toggle the status item in the menubar on and off

gistfile1.m

-(void)awakeFromNib{
    //statusItem = [[[NSStatusBar systemStatusBar] statusItemWithLength:NSVariableStatusItemLength] retain];
    //[statusItem setMenu:statusMenu];
    //[statusItem setTitle:@"Status"];
    //[statusItem setHighlightMode:YES];
    //[[NSStatusBar systemStatusBar] removeStatusItem:statusItem];
    {
        BOOL checked = NO;
        
        if(checked) {
            BOOL createItem = [self createStatusItem];
            if(!createItem) {
                //Throw an error
               
            }
        }
        else
            [self removeStatusItem];
    }
}

- (BOOL)createStatusItem
{
    NSStatusBar *bar = [NSStatusBar systemStatusBar];
    
    //Replace NSVariableStatusItemLength with NSSquareStatusItemLength if you
    //want the item to be square
    statusItem = [bar statusItemWithLength:NSVariableStatusItemLength];
    
    if(!statusItem)
        return NO;
    
    //As noted in the docs, the item must be retained as the receiver does not
    //retain the item, so otherwise will be deallocated
    [statusItem retain];
    
    //Set the properties of the item
    [statusItem setTitle:@"MenuItem"];
    [statusItem setHighlightMode:YES];
    
    //If you want a menu to be shown when the user clicks on the item
    [statusItem setMenu:statusMenu]; //Assuming 'menu' is a pointer to an NSMenu instance
    
    return YES;
}

- (void)removeStatusItem
{
    NSStatusBar *bar = [NSStatusBar systemStatusBar];
    [bar removeStatusItem:statusItem];
    [statusItem release];
}

- (IBAction)toggleStatusItem:(id)sender
{
    BOOL checked = [sender state];
    
    if(checked) {
        BOOL createItem = [self createStatusItem];
        if(!createItem) {
            //Throw an error
            [sender setState:NO];
        }
    }
    else
        [self removeStatusItem];
}