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Java SWT Button Tutorial with Examples

  1. SWT Button
  2. Button example
  3. Button and events
  4. Button Style

1. SWT Button

SWT Button enables developers to process an action when a user clicks a button. The Button class is an extension of the Control class. It can display text, an image, or both.

2. Button example

Create a Button with Text or Image, or both.
// Button 1
final Button button1 = new Button(shell, SWT.NONE);
button1.setText("Button With Text");

// Button 2
final Button button2 = new Button(shell, SWT.NONE);
button2.setText("Button with Text and Image");

InputStream input = ButtonDemo.class.getResourceAsStream("/org/o7planning/swt/icon/java-32.png");
Image image = new Image(null, input);
button2.setImage(image);
View full example:
ButtonDemo.java
package org.o7planning.swt.button;

import java.io.InputStream;

import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Image;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.RowLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Button;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;

public class ButtonDemo {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
       Display display = new Display();
       Shell shell = new Shell(display);
       shell.setText("SWT Button (o7planning.org)");
       shell.setSize(400, 250);

       RowLayout rowLayout = new RowLayout();
       rowLayout.spacing = 10;
       rowLayout.marginLeft = 10;
       rowLayout.marginTop = 10;
       shell.setLayout(rowLayout);

       // Button 1
       final Button button1 = new Button(shell, SWT.NONE);
       button1.setText("Button With Text");
       // Button 2
       final Button button2 = new Button(shell, SWT.NONE);
       button2.setText("Button with Text and Image");
      
       InputStream input
          = ButtonDemo.class.getResourceAsStream("/org/o7planning/swt/icon/java-32.png");
       Image image = new Image(null, input);
       button2.setImage(image);  
       shell.open();
       while (!shell.isDisposed()) {
           if (!display.readAndDispatch())
               display.sleep();
       }
       display.dispose();
   }
}

3. Button and events

The primary function of each button is to produce an action when it is clicked. Use the addSelectionListener method of the Button class to define what will happen when a user clicks the button.
// Handling when users click the button.
button.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
   @Override
   public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent arg0) {
       Date now = new Date();
       label.setText(now.toString());
       // Causes the receiver to be resized to its preferred size.
       label.pack();
   }
});
// OR
// Handling when users click the button.
button.addSelectionListener(new SelectionListener() {
   @Override
   public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent arg0) {
       Date now = new Date();
       label.setText(now.toString());
       label.pack();
   }
   @Override
   public void widgetDefaultSelected(SelectionEvent arg0) {
       System.out.println("Ignore this method!");
   }
});
For example, an action handling occurs with Button.
ButtonEventDemo.java
package org.o7planning.swt.button;

import java.util.Date;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionAdapter;
import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionEvent;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.RowLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Button;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Label;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;

public class ButtonEventDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Display display = new Display();
        Shell shell = new Shell(display);
        shell.setText("SWT Button (o7planning.org)");
        shell.setSize(400, 250);

        RowLayout rowLayout = new RowLayout();
        rowLayout.spacing = 10;
        rowLayout.marginLeft = 10;
        rowLayout.marginTop = 10;
        shell.setLayout(rowLayout);

        // Button
        final Button button = new Button(shell, SWT.NONE);
        button.setText("Show Time");
        // Label
        final Label label = new Label(shell, SWT.NONE);
        label.setText("");
        // Handling when users click the button.
        button.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
            @Override
            public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent arg0) {
                Date now = new Date();
                label.setText(now.toString());
                // Causes the receiver to be resized to its preferred size.
                label.pack();
            }
        });
        shell.open();
        while (!shell.isDisposed()) {
            if (!display.readAndDispatch())
                display.sleep();
        }
        display.dispose();
    }
}
Running the example:

4. Button Style

When creating a button you can specify the style for it:
Sample
// Style for Button
int style = SWT.PUSH | SWT.LEFT;
int sytle = SWT.ARROW | SWT.LEFT;

// Create a Button with style.
Button button = new Button(parent, style);
Here is the style can be applied to the Button:
  • Use one of the constants: SWT.LEFT, SWT.CENTER, or SWT.RIGHT
  • Use one of the constants: SWT.ARROW, SWT.CHECK, SWT.PUSH, SWT.RADIO, or SWT.TOGGLE..
  • If you use SWT.ARROW you can combine with one of the constants SWT.UP, SWT.DOWN, SWT.LEFT, or SWT.RIGHT to determine the direction of the arrow.
Style
Description
SWT.CHECK
Creates a checkbox.
SWT.PUSH
Creates a push button.
SWT.RADIO
Creates a radio button.
SWT.TOGGLE
Creates a push button that preserves its pushed or nonpushed state.
SWT.FLAT
Creates a push button that appears flat.
SWT.ARROW
Creates a push button that displays an arrow.
SWT.UP
When combined with SWT.ARROW, displays an upward-pointing arrow.
SWT.DOWN
When combined with SWT.ARROW, displays a downward-pointing arrow.
SWT.CENTER
Centers the associated text.
SWT.LEFT
Left-aligns the associated text. When combined with SWT.ARROW, displays a leftward-pointing arrow.
SWT.RIGHT
Right-aligns the associated text. When combined with SWT.ARROW, displays a rightward-pointing arrow.

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