Make a UIButton programmatically in Swift

Question

I am trying to build UIs programmatically with Swift.

How can I get this action working?

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
    let myFirstLabel = UILabel()
    let myFirstButton = UIButton()
    myFirstLabel.text = "I made a label on the screen #toogood4you"
    myFirstLabel.font = UIFont(name: "MarkerFelt-Thin", size: 45)
    myFirstLabel.textColor = UIColor.redColor()
    myFirstLabel.textAlignment = .Center
    myFirstLabel.numberOfLines = 5
    myFirstLabel.frame = CGRectMake(15, 54, 300, 500)
    myFirstButton.setTitle("✸", forState: .Normal)
    myFirstButton.setTitleColor(UIColor.blueColor(), forState: .Normal)
    myFirstButton.frame = CGRectMake(15, -50, 300, 500)
    myFirstButton.addTarget(self, action: "pressed", forControlEvents: .TouchUpInside)
    self.view.addSubview(myFirstLabel)
    self.view.addSubview(myFirstButton)
}

func pressed(sender: UIButton!) {
    var alertView = UIAlertView();
    alertView.addButtonWithTitle("Ok");
    alertView.title = "title";
    alertView.message = "message";
    alertView.show();
}

Answer 1

You're just missing the colon at the end of the selector name. Since pressed takes a parameter the colon must be there. Also your pressed function shouldn't be nested inside viewDidLoad.

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
    let myFirstLabel = UILabel()
    let myFirstButton = UIButton()
    myFirstLabel.text = "I made a label on the screen #toogood4you"
    myFirstLabel.font = UIFont(name: "MarkerFelt-Thin", size: 45)
    myFirstLabel.textColor = .red
    myFirstLabel.textAlignment = .center
    myFirstLabel.numberOfLines = 5
    myFirstLabel.frame = CGRect(x: 15, y: 54, width: 300, height: 500)
    myFirstButton.setTitle("✸", for: .normal)
    myFirstButton.setTitleColor(.blue, for: .normal)
    myFirstButton.frame = CGRect(x: 15, y: -50, width: 300, height: 500)
    myFirstButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(pressed), for: .touchUpInside)
}

@objc func pressed() {
    var alertView = UIAlertView()
    alertView.addButtonWithTitle("Ok")
    alertView.title = "title"
    alertView.message = "message"
    alertView.show()
}

EDIT: Updated to reflect best practices in Swift 2.2. #selector() should be used rather than a literal string which is deprecated.

Answer 2

Swift 2.2 Xcode 7.3

Since Objective-C String Literals are deprecated now for button callback methods

let button:UIButton = UIButton(frame: CGRectMake(100, 400, 100, 50))
button.backgroundColor = UIColor.blackColor()
button.setTitle("Button", forState: UIControlState.Normal)
button.addTarget(self, action:#selector(self.buttonClicked), forControlEvents: .TouchUpInside)
self.view.addSubview(button)

func buttonClicked() {
     print("Button Clicked")
}

Swift 3 Xcode 8

let button:UIButton = UIButton(frame: CGRect(x: 100, y: 400, width: 100, height: 50))
button.backgroundColor = .black
button.setTitle("Button", for: .normal)
button.addTarget(self, action:#selector(self.buttonClicked), for: .touchUpInside)
self.view.addSubview(button)

func buttonClicked() {
    print("Button Clicked")
}

Swift 4 Xcode 9

let button:UIButton = UIButton(frame: CGRect(x: 100, y: 400, width: 100, height: 50))
button.backgroundColor = .black
button.setTitle("Button", for: .normal)
button.addTarget(self, action:#selector(self.buttonClicked), for: .touchUpInside)
self.view.addSubview(button)

@objc func buttonClicked() {
    print("Button Clicked")
}

Answer 3

Swift 4/5

let button = UIButton(frame: CGRect(x: 20, y: 20, width: 200, height: 60))
 button.setTitle("Email", for: .normal)
 button.backgroundColor = .white
 button.setTitleColor(UIColor.black, for: .normal)
 button.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.buttonTapped), for: .touchUpInside)
 myView.addSubview(button)



@objc func buttonTapped(sender : UIButton) {
                //Write button action here
            }

Answer 4

Swift 4

private func createButton {
    let sayButtonT = UIButton(type: .custom)
    sayButtonT.addTarget(self, action: #selector(sayAction(_:)), for: .touchUpInside)
}

@objc private func sayAction(_ sender: UIButton?) {

}

Answer 5

Yeah in simulator. Some times it wont recognise the selector there is a bug it seems. Even i faced not for your code , then i just changed the action name (selector). It works

let buttonPuzzle:UIButton = UIButton(frame: CGRectMake(100, 400, 100, 50))
buttonPuzzle.backgroundColor = UIColor.greenColor()
buttonPuzzle.setTitle("Puzzle", forState: UIControlState.Normal)
buttonPuzzle.addTarget(self, action: "buttonAction:", forControlEvents: UIControlEvents.TouchUpInside)
buttonPuzzle.tag = 22;
self.view.addSubview(buttonPuzzle)

An example selector function is here:

func buttonAction(sender:UIButton!) {
    var btnsendtag:UIButton = sender
    if btnsendtag.tag == 22 {            
        //println("Button tapped tag 22")
    }
}

Answer 6

You should be able to create a customize UI button programmatically by accessing the titleLabel property of UIButton.

Per Class Reference in Swift: Regarding the titleLabel property, it says that "although this property is read-only, its own properties are read/write. Use these properties primarily to configure the text of the button."

In Swift, you can directly modify the properties of titleLabel like such:

let myFirstButton = UIButton()
myFirstButton.titleLabel!.text = "I made a label on the screen #toogood4you"
myFirstButton.titleLabel!.font = UIFont(name: "MarkerFelt-Thin", size: 45)
myFirstButton.titleLabel!.textColor = UIColor.red
myFirstButton.titleLabel!.textAlignment = .center
myFirstButton.titleLabel!.numberOfLines = 5
myFirstButton.titleLabel!.frame = CGRect(x: 15, y: 54, width: 300, height: 500)

Edit

Swift 3.1 Syntax

Answer 7

try these..i hope it helps...

override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()  

    let btn = UIButton()
    btn.frame = CGRectMake(10, 10, 50, 50)  //set frame
    btn.setTitle("btn", forState: .Normal)  //set button title
    btn.setTitleColor(UIColor.redColor(), forState: .Normal) //set button title color
    btn.backgroundColor = UIColor.greenColor() //set button background color
    btn.tag = 1 // set button tag
    btn.addTarget(self, action: "btnclicked:", forControlEvents: .TouchUpInside) //add button action
    self.view.addSubview(btn) //add button in view

}

these is buttons click event..

func btnclicked(sender: UIButton!) 
{
    //write the task you want to perform on buttons click event..
}

Answer 8

Swift 5.0

        let button = self.makeButton(title: "Login", titleColor: .blue, font: UIFont.init(name: "Arial", size: 18.0), background: .white, cornerRadius: 3.0, borderWidth: 2, borderColor: .black)
        view.addSubview(button)
        // Adding Constraints
        button.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 40).isActive = true
        button.leftAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.leftAnchor, constant: 40).isActive = true
        button.rightAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.rightAnchor, constant: -40).isActive = true
        button.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.bottomAnchor, constant: -400).isActive = true
        button.addTarget(self, action: #selector(pressed(_ :)), for: .touchUpInside)

       // Define commmon method
        func makeButton(title: String? = nil,
                           titleColor: UIColor = .black,
                           font: UIFont? = nil,
                           background: UIColor = .clear,
                           cornerRadius: CGFloat = 0,
                           borderWidth: CGFloat = 0,
                           borderColor: UIColor = .clear) -> UIButton {
        let button = UIButton()
        button.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        button.setTitle(title, for: .normal)
        button.backgroundColor = background
        button.setTitleColor(titleColor, for: .normal)
        button.titleLabel?.font = font
        button.layer.cornerRadius = 6.0
        button.layer.borderWidth = 2
        button.layer.borderColor = UIColor.red.cgColor
        return button
      }
        // Button Action
         @objc func pressed(_ sender: UIButton) {
                print("Pressed")
          }

Answer 9

Swift 3: You can create a UIButton programmatically

either inside a methods scope for example in ViewDidLoad() Be sure to add constraints to the button, otherwise you wont see it

let button = UIButton()
button.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
button.target(forAction: #selector(buttonAction), withSender: self)
//button.backgroundColor etc

view.addSubview(button)

@objc func buttonAction() {
   //some Action
}

or outside your scope as global variable to access it from anywhere in your module

let button: UIButton = {
   let b = UIButton()
   b.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
   //b.backgroundColor etc
   return b
}()

and then you setup the constraints

func setupButtonView() {
   view.addSubview(button)
   button.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 40).isActive = true
   button.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 40).isActive = true
   // etc

}

Answer 10

Swift: Ui Button create programmatically,

var button: UIButton = UIButton(type: .Custom)

button.frame = CGRectMake(80.0, 210.0, 160.0, 40.0)

button.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.aMethod), forControlEvents: .TouchUpInside)

button.tag=2

button.setTitle("Hallo World", forState: .Normal)

view.addSubview(button)


func aMethod(sender: AnyObject) {
    print("you clicked on button \(sender.tag)")
}

Answer 11

Swift "Button factory" extension for UIButton (and while we're at it) also for UILabel like so:

extension UILabel
{
// A simple UILabel factory function
// returns instance of itself configured with the given parameters

// use example (in a UIView or any other class that inherits from UIView):

//   addSubview(   UILabel().make(     x: 0, y: 0, w: 100, h: 30,
//                                   txt: "Hello World!",
//                                 align: .center,
//                                   fnt: aUIFont,
//                              fntColor: UIColor.red)                 )
//

func make(x: CGFloat, y: CGFloat, w: CGFloat, h: CGFloat,
          txt: String,
          align: NSTextAlignment,
          fnt: UIFont,
          fntColor: UIColor)-> UILabel
{
    frame = CGRect(x: x, y: y, width: w, height: h)
    adjustsFontSizeToFitWidth = true
    textAlignment = align
    text = txt
    textColor = fntColor
    font = fnt
    return self
}
// Of course, you can make more advanced factory functions etc.
// Also one could subclass UILabel, but this seems to be a     convenient case for an extension.
}


extension UIButton
{
// UIButton factory returns instance of UIButton
//usage example:

// addSubview(UIButton().make(x: btnx, y:100, w: btnw, h: btnh,
// title: "play", backColor: .red,
// target: self,
// touchDown: #selector(play), touchUp: #selector(stopPlay)))


func make(   x: CGFloat,y: CGFloat,
             w: CGFloat,h: CGFloat,
                  title: String, backColor: UIColor,
                  target: UIView,
                  touchDown:  Selector,
                  touchUp:    Selector ) -> UIButton
{
    frame = CGRect(x: x, y: y, width: w, height: h)
    backgroundColor = backColor
    setTitle(title, for: .normal)
    addTarget(target, action: touchDown, for: .touchDown)
    addTarget(target, action: touchUp  , for: .touchUpInside)
    addTarget(target, action: touchUp  , for: .touchUpOutside)

    return self
}
}

Tested in Swift in Xcode Version 9.2 (9C40b) Swift 4.x

Answer 12

Swift: Ui Button create programmatically

let myButton = UIButton() 
myButton.titleLabel!.frame = CGRectMake(15, 54, 300, 500) 
myButton.titleLabel!.text = "Button Label"
myButton.titleLabel!.textColor = UIColor.redColor()
myButton.titleLabel!.textAlignment = .Center

Answer 13

For Swift 3 Xcode 8.......

let button = UIButton(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: container.width, height: container.height))
        button.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.barItemTapped), for: .touchUpInside)


func barItemTapped(sender : UIButton) {
    //Write button action here
}

Answer 14

UIButton with constraints in iOS 9.1/Xcode 7.1.1/Swift 2.1:

import UIKit
import MapKit

class MapViewController: UIViewController {  

    override func loadView() {
        mapView = MKMapView()  //Create a view...
        view = mapView         //assign it to the ViewController's (inherited) view property.
                               //Equivalent to self.view = mapView

        myButton = UIButton(type: .RoundedRect)  //RoundedRect is an alias for System (tested by printing out their rawValue's)
        //myButton.frame = CGRect(x:50, y:500, width:70, height:50)  //Doesn't seem to be necessary when using constraints.
        myButton.setTitle("Current\nLocation", forState: .Normal)
        myButton.titleLabel?.lineBreakMode = .ByWordWrapping  //If newline in title, split title onto multiple lines
        myButton.titleLabel?.textAlignment = .Center
        myButton.setTitleColor(UIColor.whiteColor(), forState: .Normal)
        myButton.layer.cornerRadius = 6   //For some reason, a button with type RoundedRect has square corners
        myButton.backgroundColor = UIColor.redColor().colorWithAlphaComponent(0.5) //Make the color partially transparent
        //Attempt to add padding around text. Shrunk the frame when I tried it.  Negative values had no effect.
        //myButton.titleEdgeInsets = UIEdgeInsetsMake(-10,-10,-10,-10)
        myButton.contentEdgeInsets = UIEdgeInsetsMake(5,5,5,5)  //Add padding around text.

        myButton.addTarget(self, action: "getCurrentLocation:", forControlEvents: .TouchUpInside)
        mapView.addSubview(myButton)

        //Button Constraints:
        myButton.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false //***
        //bottomLayoutGuide(for tab bar) and topLayoutGuide(for status bar) are properties of the ViewController
        //To anchor above the tab bar on the bottom of the screen:
        let bottomButtonConstraint = myButton.bottomAnchor.constraintEqualToAnchor(bottomLayoutGuide.topAnchor, constant: -20) //Implied call of self.bottomLayoutGuide. Anchor 20 points **above** the top of the tab bar.
        //To anchor to the blue guide line that is inset from the left 
        //edge of the screen in InterfaceBuilder:
        let margins = view.layoutMarginsGuide  //Now the guide is a property of the View.
        let leadingButtonConstraint = myButton.leadingAnchor.constraintEqualToAnchor(margins.leadingAnchor)

        bottomButtonConstraint.active = true
        leadingButtonConstraint.active = true
    }


    func getCurrentLocation(sender: UIButton) {
        print("Current Location button clicked!")
    }

The button is anchored to the bottom left corner, above the tab bar.

Answer 15

In Swift We Can Make A button programmatically by writing this code in our viewcontroller.swift file...

import UIKit

class ViewController: UIViewController
{  
private let firstbutton:UIButton = UIButton()

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    self.firstbutton = UIButton.buttonWithType(UIButtonType.Custom) as? UIButton
    self.firstbutton!.frame = CGRectMake(100, 200, 100, 100)
    self.firstbutton!.backgroundColor = UIColor.redColor()
    self.firstbutton!.setTitle("My Button", forState: UIControlState.Normal)
    self.firstbutton!.addTarget(self, action:#selector(self.firstButtonClicked), forControlEvents: .TouchUpInside)
    self.view.addSubview(firstbutton!)
    }

func firstButtonClicked(){
   print("First Button Clicked")
}

Answer 16

Swift 4.2 - XCode 10.1

Using a closure

let button: UIButton = {
  let button = UIButton(type: .system)
  button.titleLabel?.font = UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 20)
  ...
  return button
}()

Answer 17

In iOS 12, Swift 4.2 & XCode 10.1

//For system type button
let button = UIButton(type: .system)
button.frame = CGRect(x: 100, y: 250, width: 100, height: 50)
//        button.backgroundColor = .blue
button.setTitle("Button", for: .normal)
button.setTitleColor(.white, for: .normal)
button.titleLabel?.font = UIFont.boldSystemFont(ofSize: 13.0)
button.titleLabel?.textAlignment = .center//Text alighment center
button.titleLabel?.numberOfLines = 0//To display multiple lines in UIButton
button.titleLabel?.lineBreakMode = .byWordWrapping//By word wrapping
button.tag = 1//To assign tag value
button.btnProperties()//Call UIButton properties from extension function
button.addTarget(self, action:#selector(self.buttonClicked), for: .touchUpInside)
self.view.addSubview(button)

//For custom type button (add image to your button)
let button2 = UIButton(type: .custom)
button2.frame = CGRect(x: 100, y: 400, width: 100, height: 50)
//        button2.backgroundColor = .blue
button2.setImage(UIImage.init(named: "img.png"), for: .normal)
button2.tag = 2
button2.btnProperties()//Call UIButton properties from extension function
button2.addTarget(self, action:#selector(self.buttonClicked), for: .touchUpInside)
self.view.addSubview(button2)

@objc func buttonClicked(sender:UIButton) {
    print("Button \(sender.tag) clicked")
}

//You can add UIButton properties like this also
extension UIButton {
    func btnProperties() {
        layer.cornerRadius = 10//Set button corner radious
        clipsToBounds = true
        backgroundColor = .blue//Set background colour
        //titleLabel?.textAlignment = .center//add properties like this
    }
}

Answer 18

In iOS 15 apple has introduced configuration(.gray(), .filled() and more) with the Button. There are lot more options with configuration.

 var grayButton: UIButton!

 func addButton() {
    grayButton = UIButton(configuration: .gray())
    grayButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(buttonPressed(_:)), for: .touchUpInside)
    grayButton.frame = CGRect(x: 10, y: 50, width: 150, height: 50)
    grayButton.configuration?.title = "Press Me"
    grayButton.configuration?.subtitle = "Sub Title"
    grayButton.configuration?.image = UIImage(systemName: "house")
    grayButton.configuration?.imagePadding = 10
    grayButton.configuration?.imagePlacement = .leading
    view.addSubview(grayButton)
}

@objc func buttonPressed(_ sender: UIButton) {
    grayButton.configuration?.showsActivityIndicator = true
    DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 3) {
        self.grayButton.configuration?.showsActivityIndicator = false
    }
}

Also we can show and hide activity indicator inside the button with showsActivityIndicator property.

Answer 19

If you go into the Main storyboard part, and in the bottom right go to the circle with a square, and use a blank button. Then in the code use @IBAction with it to get it wired in. Then you can make a @IBAction function with it.