy"); mi.Select += ehSelect; Menu.MenuItems[1].MenuItems.Add(mi); mi = new MenuItem("Paste"); mi.Select += ehSelect; Menu.MenuItems[1].MenuItems.Add(mi); } protected override void OnMenuStart(EventArgs ea) { strSavePanelText = sbpMenuHelp.Text; } protected override void OnMenuComplete(EventArgs ea) { sbpMenuHelp.Text = strSavePanelText; } void MenuOnSelect(object obj, EventArgs ea) { MenuItem mi = (MenuItem) obj; string str; switch (mi.Text) { case "File": str = "file"; break; case "Open": str = "Open"; break; case "Close": str = "Close"; break; case "Save": str = "Save"; break; case "Edit": str = "edit"; break; case "Cut": str = "cut"; break; case "Copy": str = "Copy"; break; case "Paste": str = "Paste"; break; default: str = ""; break; } sbpMenuHelp.Text = str; } }