NAME

Tk::ImageButton - Customizable/Graphical button

SYNOPSIS

        use Tk::ImageButton;
        ...
        $b = $MW->ImageButton(  -imagedisplay  => "Tk::Photo variable",
                                -imageover     => "Tk::Photo variable",
                                -imageclick    => "Tk::Photo variable",
                                -imagedisabled => "Tk::Photo variable",
                                -state         => 'normal/disabled',
                                -command       => [ sub {a callback} ]
        )->pack();
        ...
        MainLoop;

DESCRIPTION

ImageButton allows the user to have a customised graphical button on their GUI. 4 separate images can be used, one for the normal display, one when the mouse is over the button, one for when the mouse is clicked over the button and finally one for when the button is disabled.

Images

There are 4 button states available. 1. Button without interaction - this is the default and is set by using the -imagedisplay option and passing a Tk::Photo object as it's argument. This image is displayed when the button is not in use. 2. Button with mouse over - this is when the mouse has been moved over the button. It is set by calling the -imageover option and passing a Tk::Photo object as it's argument. 3. Button when mouse click - this is when the left mouse button is clicked over the button. It is set by calling the -imageclick option and passing a Tk::Photo object as it's argument. 4. Button disabled - this is when the button has been disabled. It is set by calling the -imagedisabled option and passing a Tk::Photo object as it's argument.

When the options have been set, the widget will take care of changing the displayed images when needed.

State / Command

As with usual buttons you can enable and disable them. To enable a button (this is the default setting) you call the -state option and pass 'normal' as the argument. To disable a button, call the -state option with 'disabled' as the argument.

OPTIONS

ImageButton accepts all of the options that the Label widget accepts. In addition, the following options are recognised.

-imagedisplay

This sets the image to be displayed when the button is not in use. It takes a Tk::Photo object as it's argument. It's default is 0.

-imageover

This sets the image to be displayed when the mouse pointer moves over the button. It takes a Tk::Photo object as it's argument. It's default is 0.

-imageclick

This sets the image to be displayed when the left mouse button is clicked over the button. It takes a Tk::Photo object as it's argument. It's default is 0.

-imagedisabled

This sets the image to be displayed when the button is disabled. It takes a Tk::Photo object as it's argument. It's default is 0.

-state

Can be one of 'normal' or 'disabled', as per usual buttons. If the button is disabled, as per usual button widgets, the associated callback/-command will not be executed. It's default is 'normal', I.E. enabled.

-command

As with any -command, this takes a subroutine to call when the button widget is clicked.

NB: If you wish to change and ImageButton object so that a previously set image is no longer used, make sure you re-set the required option to 0. E.G. $ib->configure(-imageover => 0);

EXAMPLES

See the ib_test.pl script included with this distribution.

NOTES

The user will need to load in the images themselves, into Tk::Photo objects and then pass these objects to ImageButton.

CAVEATS

None.

BUGS

None known at this time.

AUTHOR

Dave Hickling dhickling@eidosnet.co.uk

HISTORY

First version written on 9/8/2002, complete overhaul written on 16/6/2004.