C H A P T E R 1 5

Controls

Bevel Button Implementation

Bevel buttons are available in Interface Builder. To create one using Application Kit programming interfaces, usethe setBezelStyle: methodof NSButtonCell with NSRegularSquareBezelStyle astheargument. To create a square-cornered bevel button, use NSShadowlessSquareBezelStyle as the argument for the setBezelStyle: method.

You can also use Interface Builder to add a pop-up menu to a bevel button. First, drag a pop-up button into your window then, in the Attributes pane of the inspector, change the type to Pull Down. Finally, in the same pane, change the style to Bevel (for a standard bevel button look) or Square (for a square-cornered bevel button look).

Round Buttons

Like a push button, a round button initiates an immediate action. Unlike a push button, however, a round button does not contain text.

Round buttons, like bevel buttons, are seldom used in applications running in Mac OS X v10.4 and later. You might be able to use a gradient button that contains a system-provided (or custom) image as an alternative. See “Gradient Buttons” (page 265) for more information about gradient buttons; see “System-Provided Images” (page 151) for more information about system-provided images available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.

Round Button Usage

Round buttons are seldom used, but they can be useful when you need a simple iconic push button that initiates an immediate action. Typically, round buttons are used as navigation controls.

Don’t use a round button to create a Help button. If you provide onscreen help, use the standard Help button instead (see “The Help Button” (page 268) for more on this control). In addtion, you should not use round buttons as radio buttons or as checkboxes.

Round Button Contents and Labeling

Round buttons contain images only, not text. If you need to display a single letter in a round button you should treat the letter as an icon.

Figure 15-19 Examples of round buttons

Round Button Specifications

Control sizes: Round buttons are available in regular and small sizes only. The regular-size round button is 25 pixels in diameter; the small round button is 20 pixels in diameter.

Buttons

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2008-06-09 | © 1992, 2001-2003, 2008 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.