# Icon button

> A square button with just an icon and an optional tooltip. A native Pyzed component for Python desktop GUIs, with a live preview, code examples and its API.

Source: https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/library/icon-button/

:::tip[In plain words]
A small button with just a picture (a magnifying glass, a gear) instead of words.
:::

A compact square button that shows a [Lucide](https://lucide.dev) icon. It is ghost by default, so it fits in toolbars, panel headers and tab bars. `tooltip=` adds a tooltip on hover.

`ui.icon_button` · Category: [Actions](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/library/#actions) · [Full reference →](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/reference/ui/#icon_button)

**Code:**

```python
pz.row([
    ui.icon_button("search", on_search, tooltip="Search"),
    ui.icon_button("settings", on_settings, tooltip="Settings"),
    ui.icon_button("bell", on_notifications, selected=True),
    ui.icon_button("plus", on_new, variant="filled"),
], spacing=6)
```

## When to use

- For frequent actions whose icon is obvious (search, settings, close, add).
- Always give it a `tooltip` when the icon alone may be ambiguous.
- `selected=True` shows a toggled state (a panel that is open, a filter that is on).

## Usage

```python
import pyzed as pz
from pyzed import ui

pz.row([
    ui.icon_button("search", on_search, tooltip="Search"),
    ui.icon_button("settings", on_settings, tooltip="Settings"),
    ui.icon_button("bell", on_notifications, selected=True),
    ui.icon_button("plus", on_new, variant="filled"),
], spacing=6)
```

## Variants

:::note[About these captures]
Each capture is recorded by pyzed itself, off-screen at 2x, in One Dark or One Light to match this site's theme, and cropped to the component so it shows at its real size. The pointer hovers, presses or types into it; a component that does not react to the pointer cycles through a few themes. With reduced motion you see the first frame. Open **Code** under a capture to see the snippet that draws it; free names such as `on_save` stand for your own callbacks.
:::

### Size

```python
ui.icon_button("star", on_press, size="xs")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("star", on_press, size="sm")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("star", on_press, size="md")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("star", on_press, size="lg")
```

### Variant

```python
ui.icon_button("settings", on_press)
```

```python
ui.icon_button("settings", on_press, variant="filled")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("settings", on_press, variant="outline")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("settings", on_press, variant="solid")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("settings", on_press, variant="tinted")
```

### Color

```python
ui.icon_button("sparkles", on_press, color="accent")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("circle-check", on_press, color="success")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("triangle-alert", on_press, color="warning")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("trash-2", on_press, color="error", variant="outline")
```

### State

Drawn as the pointer shows it: tooltips only open on hover.

```python
ui.icon_button("panel-left", on_press, selected=True)
```

```python
ui.icon_button("lock", on_press, disabled=True)
```

```python
ui.icon_button("search", on_press, tooltip="Search")
```

### States and events

```python
ui.icon_button("bell", on_press, indicator="accent")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("trash-2", on_press, tint="error")
```

```python
ui.icon_button("refresh-cw", on_press, loading=True)
```

```python
ui.icon_button("search", on_press, tooltip="Search", keys="ctrl-f")
```

## Events

Icon button has **1 event of its own**, listed below. Like every widget it also has the **18 common events** (`click`, `double_click`, `right_click`, `mouse_enter`, `drag`, `key_down`, `resize`…), attached with `.on(...)`: see [Events](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/guides/events/) and [Events of every component](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/library/events/).

| Event | Handler gets | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `on_press` | `()` | Message or callable sent on press. `None` disables the control. |

**Handler gets** is what Pyzed passes to your callable: `()` means nothing. Any handler can also be a message (a value that is not callable), which goes to `update()`.

### Handling the events

The same events written three ways. **Imperative**: methods of the app change `self`. **Declarative**: the handlers produce messages and one `update()` decides. **Functional**: a pure function draws an immutable state and asks for changes with `set_state(...)`. See [Imperative, declarative and functional](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/guides/code-styles/).

**Imperative:**

```python
class Toolbar(pz.App):
    def __init__(self):
        self.bold = False

    def toggle_bold(self):
        self.bold = not self.bold

    def view(self):
        return pz.row([
            ui.icon_button("bold", self.toggle_bold, selected=self.bold, tooltip="Bold", keys="ctrl-b"),
            ui.icon_button("trash-2", self.clear, tooltip="Clear", disabled=not self.bold),
        ], spacing=4)

    def clear(self):
        self.bold = False
```

**Declarative:**

```python
from dataclasses import dataclass

@dataclass
class ToggleBold:
    pass

class Toolbar(pz.App):
    bold = False

    def update(self, message):
        if isinstance(message, ToggleBold):
            self.bold = not self.bold

    def view(self):
        return ui.icon_button("bold", ToggleBold(), selected=self.bold, tooltip="Bold")
```

**Functional:**

```python
from dataclasses import dataclass

@dataclass(frozen=True)
class State:
    bold: bool = False

def view(state, set_state):
    return ui.icon_button("bold", lambda: set_state(bold=not state.bold),
                          selected=state.bold, tooltip="Bold")
```

## Tips

:::tip
Run `pyzed icons` to search the icon names.
:::

## Properties and API

### `ui.icon_button`

```python
icon_button(
    name,
    on_press=None,
    *,
    size='md',
    variant='ghost',
    color=None,
    selected=False,
    disabled=False,
    tooltip=None,
    keys=None,
    tint=None,
    loading=False,
    indicator=None,
    theme=None,
)
```

A square button with just an icon.

| Property | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `name` | *required* | Icon name. |
| `size` | `"md"` | `"xs"`, `"sm"`, `"md"` or `"lg"`. |
| `variant` | `"ghost"` | As in `ui.button`. Defaults to `"ghost"`. |
| `color` | `None` | Icon color. |
| `selected` | `False` | Marks it as selected. |
| `disabled` | `False` | Disables it (ignores clicks). |
| `tooltip` | `None` | Tooltip text. |
| `keys` | `None` | Key binding shown in the tooltip. |
| `tint` | `None` | Colors it (`"error"`, `"accent"`…). |
| `loading` | `False` | Swaps the icon for a spinner and ignores presses. |
| `indicator` | `None` | Adds a small dot in this color at the top right (unread, changes…). |
| `theme` | `None` | Theme to use instead of the current one (`pyzed.theme.current()`). |

Events: `on_press` ([events](#events)).

[Full reference →](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/reference/ui/#icon_button)

## Related

- [Button](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/library/button/): The themed button: variants, sizes, icons and shortcuts.
- [Tooltip](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/library/tooltip/): A hint shown on hover, optionally with its shortcut.
- [Toolbar](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/library/toolbar/): The bar under the tabs: breadcrumbs and buffer actions.