private JMenuBar jMenuBar;
private JMenu jMenu1;

jMenuBar = new JMenuBar();
jMenu1 = new JMenu();
jMenu1.setText("ABOUT");

//and here add a MenuListener so that i can detect when a menu is clicked:
jMenu1.addMenuListener(this);

jMenuBar.add(jMenu1);
setJMenuBar(jMenuBar);


//and here i implement the menulisteners

public void menuSelected(MenuEvent e) {
   //my logic here
}
public void menuDeselected(MenuEvent e) {}
public void menuCanceled(MenuEvent e) {}

jMenu2.addMenuListener(this);

public void menuSelected(MenuEvent e) {
   //Make sure jMenu1 and jMenu2 are accessible in here.
   if(e.getSource()==jMenu1)
      operationForMenu1();
   else if(e.getSource()==jMenu2)
      operationForMenu2();
}

jMenu1.addMenuListener(new MenuListener() {
        @Override
        public void menuSelected(MenuEvent arg0) {
            // operation here.
        }

        @Override
        public void menuDeselected(MenuEvent arg0) {
        }

        @Override
        public void menuCanceled(MenuEvent arg0) {
        }
    });
    jMenu2.addMenuListener(new MenuListener() {
        @Override
        public void menuSelected(MenuEvent arg0) {
            // operation here.
        }

        @Override
        public void menuDeselected(MenuEvent arg0) {
        }

        @Override
        public void menuCanceled(MenuEvent arg0) {
        }
    });

jMenu1.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
    // Perform action on menu1 clicked here
  }
 }

public void menuSelected(MenuEvent evt) {
    String menuName;
    Object obj = evt.getSource();
    if (obj instanceof JMenu) {
        JMenu menu = (JMenu) obj;
        menuName = menu.getText();
        System.out.println(menuName);
    } else {
        return;
    }
    switch (menuName) {
    case "Edit":
        if (undo.hasPreviousState()) {
            jMenuItemEditUndo.setEnabled(true);
        } else {
            jMenuItemEditUndo.setEnabled(false);
        }
        if (undo.hasNextState()) {
            jMenuItemEditRedo.setEnabled(true);
        } else {
            jMenuItemEditRedo.setEnabled(false);
        }
        break;
    case "Insert":
        DefaultListModel<String> listModel = (DefaultListModel<String>) jListTags.getModel();
        if (listModel.contains("table")) {
            jMenuItemInsertTable.setEnabled(true);
        } else {
            jMenuItemInsertTable.setEnabled(false);
        }
        break;
    default:
        System.out.println("Menu " + menuName + " not a special case in menuSelected");
    }
}