Question

I understand the proper usage of how to create a menu from a layout file.

My question is: Is it possible to get properties from a menu file without inflating it?

Answer 1

No, you have to inflate it, to get access to it. For example:

public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
    getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.my_menu, menu);
    View v = menu.findItem(R.id.item).getActionView(); // Get access to a View associated with example item
    return true;
}