[cairo] selecting elements in Gtk::DrawingArea

[jaaf64]

hi,

Beginner with Gtk and cairo I would like to know what is the best way to 
determine whether an element (text, rectangle,…) in a drawing area has 
been mouse clicked or not.
My first idea is to get the coordinates of the signal_button_press_event 
and to review all the elements to check whetherthe coordinates belong to 
one of them.
But is there a more effective manner?
Thanks in advance for any help.