css3buttons-rails gem

Integrate Nicholas Bruning's css3buttons_rails_helpers into Rails3.1+ via the asset pipeline.

The css3buttons-rails gem is a small set of helper methods designed to work in conjunction with the amazing css3 github buttons by Nicolas Gallagher.

The helpers allow rails developers to quickly and easily leverage this fantastic CSS library - without cluttering up your views and calls to link_to, button_to and submit_tag.

What's new in version this version?

In this version we've updated the css to now work with the css3 github buttons as standard, instead of the original css3buttons, in order to take advantage of a few of the features not included in the original library.

Additionally, there was some serious re-tooling of the helper methods to make them more usable, more dynamic and less prone to error.

Please note: as part of changes, calls to link_button_to will need to be updated to button_link_to. Everything else should work expected.

Getting started (Rails3.1+)

Include the gem in your gemfile and rum bundle

gem 'css3buttons'

Require the assets (stylesheets) in your app/asstes/stylesheets/application.css

*= require css3buttons
*= require_self
...

You should require the css3buttons stylesheet before any other styles because it loads a css reset script. If you don't want to load the reset script, just require this instead

*= require css3buttons/without-reset
*= require_self
...

Getting started (< Rails3.1)

Include the gem in your gemfile:

gem 'css3buttons'

Run the generators:

$ rails g css3buttons

Which will copy the stylesheets and icon/button images into your public directory.

In your layout, add the following:

<%= css3buttons_stylesheets %>

Which will add both the reset.css and the css3buttons.css stylesheet link tags.

Please note since this helper includes the css3buttons reset stylesheet, it's advisable to place this helper before all your other stylsheet declarations. However, if you'd like to use your own reset, you can skip it with:

<%= css3buttons_stylesheets :include_reset => false %>

The basics

To change your link_to calls to buttons, simply use button_link_to. For example:

<%= button_link_to "Search", search_path %>

The helper methods accept all the same parameters as link_to so upgrading and downgrading to css3buttons should be a snap.

Icons and pills and colours, oh my!

The gem also responds to a huge list of dynamic helper methods, to assist in adding icons, colours and styles to your buttons. Unlike previous versions of the gem, you can now add any of the features in any order.

Icons

To add an icon from the current icon list, simply prepend the helper method with the name of the icon you'd like to use. For example:

<%= magnifier_button_link_to "Search", search_path %>
<%= user_button_link_to "Account", edit_current_user_path %>
<%= pin_button_link_to "Mark on map", edit_map_path %>

Styles

Just like the icons, you can add options for primary, big and pill.

<%= primary_button_link_to "Home", root_path %>
<%= pill_button_link_to "Archive", archive_path %>
<%= big_primary_pill_button_link_to "Super Important!", super_important_path %>

Colors

Again with colors - simply add positive or negative to the front of your method call:

<%= negative_trash_button_link_to "Delete", delete_path %>
<%= positive_pill_reload_button_link_to "Reload", reload_path %>

In order to be compatible with the new css3 github buttons library, you can also use danger and safe - as alternatives.

Button groups

Button groups are snap, you just need to wrap your buttons with button_group, like so:

<%= button_group do %>
  <%= button_link_to "Show", @post %>
  <%= button_link_to "Edit", edit_post_path(@post) %>
  <%= negative_trash_button_link_to "Delete", @post, :confirm => "Are you sure? %>
<% end %>

And, of course, minor groups:

<%= minor_button_group do %>
  You know the drill by now.
<% end %>

Submit tags, button tags and using icons on form buttons

Submit tags were ushered in with version 0.9.2. Everything works as it does above, except instead of button_link_to it's button_submit_tag. Example:

<%= positive_button_submit_tag "Publish" %>

Keep in mind however, that icons do not work on <submit> tags. If you're wanting to include icons in your forms there is also a helper method to insert <button> tags instead. The method suffix in this case is button_tag. Examples:

<%= approve_button_tag "Update profile" %>
<%= negative_trash_button_tag "Deactivate account" %>

Formtastic compatibility

If you're using formtastic, you may experience issues with using css3buttons in your forms, due to the way the built-in formtastic styles modify default form buttons. In this instance, you can insert the following into your formtastic_changes.css stylesheet.

form.formtastic input.button, form.formtastic.button.button {
  height: 25px;
  padding: 0.2em 1em 0.2em 2.5em;
  font-family: sans-serif;
  font-size: 11px;
  margin-left: 5px;
}

CSS Snippet courtesy of vitobotta.

What's missing?

The button_group helper needs some proper tests, if anyone can point me as to how to stub out a rails request template in RSpec (or the right way to approach this test at all), that would be much appreciated!

I've noticed that this version of the css3 github buttons does not include any colours for the positive/safe styles - so this will appear as normal buttons, unless you add your own styling.

Forks and pull requests are always welcome.