The GtkListItem method select() causes the list item to emit the GtkItem signal "select". This is then bound recursively to the GtkListItem implementation of that signal.

The same sequence of events is produced by calling the GtkList method select_child() .

The easy part: it sets the GtkStateType of the calling list item to GTK_STATE_SELECTED.

Note that this state can also be achieved programmatically by calling toggle() from a list item that is currently unselected.