I'm using ASP.NET, some of my buttons just do redirects. I'd rather they were ordinary links, but I don't want my users to notice much difference in the appearance. I considered images wrapped by anchors, i.e. tags, but I don't want to have to fire up an image editor every time I change the text on a button.
177
votes
See the response I accepted for this question: stackoverflow.com/questions/547222/…
– tvanfosson
You can use a service such as this one to generate the CSS for you after you configure a few aspects (color, size, font).
– Basil Bourque
I would answer how to do it with javascript but question has no "javascript" tag
– ilyaigpetrov
@ilyaigpetrov go ahead and post an answer. I asked this Q 7 years ago and it looks like it is a common problem and people have been needing a variety of solutions.
– MatthewMartin
23 Answers
243
votes
Apply this class to it
.button {
font: bold 11px Arial;
text-decoration: none;
background-color: #EEEEEE;
color: #333333;
padding: 2px 6px 2px 6px;
border-top: 1px solid #CCCCCC;
border-right: 1px solid #333333;
border-bottom: 1px solid #333333;
border-left: 1px solid #CCCCCC;
}<a href="#" class="button">Example</a>138
votes
38
votes
IMHO, there is a better and more elegant solution. If your link is this:
<a href="http://www.example.com">Click me!!!</a>
The corresponding button should be this:
<form method="GET" action="http://www.example.com">
<input type="submit" value="Click me!!!">
</form>
This approach is simpler because it uses simple html elements, so it will work in all the browsers without changing anything. Moreover, if you have styles for your buttons, this solution will apply the same styles to your new button for free.
31
votes
The CSS3 appearance property provides a simple way to style any element (including an anchor) with a browser's built-in <button> styles:
a.btn {
-webkit-appearance: button;
-moz-appearance: button;
appearance: button;
}<body>
<a class="btn">CSS Button</a>
</body>CSS Tricks has a nice outline with more details on this. Keep in mind that no version of Internet Explorer currently supports this according to caniuse.com.
23
votes
If you want nice button with rounded corners, then use this class:
.link_button {
-webkit-border-radius: 4px;
-moz-border-radius: 4px;
border-radius: 4px;
border: solid 1px #20538D;
text-shadow: 0 -1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
-webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4), 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
-moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4), 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4), 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
background: #4479BA;
color: #FFF;
padding: 8px 12px;
text-decoration: none;
}<a href="#" class="link_button">Example</a>22
votes
3
votes
As TStamper said, you can just apply the CSS class to it and design it that way. As CSS improves the number of things that you can do with links has become extraordinary, and there are design groups now that just focus on creating amazing-looking CSS buttons for themes, and so forth.
For example, you can transitions with background-color using the -webkit-transition property and pseduo-classes. Some of these designs can get quite nutty, but it's providing a fantastic alternative to what might in the past have had to have been done with, say, flash.
For example (these are mind-blowing in my opinion), http://tympanus.net/Development/CreativeButtons/ (this is a series of totally out-of-the-box animations for buttons, with source code on the originating page). http://www.commentredirect.com/make-awesome-flat-buttons-css/ (along the same lines, these buttons have nice but minimalistic transition effects, and they make use of the new "flat" design style.)
3
votes
You may do it with JavaScript:
- Get CSS styles of real button with
getComputedStyle(realButton). - Apply the styles to all your links.
/* javascript, after body is loaded */
'use strict';
{ // Namespace starts (to avoid polluting root namespace).
const btnCssText = window.getComputedStyle(
document.querySelector('.used-for-btn-css-class')
).cssText;
document.querySelectorAll('.btn').forEach(
(btn) => {
const _d = btn.style.display; // Hidden buttons should stay hidden.
btn.style.cssText = btnCssText;
btn.style.display = _d;
}
);
} // Namespace ends.<body>
<h3>Button Styled Links</h3>
<button class="used-for-btn-css-class" style="display: none"></button>
<a href="//github.io" class="btn">first</a>
<a href="//github.io" class="btn">second</a>
<button>real button</button>
<script>/* You may put JS here. */</script>
</body>2
votes
2
votes
This gets into the details of the css a bit more too, and gives you some images:
http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/csslibrary/item/css_square_buttons/
2
votes
Much belated answer:
I've been wrestling with this on and off since I first started working in ASP. Here's the best I've come up with:
Concept: I create a custom control that has a tag. Then in the button I put an onclick event that sets document.location to the desired value with JavaScript.
I called the control ButtonLink, so that I could easily get if confused with LinkButton.
aspx:
<%@ Control Language="VB" AutoEventWireup="false" CodeFile="ButtonLink.ascx.vb" Inherits="controls_ButtonLink" %>
<asp:Button runat="server" ID="button"/>
code behind:
Partial Class controls_ButtonLink
Inherits System.Web.UI.UserControl
Dim _url As String
Dim _confirm As String
Public Property NavigateUrl As String
Get
Return _url
End Get
Set(value As String)
_url = value
BuildJs()
End Set
End Property
Public Property confirm As String
Get
Return _confirm
End Get
Set(value As String)
_confirm = value
BuildJs()
End Set
End Property
Public Property Text As String
Get
Return button.Text
End Get
Set(value As String)
button.Text = value
End Set
End Property
Public Property enabled As Boolean
Get
Return button.Enabled
End Get
Set(value As Boolean)
button.Enabled = value
End Set
End Property
Public Property CssClass As String
Get
Return button.CssClass
End Get
Set(value As String)
button.CssClass = value
End Set
End Property
Sub BuildJs()
' This is a little kludgey in that if the user gives a url and a confirm message, we'll build the onclick string twice.
' But it's not that big a deal.
If String.IsNullOrEmpty(_url) Then
button.OnClientClick = Nothing
ElseIf String.IsNullOrEmpty(_confirm) Then
button.OnClientClick = String.Format("document.location='{0}';return false;", ResolveClientUrl(_url))
Else
button.OnClientClick = String.Format("if (confirm('{0}')) {{document.location='{1}';}} return false;", _confirm, ResolveClientUrl(_url))
End If
End Sub
End Class
Advantages of this scheme: It looks like a control. You write a single tag for it, <ButtonLink id="mybutton" navigateurl="blahblah"/>
The resulting button is a "real" HTML button and so looks just like a real button. You don't have to try to simulate the look of a button with CSS and then struggle with different looks on different browsers.
While the abilities are limited, you can easily extend it by adding more properties. It's likely that most properties would just have to "pass thru" to the underlying button, like I did for text, enabled and cssclass.
If anybody's got a simpler, cleaner or otherwise better solution, I'd be happy to hear it. This is a pain, but it works.
2
votes
This is what I used. Link button is
<div class="link-button"><a href="/">Example</a></div>
CSS
/* body is sans-serif */
.link-button {
margin-top:15px;
max-width:90px;
background-color:#eee;
border-color:#888888;
color:#333;
display:inline-block;
vertical-align:middle;
text-align:center;
text-decoration:none;
align-items:flex-start;
cursor:default;
-webkit-appearence: push-button;
border-style: solid;
border-width: 1px;
border-radius: 5px;
font-size: 1em;
font-family: inherit;
border-color: #000;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
width: 100%;
min-height: 30px;
}
.link-button a {
margin-top:4px;
display:inline-block;
text-decoration:none;
color:#333;
}
.link-button:hover {
background-color:#888;
}
.link-button:active {
background-color:#333;
}
.link-button:hover a, .link-button:active a {
color:#fff;
}
2
votes
How about using asp:LinkButton?
You can do that - I made a linkbutton look like a standard button, using TStamper's entry. Underlining showed under the text when I hovered, though, in spite of the text-decoration: none setting.
I was able to stop the hover-underlining by adding style="text-decoration: none" within the linkbutton:
<asp:LinkButton
id="btnUpdate"
CssClass="btnStyleTStamper"
style="text-decoration: none"
Text="Update Items"
Onclick="UpdateGrid"
runat="server"
/>
2
votes
By using border, color and background color properties you can create a button lookalike html link!
a {
background-color: white;
color: black;
padding: 5px;
text-decoration: none;
border: 1px solid black;
}
a:hover {
background-color: black;
color: white;
}<a href="https://stackoverflow.com/
">Open StackOverflow</a>Hope this helps :]
2
votes
Use this class. It will make your link look the same as a button when applied using the button class on an a tag.
or
.button {
display: inline-block;
outline: none;
cursor: pointer;
border: solid 1px #da7c0c;
background: #478dad;
text-align: center;
text-decoration: none;
font: 14px/100% Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
padding: .5em 2em .55em;
text-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,.3);
-webkit-border-radius: .5em;
-moz-border-radius: .5em;
border-radius: .3em;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.2);
-moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.2);
box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.2);
}
.button:hover {
background: #f47c20;
background: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(#f88e11), to(#f06015));
background: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #f88e11, #f06015);
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient(startColorstr='#f88e11', endColorstr='#f06015');
}
.button:active {
position: relative;
top: 1px;
}
1
votes
0
votes
0
votes
Use below snippet.
.a{
color: $brn-acc-clr;
background-color: transparent;
border-color: #888888;
&:hover:active{
outline: none;
color: #888888;
border-color: #888888;
}
&:fill{
background-color: #888888;
color: #fff;
box-shadow: 0 3px 10px rgba(#888888, 0.5);
&:hover:active{
color: #fff;
}
&:hover:not(:disabled){
transform: translateY(-2px);
background-color: darken(#888888, 4);
}
}
}
0
votes
Simple button css now you can play around with your editor
a {
display: inline-block;
background: #000000c9;
color: #000;
padding: 12px 24px;
text-align: center;
text-decoration: none;
font-size: 16px;
cursor: pointer;
}
a:hover {
background:#000
cursor: pointer;
transition: 0.3s ease-in;
}
Link tag
<a href="#">Hover me<a>
0
votes
If you need some cool effect, hover and shadow; you can use this:
.button {
text-decoration: none;
padding: 15px 25px;
font-size: 24px;
cursor: pointer;
text-align: center;
text-decoration: none;
outline: none;
color: #fff;
background-color: #450775;
border: none;
border-radius: 15px;
box-shadow: 0 9px #e1d5ed;
}
.button:hover {background-color: #220440}
.button:active {
background-color: #230545;
box-shadow: 0 5px #e1d5ed;
transform: translateY(4px);
}
0
votes
-1
votes
-2
votes
