Tool Bar Button

A tool bar button is a single button within a toolbar, rendered as a native <button> element for proper keyboard and screen reader support. It is designed to be placed inside a ToolBar container that manages roving focus keyboard navigation.

The component uses <button type="button"> to avoid unintended form submissions and supports the disabled attribute for disabling interaction. Content is provided through the children slot, allowing full flexibility in button content.

Implementation Notes

• Renders a <button> element with class tool-bar-button
• Spreads restProps onto the root element for consumer customization

Help

Use ToolBarButton for individual action buttons within a ToolBar. Common scenarios include text formatting buttons (Bold, Italic, Underline), drawing tool selectors, or media controls. The parent ToolBar manages keyboard navigation between buttons.

Syntax

<ToolBarButton>Label</ToolBarButton>

Usage

<ToolBar label="Text formatting">
  <ToolBarButton>Bold</ToolBarButton>
  <ToolBarButton>Italic</ToolBarButton>
  <ToolBarButton disabled>Strikethrough</ToolBarButton>
</ToolBar>

<ToolBar label="Drawing tools">
  <ToolBarButton aria-label="Pen tool">Pen</ToolBarButton>
  <ToolBarButton aria-label="Eraser tool">Eraser</ToolBarButton>
  <ToolBarButton aria-label="Fill tool" disabled>Fill</ToolBarButton>
</ToolBar>

Props

Examples

Inside a ToolBar:

<ToolBar label="Text formatting">
  <ToolBarButton>Bold</ToolBarButton>
  <ToolBarButton>Italic</ToolBarButton>
  <ToolBarButton disabled>Strikethrough</ToolBarButton>
</ToolBar>

Keyboard Interactions

• Tab: Focus the button (when not inside a ToolBar managing roving focus)
• Enter / Space: Activate the button (browser default)
• Arrow keys: Handled by parent ToolBar for roving focus navigation
• Button is skipped in tab order when disabled is true

ARIA

• Implicit button role from the <button> element
• disabled attribute communicates disabled state to assistive technology

When to Use

• Use inside ToolBar to represent one tool action such as formatting controls, drawing tools, or media actions.
• Use when you want a consistent button component that integrates with the parent ToolBar's roving focus navigation.
• Use for icon-only buttons with aria-label for accessible labelling.

When Not to Use

• Do not use outside ToolBar -- use Button for standalone actions.
• Do not use for task shortcuts -- use TaskBarButton inside a TaskBar instead.
• Do not use for navigation links -- use ActionLink instead.

Headless

This headless component provides a native <button type="button"> element with disabled support. It relies on the parent ToolBar for roving focus keyboard navigation. The consumer provides all content (text, icons) and all visual styling.

Styles

The consumer provides all CSS styling. The component renders with a .tool-bar-button class for targeting. No default styles are included — this is a fully headless component.

Testing

• Verify the component renders a <button> element with class tool-bar-button
• Verify keyboard interactions work correctly
• Verify pass-through attributes are applied

Advice

• Designers: Maintain consistent button sizing within the toolbar. For icon-only buttons, ensure there is an accessible label or tooltip.
• Developers: Use type="button" (already set) to prevent unintended form submissions. Pass additional attributes like aria-label via restProps for icon-only buttons.

Composition

ToolBarButton is a child of ToolBar, following the Bar/BarButton pattern. The parent ToolBar manages roving focus navigation between ToolBarButton children.

Related components

• tool-bar — a horizontal bar of tool actions

References

• WAI-ARIA Toolbar Pattern: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/patterns/toolbar/