Button(3pm) User Contributed Perl Documentation Button(3pm)
NAME
Tk::Button - Create and manipulate Button widgets
SYNOPSIS
$button = $parent->Button(?options?);
STANDARD OPTIONS
-activebackground -activeforeground -anchor -background -bitmap
-borderwidth -compound -cursor -disabledforeground -font -foreground
-highlightbackground -highlightcolor -highlightthickness -image -justify
-padx -pady -relief -repeatdelay -repeatinterval -takefocus -text
-textvariable -underline -wraplength
See Tk::options for details of the standard options.
WIDGET-SPECIFIC OPTIONS
Name: command
Class: Command
Switch: -command
Specifies a Perl/Tk callback to associate with the button. This
command is typically invoked when mouse button 1 is released over
the button window.
Command-Line Name: -compound
Database Name: compound
Database Class: Compound
Specifies whether the button should display both an image and text,
and if so, where the image should be placed relative to the text.
Valid values for this option are bottom, center, left, none, right
and top. The default value is none, meaning that the button will
display either an image or text, depending on the values of the
-image and -bitmap options.
Name: default
Class: Default
Switch: -default
Specifies one of three states for the default ring: normal, active,
or disabled. In active state, the button is drawn with the platform
specific appearance for a default button. In normal state, the
button is drawn with the platform specific appearance for a non-
default button, leaving enough space to draw the default button
appearance. The normal and active states will result in buttons of
the same size. In disabled state, the button is drawn with the non-
default button appearance without leaving space for the default
appearance. The disabled state may result in a smaller button than
the active state. ring.
Name: height
Class: Height
Switch: -height
Specifies a desired height for the button. If an image or bitmap is
being displayed in the button then the value is in screen units
(i.e. any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels); for text it is
in lines of text. If this option isn't specified, the button's
desired height is computed from the size of the image or bitmap or
text being displayed in it.
Command-Line Name: -overrelief
Database Name: overRelief
Database Class: OverRelief
Specifies an alternative relief for the button, to be used when the
mouse cursor is over the widget. This option can be used to make
toolbar buttons, by configuring -relief flat -overrelief raised.
If the value of this option is the empty string, then no
alternative relief is used when the mouse cursor is over the button.
The empty string is the default value.
Name: state
Class: State
Switch: -state
Specifies one of three states for the button: normal, active, or
disabled. In normal state the button is displayed using the
foreground and background options. The active state is typically
used when the pointer is over the button. In active state the
button is displayed using the activeForeground and activeBackground
options. Disabled state means that the button should be
insensitive: the default bindings will refuse to activate the
widget and will ignore mouse button presses. In this state the
disabledForeground and background options determine how the button
is displayed.
Name: width
Class: Width
Switch: -width
Specifies a desired width for the button. If an image or bitmap is
being displayed in the button then the value is in screen units
(i.e. any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels); for text it is
in characters. If this option isn't specified, the button's desired
width is computed from the size of the image or bitmap or text being
displayed in it.
DESCRIPTION
The Button method creates a new window (given by the $widget argument)
and makes it into a button widget. Additional options, described above,
may be specified on the command line or in the option database to
configure aspects of the button such as its colors, font, text, and
initial relief. The button command returns its $widget argument. At
the time this command is invoked, there must not exist a window named
$widget, but $widget's parent must exist.
A button is a widget that displays a textual string, bitmap or image.
If text is displayed, it must all be in a single font, but it can occupy
multiple lines on the screen (if it contains newlines or if wrapping
occurs because of the -wraplength option) and one of the characters may
optionally be underlined using the -underline option. It can display
itself in either of three different ways, according to the -state
option; it can be made to appear raised, sunken, or flat; and it can be
made to flash. When a user invokes the button (by pressing mouse button
1 with the cursor over the button), then the perl/Tk callback specified
in the -command option is invoked.
WIDGET METHODS
The Button method creates a widget object. This object supports the
configure and cget methods described in Tk::options which can be used to
enquire and modify the options described above. The widget also
inherits all the methods provided by the generic Tk::Widget class.
The following additional methods are available for button widgets:
$button->flash
Flash the button. This is accomplished by redisplaying the button
several times, alternating between active and normal colors. At the
end of the flash the button is left in the same normal/active state
as when the command was invoked. This command is ignored if the
button's state is disabled.
$button->invoke
Invoke the callback associated with the buttons -command option, if
there is one. The return value is the return value from the
callback, or the undefined value if there is no callback associated
with the button. This command is ignored if the button's state is
disabled.
DEFAULT BINDINGS
Tk automatically creates class bindings for buttons that give them
default behavior:
[1] A button activates whenever the mouse passes over it and deactivates
whenever the mouse leaves the button. Under Windows, this binding
is only active when mouse button 1 has been pressed over the button.
[2] A button's relief is changed to sunken whenever mouse button 1 is
pressed over the button, and the relief is restored to its original
value when button 1 is later released.
[3] If mouse button 1 is pressed over a button and later released over
the button, the button is invoked. However, if the mouse is not
over the button when button 1 is released, then no invocation
occurs.
[4] When a button has the input focus, the space key causes the button
to be invoked.
If the button's state is disabled then none of the above actions
occur: the button is completely non-responsive.
The behavior of buttons can be changed by defining new bindings for
individual widgets or by redefining the class bindings.
KEYWORDS
button, widget
perl v5.40.1 2025-04-13 Button(3pm)
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