GtkButton

GtkButton — A widget that emits a signal when clicked on

Functions

Properties

gboolean always-show-image Read / Write / Construct
GtkWidget * image Read / Write
GtkPositionType image-position Read / Write
char * label Read / Write / Construct
GtkReliefStyle relief Read / Write
gboolean use-stock Read / Write / Construct
gboolean use-underline Read / Write / Construct
float xalign Read / Write
float yalign Read / Write

Style Properties

Signals

Types and Values

struct GtkButton
struct GtkButtonClass

Object Hierarchy

    GObject
    ╰── GInitiallyUnowned
        ╰── GtkWidget
            ╰── GtkContainer
                ╰── GtkBin
                    ╰── GtkButton
                        ├── GtkToggleButton
                        ├── GtkColorButton
                        ├── GtkFontButton
                        ├── GtkLinkButton
                        ├── GtkLockButton
                        ├── GtkModelButton
                        ╰── GtkScaleButton

Implemented Interfaces

GtkButton implements AtkImplementorIface, GtkBuildable, GtkActionable and GtkActivatable.

Includes

#include <gtk/gtk.h>

Description

The GtkButton widget is generally used to trigger a callback function that is called when the button is pressed. The various signals and how to use them are outlined below.

The GtkButton widget can hold any valid child widget. That is, it can hold almost any other standard GtkWidget. The most commonly used child is the GtkLabel.

CSS nodes

GtkButton has a single CSS node with name button. The node will get the style classes .image-button or .text-button, if the content is just an image or label, respectively. It may also receive the .flat style class.

Other style classes that are commonly used with GtkButton include .suggested-action and .destructive-action. In special cases, buttons can be made round by adding the .circular style class.

Button-like widgets like GtkToggleButton, GtkMenuButton, GtkVolumeButton, GtkLockButton, GtkColorButton, GtkFontButton or GtkFileChooserButton use style classes such as .toggle, .popup, .scale, .lock, .color, .font, .file to differentiate themselves from a plain GtkButton.

Functions

gtk_button_new ()

GtkWidget *
gtk_button_new (void);

Creates a new GtkButton widget. To add a child widget to the button, use gtk_container_add().

Returns

The newly created GtkButton widget.


gtk_button_new_with_label ()

GtkWidget *
gtk_button_new_with_label (const gchar *label);

Creates a GtkButton widget with a GtkLabel child containing the given text.

Parameters

label

The text you want the GtkLabel to hold.

 

Returns

The newly created GtkButton widget.


gtk_button_new_with_mnemonic ()

GtkWidget *
gtk_button_new_with_mnemonic (const gchar *label);

Creates a new GtkButton containing a label. If characters in label are preceded by an underscore, they are underlined. If you need a literal underscore character in a label, use “__” (two underscores). The first underlined character represents a keyboard accelerator called a mnemonic. Pressing Alt and that key activates the button.

Parameters

label

The text of the button, with an underscore in front of the mnemonic character

 

Returns

a new GtkButton


gtk_button_new_from_icon_name ()

GtkWidget *
gtk_button_new_from_icon_name (const gchar *icon_name,
                               GtkIconSize size);

Creates a new button containing an icon from the current icon theme.

If the icon name isn’t known, a “broken image” icon will be displayed instead. If the current icon theme is changed, the icon will be updated appropriately.

This function is a convenience wrapper around gtk_button_new() and gtk_button_set_image().

Parameters

icon_name

an icon name or NULL.

[nullable]

size

an icon size (GtkIconSize).

[type int]

Returns

a new GtkButton displaying the themed icon

Since: 3.10


gtk_button_new_from_stock ()

GtkWidget *
gtk_button_new_from_stock (const gchar *stock_id);

gtk_button_new_from_stock has been deprecated since version 3.10 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Stock items are deprecated. Use gtk_button_new_with_label() instead.

Creates a new GtkButton containing the image and text from a stock item. Some stock ids have preprocessor macros like GTK_STOCK_OK and GTK_STOCK_APPLY.

If stock_id is unknown, then it will be treated as a mnemonic label (as for gtk_button_new_with_mnemonic()).

Parameters

stock_id

the name of the stock item

 

Returns

a new GtkButton


gtk_button_pressed ()

void
gtk_button_pressed (GtkButton *button);

gtk_button_pressed has been deprecated since version 2.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the “button-press-event” signal.

Emits a “pressed” signal to the given GtkButton.

Parameters

button

The GtkButton you want to send the signal to.

 

gtk_button_released ()

void
gtk_button_released (GtkButton *button);

gtk_button_released has been deprecated since version 2.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the “button-release-event” signal.

Emits a “released” signal to the given GtkButton.

Parameters

button

The GtkButton you want to send the signal to.

 

gtk_button_clicked ()

void
gtk_button_clicked (GtkButton *button);

Emits a “clicked” signal to the given GtkButton.

Parameters

button

The GtkButton you want to send the signal to.

 

gtk_button_enter ()

void
gtk_button_enter (GtkButton *button);

gtk_button_enter has been deprecated since version 2.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the “enter-notify-event” signal.

Emits a “enter” signal to the given GtkButton.

Parameters

button

The GtkButton you want to send the signal to.

 

gtk_button_leave ()

void
gtk_button_leave (GtkButton *button);

gtk_button_leave has been deprecated since version 2.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the “leave-notify-event” signal.

Emits a “leave” signal to the given GtkButton.

Parameters

button

The GtkButton you want to send the signal to.

 

gtk_button_set_relief ()

void
gtk_button_set_relief (GtkButton *button,
                       GtkReliefStyle relief);

Sets the relief style of the edges of the given GtkButton widget. Two styles exist, GTK_RELIEF_NORMAL and GTK_RELIEF_NONE. The default style is, as one can guess, GTK_RELIEF_NORMAL. The deprecated value GTK_RELIEF_HALF behaves the same as GTK_RELIEF_NORMAL.

Parameters

button

The GtkButton you want to set relief styles of

 

relief

The GtkReliefStyle as described above

 

gtk_button_get_relief ()

GtkReliefStyle
gtk_button_get_relief (GtkButton *button);

Returns the current relief style of the given GtkButton.

Parameters

button

The GtkButton you want the GtkReliefStyle from.

 

Returns

The current GtkReliefStyle


gtk_button_get_label ()

const gchar *
gtk_button_get_label (GtkButton *button);

Fetches the text from the label of the button, as set by gtk_button_set_label(). If the label text has not been set the return value will be NULL. This will be the case if you create an empty button with gtk_button_new() to use as a container.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

Returns

The text of the label widget. This string is owned by the widget and must not be modified or freed.


gtk_button_set_label ()

void
gtk_button_set_label (GtkButton *button,
                      const gchar *label);

Sets the text of the label of the button to str . This text is also used to select the stock item if gtk_button_set_use_stock() is used.

This will also clear any previously set labels.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

label

a string

 

gtk_button_get_use_stock ()

gboolean
gtk_button_get_use_stock (GtkButton *button);

gtk_button_get_use_stock has been deprecated since version 3.10 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Returns whether the button label is a stock item.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

Returns

TRUE if the button label is used to select a stock item instead of being used directly as the label text.


gtk_button_set_use_stock ()

void
gtk_button_set_use_stock (GtkButton *button,
                          gboolean use_stock);

gtk_button_set_use_stock has been deprecated since version 3.10 and should not be used in newly-written code.

If TRUE, the label set on the button is used as a stock id to select the stock item for the button.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

use_stock

TRUE if the button should use a stock item

 

gtk_button_get_use_underline ()

gboolean
gtk_button_get_use_underline (GtkButton *button);

Returns whether an embedded underline in the button label indicates a mnemonic. See gtk_button_set_use_underline().

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

Returns

TRUE if an embedded underline in the button label indicates the mnemonic accelerator keys.


gtk_button_set_use_underline ()

void
gtk_button_set_use_underline (GtkButton *button,
                              gboolean use_underline);

If true, an underline in the text of the button label indicates the next character should be used for the mnemonic accelerator key.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

use_underline

TRUE if underlines in the text indicate mnemonics

 

gtk_button_set_focus_on_click ()

void
gtk_button_set_focus_on_click (GtkButton *button,
                               gboolean focus_on_click);

gtk_button_set_focus_on_click has been deprecated since version 3.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use gtk_widget_set_focus_on_click() instead

Sets whether the button will grab focus when it is clicked with the mouse. Making mouse clicks not grab focus is useful in places like toolbars where you don’t want the keyboard focus removed from the main area of the application.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

focus_on_click

whether the button grabs focus when clicked with the mouse

 

Since: 2.4


gtk_button_get_focus_on_click ()

gboolean
gtk_button_get_focus_on_click (GtkButton *button);

gtk_button_get_focus_on_click has been deprecated since version 3.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use gtk_widget_get_focus_on_click() instead

Returns whether the button grabs focus when it is clicked with the mouse. See gtk_button_set_focus_on_click().

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

Returns

TRUE if the button grabs focus when it is clicked with the mouse.

Since: 2.4


gtk_button_set_alignment ()

void
gtk_button_set_alignment (GtkButton *button,
                          gfloat xalign,
                          gfloat yalign);

gtk_button_set_alignment has been deprecated since version 3.14 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Access the child widget directly if you need to control its alignment.

Sets the alignment of the child. This property has no effect unless the child is a GtkMisc or a GtkAlignment.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

xalign

the horizontal position of the child, 0.0 is left aligned, 1.0 is right aligned

 

yalign

the vertical position of the child, 0.0 is top aligned, 1.0 is bottom aligned

 

Since: 2.4


gtk_button_get_alignment ()

void
gtk_button_get_alignment (GtkButton *button,
                          gfloat *xalign,
                          gfloat *yalign);

gtk_button_get_alignment has been deprecated since version 3.14 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Access the child widget directly if you need to control its alignment.

Gets the alignment of the child in the button.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

xalign

return location for horizontal alignment.

[out]

yalign

return location for vertical alignment.

[out]

Since: 2.4


gtk_button_set_image ()

void
gtk_button_set_image (GtkButton *button,
                      GtkWidget *image);

Set the image of button to the given widget. The image will be displayed if the label text is NULL or if “always-show-image” is TRUE. You don’t have to call gtk_widget_show() on image yourself.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

image

a widget to set as the image for the button, or NULL to unset.

[nullable]

Since: 2.6


gtk_button_get_image ()

GtkWidget *
gtk_button_get_image (GtkButton *button);

Gets the widget that is currenty set as the image of button . This may have been explicitly set by gtk_button_set_image() or constructed by gtk_button_new_from_stock().

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

Returns

a GtkWidget or NULL in case there is no image.

[nullable][transfer none]

Since: 2.6


gtk_button_set_image_position ()

void
gtk_button_set_image_position (GtkButton *button,
                               GtkPositionType position);

Sets the position of the image relative to the text inside the button.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

position

the position

 

Since: 2.10


gtk_button_get_image_position ()

GtkPositionType
gtk_button_get_image_position (GtkButton *button);

Gets the position of the image relative to the text inside the button.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

Returns

the position

Since: 2.10


gtk_button_set_always_show_image ()

void
gtk_button_set_always_show_image (GtkButton *button,
                                  gboolean always_show);

If TRUE, the button will ignore the “gtk-button-images” setting and always show the image, if available.

Use this property if the button would be useless or hard to use without the image.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

always_show

TRUE if the menuitem should always show the image

 

Since: 3.6


gtk_button_get_always_show_image ()

gboolean
gtk_button_get_always_show_image (GtkButton *button);

Returns whether the button will ignore the “gtk-button-images” setting and always show the image, if available.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

Returns

TRUE if the button will always show the image

Since: 3.6


gtk_button_get_event_window ()

GdkWindow *
gtk_button_get_event_window (GtkButton *button);

Returns the button’s event window if it is realized, NULL otherwise. This function should be rarely needed.

Parameters

button

a GtkButton

 

Returns

button ’s event window.

[transfer none]

Since: 2.22

Types and Values

struct GtkButton

struct GtkButton;

struct GtkButtonClass

struct GtkButtonClass {
  GtkBinClass        parent_class;

  void (* pressed)  (GtkButton *button);
  void (* released) (GtkButton *button);
  void (* clicked)  (GtkButton *button);
  void (* enter)    (GtkButton *button);
  void (* leave)    (GtkButton *button);
  void (* activate) (GtkButton *button);
};

Members

pressed ()

Signal emitted when the button is pressed. Deprecated: 2.8.

 

released ()

Signal emitted when the button is released. Deprecated: 2.8.

 

clicked ()

Signal emitted when the button has been activated (pressed and released).

 

enter ()

Signal emitted when the pointer enters the button. Deprecated: 2.8.

 

leave ()

Signal emitted when the pointer leaves the button. Deprecated: 2.8.

 

activate ()

Signal that causes the button to animate press then release. Applications should never connect to this signal, but use the clicked signal.

 

Property Details

The “always-show-image” property

  “always-show-image”        gboolean

If TRUE, the button will ignore the “gtk-button-images” setting and always show the image, if available.

Use this property if the button would be useless or hard to use without the image.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write / Construct

Default value: FALSE

Since: 3.6


The “image” property

  “image”                    GtkWidget *

The child widget to appear next to the button text.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write

Since: 2.6


The “image-position” property

  “image-position”           GtkPositionType

The position of the image relative to the text inside the button.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write

Default value: GTK_POS_LEFT

Since: 2.10


The “label” property

  “label”                    char *

Text of the label widget inside the button, if the button contains a label widget.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write / Construct

Default value: NULL


The “relief” property

  “relief”                   GtkReliefStyle

The border relief style.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write

Default value: GTK_RELIEF_NORMAL


The “use-stock” property

  “use-stock”                gboolean

If set, the label is used to pick a stock item instead of being displayed.

GtkButton:use-stock has been deprecated since version 3.10 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write / Construct

Default value: FALSE


The “use-underline” property

  “use-underline”            gboolean

If set, an underline in the text indicates the next character should be used for the mnemonic accelerator key.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write / Construct

Default value: FALSE


The “xalign” property

  “xalign”                   float

If the child of the button is a GtkMisc or GtkAlignment, this property can be used to control its horizontal alignment. 0.0 is left aligned, 1.0 is right aligned.

GtkButton:xalign has been deprecated since version 3.14 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Access the child widget directly if you need to control its alignment.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write

Allowed values: [0,1]

Default value: 0.5

Since: 2.4


The “yalign” property

  “yalign”                   float

If the child of the button is a GtkMisc or GtkAlignment, this property can be used to control its vertical alignment. 0.0 is top aligned, 1.0 is bottom aligned.

GtkButton:yalign has been deprecated since version 3.14 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Access the child widget directly if you need to control its alignment.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read / Write

Allowed values: [0,1]

Default value: 0.5

Since: 2.4

Style Property Details

The “child-displacement-x” style property

  “child-displacement-x”     int

How far in the x direction to move the child when the button is depressed.

GtkButton:child-displacement-x has been deprecated since version 3.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use CSS margins and padding instead; the value of this style property is ignored.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read

Default value: 0


The “child-displacement-y” style property

  “child-displacement-y”     int

How far in the y direction to move the child when the button is depressed.

GtkButton:child-displacement-y has been deprecated since version 3.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use CSS margins and padding instead; the value of this style property is ignored.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read

Default value: 0


The “default-border” style property

  “default-border”           GtkBorder *

The "default-border" style property defines the extra space to add around a button that can become the default widget of its window. For more information about default widgets, see gtk_widget_grab_default().

GtkButton:default-border has been deprecated since version 3.14 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use CSS margins and padding instead; the value of this style property is ignored.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read


The “default-outside-border” style property

  “default-outside-border”   GtkBorder *

The "default-outside-border" style property defines the extra outside space to add around a button that can become the default widget of its window. Extra outside space is always drawn outside the button border. For more information about default widgets, see gtk_widget_grab_default().

GtkButton:default-outside-border has been deprecated since version 3.14 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use CSS margins and padding instead; the value of this style property is ignored.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read


The “displace-focus” style property

  “displace-focus”           gboolean

Whether the child_displacement_x/child_displacement_y properties should also affect the focus rectangle.

GtkButton:displace-focus has been deprecated since version 3.20 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use CSS margins and padding instead; the value of this style property is ignored.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read

Default value: FALSE

Since: 2.6


The “image-spacing” style property

  “image-spacing”            int

Spacing in pixels between the image and label.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read

Allowed values: >= 0

Default value: 2


The “inner-border” style property

  “inner-border”             GtkBorder *

Sets the border between the button edges and child.

GtkButton:inner-border has been deprecated since version 3.4 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the standard border and padding CSS properties; the value of this style property is ignored.

Owner: GtkButton

Flags: Read

Since: 2.10

Signal Details

The “activate” signal

void
user_function (GtkButton *widget,
               gpointer   user_data)

The ::activate signal on GtkButton is an action signal and emitting it causes the button to animate press then release. Applications should never connect to this signal, but use the “clicked” signal.

Parameters

widget

the object which received the signal.

 

user_data

user data set when the signal handler was connected.

 

Flags: Action


The “clicked” signal

void
user_function (GtkButton *button,
               gpointer   user_data)

Emitted when the button has been activated (pressed and released).

Parameters

button

the object that received the signal

 

user_data

user data set when the signal handler was connected.

 

Flags: Action


The “enter” signal

void
user_function (GtkButton *button,
               gpointer   user_data)

Emitted when the pointer enters the button.

GtkButton::enter has been deprecated since version 2.8 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the “enter-notify-event” signal.

Parameters

button

the object that received the signal

 

user_data

user data set when the signal handler was connected.

 

Flags: Run First


The “leave” signal

void
user_function (GtkButton *button,
               gpointer   user_data)

Emitted when the pointer leaves the button.

GtkButton::leave has been deprecated since version 2.8 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the “leave-notify-event” signal.

Parameters

button

the object that received the signal

 

user_data

user data set when the signal handler was connected.

 

Flags: Run First


The “pressed” signal

void
user_function (GtkButton *button,
               gpointer   user_data)

Emitted when the button is pressed.

GtkButton::pressed has been deprecated since version 2.8 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the “button-press-event” signal.

Parameters

button

the object that received the signal

 

user_data

user data set when the signal handler was connected.

 

Flags: Run First


The “released” signal

void
user_function (GtkButton *button,
               gpointer   user_data)

Emitted when the button is released.

GtkButton::released has been deprecated since version 2.8 and should not be used in newly-written code.

Use the “button-release-event” signal.

Parameters

button

the object that received the signal

 

user_data

user data set when the signal handler was connected.

 

Flags: Run First