In computing, a button (sometimes known as a command button or push button) is a

graphical control element that provides the user a simple way to trigger an event,
like searching for a query at a search engine, or to interact with dialog boxes,
like confirming an action.[1]

Overview
A typical button is a rectangle or rounded rectangle, wider than it is tall, with a
descriptive caption in its center.[2] The most common method of pressing a button
is clicking it with a pointer controlled by a mouse, but other input such as
keystrokes can be used to execute the command of a button. However, a button is not
always restricted to a rectangular shape. The sole requirement of button
interaction is that the user can execute a command by a click action. Thus pictures
and background areas can be programmed as buttons. When pressed, in addition to
performing a predetermined task, buttons often undergo a graphical change to mimic
a mechanical button being depressed.

Depending on the circumstance, buttons may be designated to be pushed only once and
execute a command, while others may be used to receive instant feed back and may
require the user to click more than once to receive the desired result. Other
buttons are designed to toggle behavior on and off like a check box.[3] These
buttons will show a graphical clue (such as staying depressed after the mouse is
released) to indicate the state of the option.

A button often displays a tooltip when a user moves the pointer over it. The
tooltip serves as built-in documentation that briefly explains the purpose of the
button.

Some very common incarnations of the button widget are:

An OK button for confirming actions and closing the windows

A Cancel button for canceling actions and closing the window
An Apply button for confirming actions without closing the window
A Close button for closing windows after changes have already been applied
Appearance
macOS

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent
events or newly available information. (June 2015)
Further information: Aqua (user interface)
Buttons in macOS's Aqua interface are usually depicted as rounded-rectangles of
crystallised glass. Normally these buttons are light grey in color, and turn blue
when pressed. The button with keyboard focus (selectable with the spacebar) appears
with a blue glow surrounding it. The default button in an active window (selectable
with the return key) animates between a bright blue and a darker blue (the same
color as a pressed button).

Also used, primarily within application toolbars, are slightly rounded rectangles
with a light grey metallic appearance. These buttons appear darker and "pushed
inward" when pressed.

Window management controls appear in the top left corner of each window. These
buttons are similar in style to standard aqua buttons, but are color-coded as a
memory aid. From left to right, these are: "Close Window", shown in red; "Minimize
Window", shown in yellow; and "Zoom", shown in green, which causes the window to
resize to best fit its contents.

Windows shell
Further information: Windows shell
Buttons in Microsoft Windows are usually rectangular, with mildly rounded corners
in Windows XP, Vista, and 7, with a return to form in Windows 11. In Windows 8, the
buttons are rectangular with sharp corners. A button with active focus is shown
with a black dotted line just inside the border of the button. In addition, more
recent versions, the default button is shown with a blue border. In Windows Vista
and Windows 7, the default button will slowly fade between its normal appearance
and the blue border. Window management controls are in the upper right-hand corner
of the application window, and, from left to right: "minimize" the window (causing
it to disappear into the taskbar at the bottom of the screen); maximize the window
(causing it to expand to cover the whole screen; if the window is already
maximized, the button will restore it to its previous size and position); and close
the window.

Linux and other Unix-like systems

The appearance and behavior of buttons in Linux and other Unix-like operating
systems is defined primarily by which widget toolkit is being employed, the most
popular being GTK and Qt, though other toolkits are used as well. The use of
multiple toolkits can lead to less uniform look and feel across applications. Most
widget toolkits also have theming capabilities, so there is no single standard
appearance as there is with Mac OS and Windows.

HTML
Further information: Web widget
Buttons appear as elements of HTML forms to carry out actions such as clearing user
input or submitting the form contents to the server. Buttons specified in HTML may
be rendered by web browsers in different ways, typically either using the native
button appearance of the underlying OS, or by using a button definition from within
the browser. Buttons may also be styled by the developer of the web site the form
appears on by using cascading style sheets.

HTML links are sometimes represented by a graphic closely resembling a button.

Sometimes this type of link is used in advertisements to induce the user to click
the ad and visit the advertiser's site.

References
button at FOLDOC
"Mozilla button description". Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved
2009-09-18.
checkState button attribute in Mozilla's XUL Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback
Machine
vte
Widgets
Command input
Adjustment handleButtonContext menuDrop-down listHamburger buttonMenuPie menu
Data input-output
CheckboxColor pickerCombo boxCycle buttonDate pickerGrid viewToggle switchList
boxList builderRadio buttonScrollbarSearch boxSliderSpinnerText box
Informational
Balloon helpHead-up display in computingHUD in video gamesIconInfobarLabelLoading
screenProgress indicator Progress barSplash screenThrobberSidebarStatus
barToastTooltip
Containers
AccordionTree viewClient-side decorationDisclosure widgetFrame / FieldsetMenu
barPanelPopoverRibbonTabToolbarWindow Window decorationWorkspace
Navigational
Address barBreadcrumb navigationHyperlinkNavigation barVirtual desktop
Special windows
Alert dialog boxDialog boxFile dialogInspector windowModal windowPalette window
Related concepts
File viewerList of graphical user interface elementsLayout managerLook and
feelMouseoverWidget toolkitWIMPZoomable user interface
Category: Graphical control elements
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