ButtonGroup

Button group UI container

Description

A button group UI container manages exclusive selection of radio buttons or toggle buttons. Use the ButtonGroup object to modify the appearance and behavior of a button group after you create it.

Creation

Create a button group in an app using the uibuttongroup function.

Properties

expand all

Title

`Title` — Title
character vector | string scalar | categorical array

Title, specified as a character vector, string scalar, or categorical array. If you specify this property as a categorical array, MATLAB^® displays only the first element in the array.

MATLAB does not interpret a vertical slash ('|') character as a line break, it displays as a vertical slash in the title.

If you want to specify a Unicode^® character, pass the Unicode decimal code to the char function. For example, ['Multiples of ' char(960)] displays as Multiples of π.

`TitlePosition` — Location of title
`'lefttop'` (default) | `'centertop'` | `'righttop'` | ...

Location of the title, specified as 'lefttop', 'centertop', or 'righttop'.

`figure`-Based Apps

For button groups in apps created with the figure function, you can additionally specify the location of the title as 'leftbottom', 'centerbottom', or 'rightbottom'.

Color and Styling

`ForegroundColor` — Title color
`[0 0 0]` (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

Title color, specified as an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, or one of the color options listed in the table.

RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes are useful for specifying custom colors.

An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]; for example,[0.4 0.6 0.7].
A hexadecimal color code is a character vector or a string scalar that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Thus, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and hexadecimal color codes.

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code
`"red"`	`"r"`	`[1 0 0]`	`"#FF0000"`
`"green"`	`"g"`	`[0 1 0]`	`"#00FF00"`
`"blue"`	`"b"`	`[0 0 1]`	`"#0000FF"`
`"cyan"`	`"c"`	`[0 1 1]`	`"#00FFFF"`
`"magenta"`	`"m"`	`[1 0 1]`	`"#FF00FF"`
`"yellow"`	`"y"`	`[1 1 0]`	`"#FFFF00"`
`"black"`	`"k"`	`[0 0 0]`	`"#000000"`
`"white"`	`"w"`	`[1 1 1]`	`"#FFFFFF"`

Here are the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for the default colors MATLAB uses in many types of plots.

RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]`	`"#0072BD"`
`[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]`	`"#D95319"`
`[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250]`	`"#EDB120"`
`[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560]`	`"#7E2F8E"`
`[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880]`	`"#77AC30"`
`[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330]`	`"#4DBEEE"`
`[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840]`	`"#A2142F"`

`BackgroundColor` — Background color
`[0.94 0.94 0.94]` (default) | RGB Triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

Background color, specified as an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, or one of the color options listed in the table.

RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes are useful for specifying custom colors.

An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]; for example,[0.4 0.6 0.7].
A hexadecimal color code is a character vector or a string scalar that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Thus, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and hexadecimal color codes.

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code
`"red"`	`"r"`	`[1 0 0]`	`"#FF0000"`
`"green"`	`"g"`	`[0 1 0]`	`"#00FF00"`
`"blue"`	`"b"`	`[0 0 1]`	`"#0000FF"`
`"cyan"`	`"c"`	`[0 1 1]`	`"#00FFFF"`
`"magenta"`	`"m"`	`[1 0 1]`	`"#FF00FF"`
`"yellow"`	`"y"`	`[1 1 0]`	`"#FFFF00"`
`"black"`	`"k"`	`[0 0 0]`	`"#000000"`
`"white"`	`"w"`	`[1 1 1]`	`"#FFFFFF"`

Here are the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for the default colors MATLAB uses in many types of plots.

RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]`	`"#0072BD"`
`[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]`	`"#D95319"`
`[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250]`	`"#EDB120"`
`[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560]`	`"#7E2F8E"`
`[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880]`	`"#77AC30"`
`[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330]`	`"#4DBEEE"`
`[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840]`	`"#A2142F"`

`BorderType` — Button group border
`'line'` | `'none'` | ...

Button group border, specified as 'line' or 'none'. For button groups in apps created with the uifigure function, the default value of BorderType is 'line'.

`figure`-Based Apps

For button groups in apps created with the figure function, the default value of BorderType is 'etchedin'. You can additionally specify the button group border as 'etchedin', 'etchedout', 'beveledin', or 'beveledout'.

For a 3-D appearance, use etched or beveled borders.
Use the BorderColor and ShadowColor properties to specify the color of 3-D borders.
For a simpler appearance, use a line border.
Use the BorderColor property to specify the line border color.

`BorderWidth` — Border width
1 (default) | positive integer value

Border width, specified as a positive integer value. The unit of measurement is pixels.

`BorderColor` — Border color
RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

Border color, specified as an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, or one of the color options listed in the table.

RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes are useful for specifying custom colors.

An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]; for example,[0.4 0.6 0.7].
A hexadecimal color code is a character vector or a string scalar that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Thus, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and hexadecimal color codes.

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code
`"red"`	`"r"`	`[1 0 0]`	`"#FF0000"`
`"green"`	`"g"`	`[0 1 0]`	`"#00FF00"`
`"blue"`	`"b"`	`[0 0 1]`	`"#0000FF"`
`"cyan"`	`"c"`	`[0 1 1]`	`"#00FFFF"`
`"magenta"`	`"m"`	`[1 0 1]`	`"#FF00FF"`
`"yellow"`	`"y"`	`[1 1 0]`	`"#FFFF00"`
`"black"`	`"k"`	`[0 0 0]`	`"#000000"`
`"white"`	`"w"`	`[1 1 1]`	`"#FFFFFF"`

Here are the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for the default colors MATLAB uses in many types of plots.

RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]`	`"#0072BD"`
`[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]`	`"#D95319"`
`[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250]`	`"#EDB120"`
`[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560]`	`"#7E2F8E"`
`[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880]`	`"#77AC30"`
`[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330]`	`"#4DBEEE"`
`[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840]`	`"#A2142F"`

Font

`FontName` — Font name
system supported font name

Font name, specified as a system supported font name. The default font depends on the specific operating system and locale.

If the specified font is not available, then MATLAB uses the best match among the fonts available on the system where the app is running.

Example: 'Arial'

`figure`-Based Apps

For button groups in apps created with the figure function, you can additionally specify the font name as 'FixedWidth'. This uses fixed-width font that looks good in any locale. The actual fixed-width font used depends on the FixedWidthFontName property of the root object. Changing the FixedWidthFontName property causes an immediate update of the display to use the new font.

`FontSize` — Font size
positive number

Font size, specified as a positive number. The FontUnits property specifies the units. The default font size depends on the specific operating system and locale.

Example: 14

`FontWeight` — Font weight
`'normal'` (default) | `'bold'`

Font weight, specified as one of these values:

'normal' — Default weight as defined by the particular font
'bold' — Thicker character outlines than 'normal'

Not all fonts have a bold font weight. For fonts that do not, specifying 'bold' results in the normal font weight.

`FontAngle` — Font angle
`'normal'` (default) | `'italic'`

Font angle, specified as 'normal' or 'italic'. Not all fonts have an italic font angle. For fonts that do not, specifying 'italic' results in the normal font angle.

`FontUnits` — Font unit of measurement
`'pixels'` | `'points'` | `'normalized'` | `'inches'` | `'centimeters'`

Font unit of measurement, specified as one of the values in this table.

Units Value	Description
`'pixels'` (default)	Distances in pixels are independent of your system resolution on Windows^® and Macintosh systems: On Windows systems, a pixel is 1/96th of an inch. On Macintosh systems, a pixel is 1/72nd of an inch. On Linux^® systems, the size of a pixel is determined by your system resolution.
`'points'`	One point is 1/72nd of an inch.
`'normalized'`	Normalized values for specifying the font size as a fraction of the height. When you resize a UI component, MATLAB scales the displayed font to maintain that fraction.
`'inches'`	Inches.
`'centimeters'`	Centimeters.

`figure`-Based Apps

For button groups in apps created with the figure function, the default value of FontUnits is 'points'.

Interactivity

`Visible` — State of visibility
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

State of visibility, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

'on' — Display the object.
'off' — Hide the object without deleting it. You still can access the properties of an invisible UI component.

To make your app start faster, set the Visible property to 'off' for all components that do not need to appear at startup.

Changing the size of an invisible container triggers the SizeChangedFcn callback when it becomes visible.

Changing the Visible property of a container does not change the values of the Visible properties of child components. This is true even though hiding the container causes the child components to be hidden.

`SelectedObject` — Currently selected radio button or toggle button
first radio button or toggle button in button group (default)

Currently selected radio button or toggle button, specified as a RadioButton or a ToggleButton object in uifigure-based apps, or a UIControl object in figure-based apps.

Get the value of this property to determine which button is currently selected within the button group.

Set the value of this property to change the currently selected button. When you change the selection using this property, MATLAB adjusts the Value property for the other buttons within the button group accordingly.

For example, suppose that your button group contains three radio buttons and you set the SelectedObject property to radiobutton3. MATLAB sets the Value property for each child RadioButton as follows:

radiobutton1.Value = false;
radiobutton2.Value = false;
radiobutton3.Value = true;

In other words, setting the SelectedObject property has the same effect as setting the Value property of the buttons in the button group.

`ContextMenu` — Context menu
empty `GraphicsPlaceholder` array (default) | `ContextMenu` object

Context menu, specified as a ContextMenu object created using the uicontextmenu function. Use this property to display a context menu when you right-click on a component.

Position

`Position` — Location and size of button group, including borders and title
`[left bottom width height]`

Location and size of the button group, including borders and title, specified as a vector of the form [left bottom width height]. This table describes each element in the vector.

Element	Description
`left`	Distance from the inner left edge of the parent container to the outer left edge of the button group
`bottom`	Distance from the inner bottom edge of the parent container to the outer bottom edge of the button group
`width`	Distance between the right and left outer edges of the button group
`height`	Distance between the top and bottom outer edges of the button group

All measurements are in units specified by the Units property.

The Position values are relative to the drawable area of the parent container. The drawable area is the area inside the borders of the container and does not include the area occupied by decorations such as a menu bar or title.

Note

If the button group is parented to a grid layout manager, the value of the Position property is not immediately updated. To use the Position value to resize the button group children relative to the button group size, use a SizeChangedFcn callback.

`InnerPosition` — Location and size of button group, excluding borders and title
`[left bottom width height]`

This property is read-only.

Location and size of the button group, excluding borders and title, returned as a four-element vector of the form [left bottom width height]. This table describes each element in the vector.

Value	Description
`left`	Distance from the inner left edge of the parent container to the inner left edge of the button group.
`bottom`	Distance from the inner bottom edge of the parent container to the inner bottom edge of the button group.
`width`	Distance between the inner edges of the button group’s right and left borders.
`height`	Distance between the inner edges of the button group’s top and bottom borders. This distance excludes the title, if it exists.

All measurements are in units specified by the Units property.

Note

These are some important points to consider when using the InnerPosition property:

InnerPosition values are affected by the presence (or absence) of a title, the font characteristics, and the BorderType.
InnerPosition values are relative to the parent container’s drawable area. The drawable area is the area inside the borders of the container and does not include the area occupied by the title.

`OuterPosition` — Location and size of button group, including borders and title
`[left bottom width height]`

Location and size of the button group, including borders and title, specified as a four-element vector of the form [left bottom width height]. All measurements are in units specified by the Units property.

This property value is identical to the Position property value.

`Units` — Units of measurement
`'pixels'` | `'normalized'` | `'inches'` | `'centimeters'` | `'points'` | `'characters'`

Units of measurement, specified as one of the values in this table.

Units Value	Description
`'pixels'` (default in `uifigure`-based apps)	Distances in pixels are independent of your system resolution on Windows and Macintosh systems: On Windows systems, a pixel is 1/96th of an inch. On Macintosh systems, a pixel is 1/72nd of an inch. On Linux systems, the size of a pixel is determined by your system resolution.
`'normalized'` (default in `figure`-based apps)	These units are normalized with respect to the parent container. The lower-left corner of the container maps to `(0,0)` and the upper-right corner maps to `(1,1)`.
`'inches'`	Inches.
`'centimeters'`	Centimeters.
`'points'`	Points. One point equals 1/72nd of an inch.
`'characters'`	These units are based on the default uicontrol font of the graphics root object: Character width = width of the letter `x`. Character height = distance between the baselines of two lines of text. To access the default uicontrol font, use `get(groot,'defaultuicontrolFontName')` or `set(groot,'defaultuicontrolFontName')`.

The recommended value is 'pixels', because most MATLAB app building functionality measures distances in pixels. You can create an object that rescales based on the size of the parent container by parenting the object to a grid layout manager created using the uigridlayout function. For more information, see Lay Out Apps Programmatically.

Callbacks

`SelectionChangedFcn` — Selection changed callback
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

Selection changed callback, specified as one of these values:

A function handle.
A cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.
A character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

This callback executes when the user selects a different button within the button group in the app. It does not execute if a radio or toggle button Value property changes programmatically.

This callback function can access specific information about the user’s interaction with the buttons. MATLAB passes this information in a SelectionChangedData object as the second argument to your callback function. In App Designer, the argument is called event. You can query the object properties using dot notation. For example, event.NewValue returns the currently selected button. The SelectionChangedData object is not available to callback functions specified as character vectors.

The following table lists the properties of the SelectionChangedData object.

Property	Description
`OldValue`	Previously selected button
`NewValue`	Currently selected button
`Source`	Component that executes the callback
`EventName`	`'SelectionChanged'`

For more information about writing callbacks, see Callbacks in App Designer.

`SizeChangedFcn` — Size change callback
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

Size change callback, specified as one of these values:

A function handle.
A cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.
A character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

Define this callback to customize the app layout when the size of this container changes (e.g., when the user resizes the window). In it, write code to adjust the Position property of the child components.

Note

In uifigure-based apps, the SizeChangedFcn callback will not execute unless the AutoResizeChildren property of this container is set to 'off'. In App Designer, you can make the SizeChangedFcn executable by selecting the container and clearing the AutoResizeChildren check box in the component tab of the Component Browser.

The SizeChangedFcn callback executes when:

This container becomes visible for the first time.
This container is visible while its size changes.
This container becomes visible for the first time after its size changes. This situation occurs when the size changes while the container is invisible, and then it becomes visible later.

Other important points to consider when defining a SizeChangedFcn callback:

Consider delaying the display of this container until after all the variables that the SizeChangedFcn uses are defined. This practice can prevent the SizeChangedFcn callback from returning an error. To delay the display of the container, set its Visible property to 'off'. Then, set the Visible property to 'on' after you define the variables that your SizeChangedFcn callback uses.
If your app contains nested containers, they resize from the inside out.
To access the container that is resizing from within the SizeChangedFcn, refer to the source object (the first input argument in the callback) or use the gcbo function.

In uifigure-based apps, alternate ways to specify resize behavior are to create a GridLayout object or use the auto-reflow options in App Designer. These options can be easier to use than SizeChangedFcn callbacks. However, there are some advantages that SizeChangedFcn callbacks have over these options. For example:

Resizing a component up to a minimum or maximum size that you define.
Implementing non-linear resize behaviors.

`ButtonDownFcn` — Button-press callback function
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

Button-press callback function, specified as one of these values:

A function handle.
A cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.
A character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

For more information about specifying a callback property value as a function handle, cell array, or character vector, see Specify a Callback Function.

The ButtonDownFcn callback is a function that executes when the user clicks a mouse button within the container.

`CreateFcn` — Creation function
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

Object creation function, specified as one of these values:

Function handle.
Cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.
Character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

For more information about specifying a callback as a function handle, cell array, or character vector, see Callbacks in App Designer.

This property specifies a callback function to execute when MATLAB creates the object. MATLAB initializes all property values before executing the CreateFcn callback. If you do not specify the CreateFcn property, then MATLAB executes a default creation function.

Setting the CreateFcn property on an existing component has no effect.

If you specify this property as a function handle or cell array, you can access the object that is being created using the first argument of the callback function. Otherwise, use the gcbo function to access the object.

`DeleteFcn` — Deletion function
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

Object deletion function, specified as one of these values:

Function handle.
Cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.
Character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

For more information about specifying a callback as a function handle, cell array, or character vector, see Callbacks in App Designer.

This property specifies a callback function to execute when MATLAB deletes the object. MATLAB executes the DeleteFcn callback before destroying the properties of the object. If you do not specify the DeleteFcn property, then MATLAB executes a default deletion function.

If you specify this property as a function handle or cell array, you can access the object that is being deleted using the first argument of the callback function. Otherwise, use the gcbo function to access the object.

Callback Execution Control

`Interruptible` — Callback interruption
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

Callback interruption, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

This property determines if a running callback can be interrupted. There are two callback states to consider:

The running callback is the currently executing callback.
The interrupting callback is a callback that tries to interrupt the running callback.

MATLAB determines callback interruption behavior whenever it executes a command that processes the callback queue. These commands include drawnow, figure, uifigure, getframe, waitfor, and pause.

If the running callback does not contain one of these commands, then no interruption occurs. MATLAB first finishes executing the running callback, and later executes the interrupting callback.

If the running callback does contain one of these commands, then the Interruptible property of the object that owns the running callback determines if the interruption occurs:

If the value of Interruptible is 'off', then no interruption occurs. Instead, the BusyAction property of the object that owns the interrupting callback determines if the interrupting callback is discarded or added to the callback queue.
If the value of Interruptible is 'on', then the interruption occurs. The next time MATLAB processes the callback queue, it stops the execution of the running callback and executes the interrupting callback. After the interrupting callback completes, MATLAB then resumes executing the running callback.

Note

Callback interruption and execution behave differently in these situations:

If the interrupting callback is a DeleteFcn, CloseRequestFcn, or SizeChangedFcn callback, then the interruption occurs regardless of the Interruptible property value.
If the running callback is currently executing the waitfor function, then the interruption occurs regardless of the Interruptible property value.
If the interrupting callback is owned by a Timer object, then the callback executes according to schedule regardless of the Interruptible property value.

Note

When an interruption occurs, MATLAB does not save the state of properties or the display. For example, the object returned by the gca or gcf command might change when another callback executes.

`BusyAction` — Callback queuing
`'queue'` (default) | `'cancel'`

Callback queuing, specified as 'queue' or 'cancel'. The BusyAction property determines how MATLAB handles the execution of interrupting callbacks. There are two callback states to consider:

The running callback is the currently executing callback.
The interrupting callback is a callback that tries to interrupt the running callback.

The BusyAction property determines callback queuing behavior only when both of these conditions are met:

The running callback contains a command that processes the callback queue, such as drawnow, figure, uifigure, getframe, waitfor, or pause.
The value of the Interruptible property of the object that owns the running callback is 'off'.

Under these conditions, the BusyAction property of the object that owns the interrupting callback determines how MATLAB handles the interrupting callback. These are possible values of the BusyAction property:

'queue' — Puts the interrupting callback in a queue to be processed after the running callback finishes execution.
'cancel' — Does not execute the interrupting callback.

`BeingDeleted` — Deletion status
on/off logical value

This property is read-only.

Deletion status, returned as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

MATLAB sets the BeingDeleted property to 'on' when the DeleteFcn callback begins execution. The BeingDeleted property remains set to 'on' until the component object no longer exists.

Check the value of the BeingDeleted property to verify that the object is not about to be deleted before querying or modifying it.

`HitTest` — Ability to become current object
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

Ability to become current object, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

'on' — Sets the current object to the ButtonGroup when the user clicks the component in the running app. Both the CurrentObject property of the Figure and the gco function return the ButtonGroup as the current object.
'off' — Sets the current object to be the closest ancestor of the ButtonGroup whose HitTest is 'on' when the user clicks the component in the running app.

Parent/Child

`Parent` — Parent container
`Figure` object (default) | `Panel` object | `Tab` object | `ButtonGroup` object | `GridLayout` object

Parent container, specified as a Figure object created using the uifigure function, or one of its child containers: Tab, Panel, ButtonGroup, or GridLayout. If no container is specified, MATLAB calls the uifigure function to create a new Figure object that serves as the parent container.

`Children` — `ButtonGroup` children
empty `GraphicsPlaceholder` array (default) | 1-D array of component objects

ButtonGroup children, returned as an empty GraphicsPlaceholder or a 1-D array of component objects. The children of a ButtonGroup object can be any UI component object, including another ButtonGroup object.

You cannot add or remove child components using the Children property of the ButtonGroup. Use the Children property value to view the list of children or to reorder the children. The order of the children in the property value array reflects the front-to-back order (stacking order) of the components on the screen.

To add a child to this list, set the Parent property of the child component to the ButtonGroup.

`HandleVisibility` — Visibility of object handle
`'on'` (default) | `'callback'` | `'off'`

Visibility of the object handle, specified as 'on', 'callback', or 'off'.

This property controls the visibility of the object in its parent's list of children. When an object is not visible in its parent's list of children, it is not returned by functions that obtain objects by searching the object hierarchy or querying properties. These functions include get, findobj, clf, and close. Objects are valid even if they are not visible. If you can access an object, you can set and get its properties, and pass it to any function that operates on objects.

HandleVisibility Value	Description
`'on'`	The object is always visible.
`'callback'`	The object is visible from within callbacks or functions invoked by callbacks, but not from within functions invoked from the command line. This option blocks access to the object at the command-line, but allows callback functions to access it.
`'off'`	The object is invisible at all times. This option is useful for preventing unintended changes to the UI by another function. Set the `HandleVisibility` to `'off'` to temporarily hide the object during the execution of that function.

Identifiers

`Type` — Type of graphics object
`'uibuttongroup'`

This property is read-only.

Type of graphics object, returned as 'uibuttongroup'.

`Tag` — Object identifier
`''` (default) | character vector | string scalar

Object identifier, specified as a character vector or string scalar. You can specify a unique Tag value to serve as an identifier for an object. When you need access to the object elsewhere in your code, you can use the findobj function to search for the object based on the Tag value.

`UserData` — User data
`[]` (default) | array

User data, specified as any MATLAB array. For example, you can specify a scalar, vector, matrix, cell array, character array, table, or structure. Use this property to store arbitrary data on an object.

If you are working in App Designer, create public or private properties in the app to share data instead of using the UserData property. For more information, see Share Data Within App Designer Apps.

`uifigure`-Based Apps Only

`Buttons` — Buttons managed by button group
array of `RadioButton` objects | array of `ToggleButton` objects

This property is read-only.

Note

This property is valid only for button groups in App Designer and in apps created using the uifigure function.

Buttons managed by the button group, returned as an array of RadioButton objects or an array of ToggleButton objects.

This property does not necessarily return all the child components of the ButtonGroup object. If you need to access child components that are not RadioButton or ToggleButton objects, use the Children property.

`Enable` — Operational state
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

Note

This property is valid only for button groups in App Designer and in apps created using the uifigure function.

Operational state, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

If you set this property to 'on', the app user can interact with the component.
If you set this property to 'off', the component appears dimmed, indicating that the app user cannot interact with it, and that it will not trigger a callback.

Changing the value of the Enable property for a button group does not change the value of the Enable property for UI components contained within that button group.

`Tooltip` — Tooltip
`''` (default) | character vector | cell array of character vectors | string array | 1-D categorical array

Note

This property is valid only for button groups in App Designer and in apps created using the uifigure function.

Tooltip, specified as a character vector, cell array of character vectors, string array, or 1-D categorical array. Use this property to display a message when the user hovers the pointer over the component at run time. To display multiple lines of text, specify a cell array of character vectors or a string array. Each element in the array becomes a separate line of text. If you specify this property as a categorical array, MATLAB uses the values in the array, not the full set of categories.

`Scrollable` — Ability to scroll
`'off'` (default) | on/off logical value

Note

This property is valid only for button groups in App Designer and in apps created using the uifigure function.

Ability to scroll, specified as 'off' or 'on', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

Setting this property to 'on' enables scrolling within the container. However, there are additional requirements:

The child components in the container must occupy a larger area than the container can display at one time.
Components that do not fit in the container must be above or to the right of the container. You cannot scroll to components that are below or to the left of the container.

Certain types of charts and axes do not support scrollable containers. However, you can place the chart or axes in a nonscrollable panel, and then place the panel in the scrollable container. For more information, see Display Graphics in App Designer.

`AutoResizeChildren` — Automatically resize children
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

Note

This property is valid only for button groups in App Designer and in apps created using the uifigure function.

Automatically resize children, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

'on' — Child components automatically resize when the container resizes.
'off' — Child components do not resize.

The AutoResizeChildren property affects direct children of the container, not children inside nested containers.

To customize the resize behavior, set the AutoResizeChildren property to 'off' and create a SizeChangedFcn callback for the container. For more information, see Manage App Resize Behavior Programmatically.

To disable resizing of an app, set the Resize property of the figure to 'off'.

`Layout` — Layout options
empty `LayoutOptions` array (default) | `GridLayoutOptions` object

Note

This property is valid only for button groups in App Designer and in apps created using the uifigure function.

Layout options, specified as a GridLayoutOptions object. This property specifies options for components that are children of grid layout containers. If the component is not a child of a grid layout container (for example, it is a child of a figure or panel), then this property is empty and has no effect. However, if the component is a child of a grid layout container, you can place the component in the desired row and column of the grid by setting the Row and Column properties on the GridLayoutOptions object.

For example, this code places a button group in the third row and second column of its parent grid.

g = uigridlayout([4 3]);
bg = uibuttongroup(g);
bg.Layout.Row = 3;
bg.Layout.Column = 2;

To make the button group span multiple rows or columns, specify the Row or Column property as a two-element vector. For example, this button group spans columns 2 through 3:

bg.Layout.Column = [2 3];

`figure`-Based Apps Only

`ShadowColor` — Border shadow color
RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

Note

This property is valid only for button groups in apps created using the figure function.

Border shadow color, specified as an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, or one of the color options listed in the table.

RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes are useful for specifying custom colors.

An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]; for example,[0.4 0.6 0.7].
A hexadecimal color code is a character vector or a string scalar that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Thus, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and hexadecimal color codes.

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code
`"red"`	`"r"`	`[1 0 0]`	`"#FF0000"`
`"green"`	`"g"`	`[0 1 0]`	`"#00FF00"`
`"blue"`	`"b"`	`[0 0 1]`	`"#0000FF"`
`"cyan"`	`"c"`	`[0 1 1]`	`"#00FFFF"`
`"magenta"`	`"m"`	`[1 0 1]`	`"#FF00FF"`
`"yellow"`	`"y"`	`[1 1 0]`	`"#FFFF00"`
`"black"`	`"k"`	`[0 0 0]`	`"#000000"`
`"white"`	`"w"`	`[1 1 1]`	`"#FFFFFF"`

Here are the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for the default colors MATLAB uses in many types of plots.

RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]`	`"#0072BD"`
`[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]`	`"#D95319"`
`[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250]`	`"#EDB120"`
`[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560]`	`"#7E2F8E"`
`[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880]`	`"#77AC30"`
`[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330]`	`"#4DBEEE"`
`[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840]`	`"#A2142F"`

Object Functions

`scroll`	Scroll to location within component
`isInScrollView`	Determine if component is visible in scrollable container

Examples

collapse all

Create Scrollable Button Group

Open Live Script

Use the Scrollable property to enable within a button group that has components outside its borders. Scrolling is only possible when the button group is in a figure created with the uifigure function. App Designer uses this type of figure for creating apps.

Create a button group in a UI figure. Add six toggle buttons, with the first three lying outside the upper border of the button group.

fig = uifigure;
bg = uibuttongroup(fig,"Position",[20 20 196 135]);
tb1 = uitogglebutton(bg,"Position",[11 165 140 22],"Text","One");
tb2 = uitogglebutton(bg,"Position",[11 140 140 22],"Text","Two");
tb3 = uitogglebutton(bg,"Position",[11 115 140 22],"Text","Three");
tb4 = uitogglebutton(bg,"Position",[11 90 140 22],"Text","Four");
tb5 = uitogglebutton(bg,"Position",[11 65 140 22],"Text","Five");
tb6 = uitogglebutton(bg,"Position",[11 40 140 22],"Text","Six");

Figure contains an object of type uibuttongroup.

Enable scrolling by setting the Scrollable property of the button group to 'on'. By default, the scroll box displays at the top.

bg.Scrollable = 'on';

Figure contains an object of type uibuttongroup.

Code Response to Radio Button Selection

Open Live Script

Create an app that shows the previous and current button selections in the MATLAB Command Window when the user selects a different radio button in a button group.

In a file named buttonGroupApp.m, write a function that implements the app:

Create a UI figure with a button group that contains three radio buttons.
Write a callback function named displaySelection for the button group that displays the text of the previously and currently selected radio buttons, and assign the function to the SelectionChangedFcn callback property. For more information about callbacks, see Create Callbacks for Apps Created Programmatically.

function buttonGroupApp
fig = uifigure;
bg = uibuttongroup(fig, ...
    "SelectionChangedFcn",@displaySelection, ...
    "Position",[137 113 123 85]);
r1 = uiradiobutton(bg, ...
    "Text","Option 1", ...
    "Position",[10 50 100 22]);
r2 = uiradiobutton(bg, ...
    "Text","Option 2", ...
    "Position",[10 28 100 22]);
r3 = uiradiobutton(bg, ...
    "Text","Option 3", ...
    "Position",[10 6 100 22]);

function displaySelection(src,event)
disp("Previous: " + event.OldValue.Text);
disp("Current: " + event.NewValue.Text);
end
end

Run the buttonGroupApp function. Change the button selection. The previous and current selection displays in the Command Window.

buttonGroupApp

Figure contains an object of type uibuttongroup.

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

expand all

R2023a: Change button group border color using `BorderColor` property, not `HighlightColor`

You can change the border color of a button group in both uifigure-based and figure-based apps by using the BorderColor property.

The BorderColor property is recommended over the HighlightColor property, which is supported only in figure-based apps. However, there are no plans to remove support for HighlightColor.

R2022b: Change button group border width in `uifigure`-based apps

In apps created in App Designer and using the uifigure function, use the BorderWidth property to change the border width of the button group.

R2020b: Turn interaction off and on

To control whether a button group responds to user interaction, use the Enable property. When the Enable property is set to 'on', you can interact with the button group and with UI components within it as long as they are enabled. When the Enable property is set to 'off', you cannot interact with the button group or its content.

The Enable property is supported only for button groups in App Designer and uifigure-based apps.

R2020a: `UIContextMenu` property is not recommended

Starting in R2020a, using the UIContextMenu property to assign a context menu to a graphics object or UI component is not recommended. Use the ContextMenu property instead. The property values are the same.

There are no plans to remove support for the UIContextMenu property at this time. However, the UIContextMenu property no longer appears in the list returned by calling the get function on a graphics object or UI component.

R2015a: `ResizeFcn` property is not recommended

Starting in R2015a, using the ResizeFcn property to assign a callback function to resize a UI component is not recommended. Use the SizeChangedFcn property instead. The property values are the same.

There are no plans to remove support for the ResizeFcn property at this time. However, the ResizeFcn property no longer appears in the list returned by calling the get function on a UI component.

R2014b: `Selected` property is not recommended

Starting in R2014b, using the Selected property is not recommended. It no longer has any effect on objects of this type.

R2014b: `SelectionHighlight` property is not recommended

Starting in R2014b, using the SelectionHighlight property is not recommended. It no longer has any effect on objects of this type.

R2014b: `Clipping` property is not recommended

Starting in R2014b, using the Clipping property is not recommended. It no longer has any effect on objects of this type.

ButtonGroup

Description

Creation

Properties

Title

Title — Title character vector | string scalar | categorical array

TitlePosition — Location of title 'lefttop' (default) | 'centertop' | 'righttop' | ...

figure-Based Apps

Color and Styling

ForegroundColor — Title color [0 0 0] (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | 'r' | 'g' | 'b' | ...

BackgroundColor — Background color [0.94 0.94 0.94] (default) | RGB Triplet | hexadecimal color code | 'r' | 'g' | 'b' | ...

BorderType — Button group border 'line' | 'none' | ...

figure-Based Apps

BorderWidth — Border width 1 (default) | positive integer value

BorderColor — Border color RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | 'r' | 'g' | 'b' | ...

Font

FontName — Font name system supported font name

figure-Based Apps

FontSize — Font size positive number

FontWeight — Font weight 'normal' (default) | 'bold'

FontAngle — Font angle 'normal' (default) | 'italic'

FontUnits — Font unit of measurement 'pixels' | 'points' | 'normalized' | 'inches' | 'centimeters'

figure-Based Apps

Interactivity

Visible — State of visibility 'on' (default) | on/off logical value

SelectedObject — Currently selected radio button or toggle button first radio button or toggle button in button group (default)

ContextMenu — Context menu empty GraphicsPlaceholder array (default) | ContextMenu object

Position

Position — Location and size of button group, including borders and title [left bottom width height]

InnerPosition — Location and size of button group, excluding borders and title [left bottom width height]

OuterPosition — Location and size of button group, including borders and title [left bottom width height]

Units — Units of measurement 'pixels' | 'normalized' | 'inches' | 'centimeters' | 'points' | 'characters'

Callbacks

SelectionChangedFcn — Selection changed callback '' (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

SizeChangedFcn — Size change callback '' (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

ButtonDownFcn — Button-press callback function '' (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

CreateFcn — Creation function '' (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

DeleteFcn — Deletion function '' (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

Callback Execution Control

Interruptible — Callback interruption 'on' (default) | on/off logical value

BusyAction — Callback queuing 'queue' (default) | 'cancel'

BeingDeleted — Deletion status on/off logical value

HitTest — Ability to become current object 'on' (default) | on/off logical value

Parent/Child

Parent — Parent container Figure object (default) | Panel object | Tab object | ButtonGroup object | GridLayout object

Children — ButtonGroup children empty GraphicsPlaceholder array (default) | 1-D array of component objects

HandleVisibility — Visibility of object handle 'on' (default) | 'callback' | 'off'

Identifiers

Type — Type of graphics object 'uibuttongroup'

Tag — Object identifier '' (default) | character vector | string scalar

UserData — User data [] (default) | array

uifigure-Based Apps Only

Buttons — Buttons managed by button group array of RadioButton objects | array of ToggleButton objects

Enable — Operational state 'on' (default) | on/off logical value

Tooltip — Tooltip '' (default) | character vector | cell array of character vectors | string array | 1-D categorical array

Scrollable — Ability to scroll 'off' (default) | on/off logical value

AutoResizeChildren — Automatically resize children 'on' (default) | on/off logical value

Layout — Layout options empty LayoutOptions array (default) | GridLayoutOptions object

figure-Based Apps Only

ShadowColor — Border shadow color RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | 'r' | 'g' | 'b' | ...

Object Functions

Examples

Create Scrollable Button Group

Code Response to Radio Button Selection

Version History

R2023a: Change button group border color using BorderColor property, not HighlightColor

R2022b: Change button group border width in uifigure-based apps

R2020b: Turn interaction off and on

R2020a: UIContextMenu property is not recommended

R2015a: ResizeFcn property is not recommended

R2014b: Selected property is not recommended

R2014b: SelectionHighlight property is not recommended

R2014b: Clipping property is not recommended

See Also

Functions

Tools

`Title` — Title
character vector | string scalar | categorical array

`TitlePosition` — Location of title
`'lefttop'` (default) | `'centertop'` | `'righttop'` | ...

`figure`-Based Apps

`ForegroundColor` — Title color
`[0 0 0]` (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

`BackgroundColor` — Background color
`[0.94 0.94 0.94]` (default) | RGB Triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

`BorderType` — Button group border
`'line'` | `'none'` | ...

`figure`-Based Apps

`BorderWidth` — Border width
1 (default) | positive integer value

`BorderColor` — Border color
RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

`FontName` — Font name
system supported font name

`figure`-Based Apps

`FontSize` — Font size
positive number

`FontWeight` — Font weight
`'normal'` (default) | `'bold'`

`FontAngle` — Font angle
`'normal'` (default) | `'italic'`

`FontUnits` — Font unit of measurement
`'pixels'` | `'points'` | `'normalized'` | `'inches'` | `'centimeters'`

`figure`-Based Apps

`Visible` — State of visibility
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

`SelectedObject` — Currently selected radio button or toggle button
first radio button or toggle button in button group (default)

`ContextMenu` — Context menu
empty `GraphicsPlaceholder` array (default) | `ContextMenu` object

`Position` — Location and size of button group, including borders and title
`[left bottom width height]`

`InnerPosition` — Location and size of button group, excluding borders and title
`[left bottom width height]`

`OuterPosition` — Location and size of button group, including borders and title
`[left bottom width height]`

`Units` — Units of measurement
`'pixels'` | `'normalized'` | `'inches'` | `'centimeters'` | `'points'` | `'characters'`

`SelectionChangedFcn` — Selection changed callback
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

`SizeChangedFcn` — Size change callback
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

`ButtonDownFcn` — Button-press callback function
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

`CreateFcn` — Creation function
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

`DeleteFcn` — Deletion function
`''` (default) | function handle | cell array | character vector

`Interruptible` — Callback interruption
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

`BusyAction` — Callback queuing
`'queue'` (default) | `'cancel'`

`BeingDeleted` — Deletion status
on/off logical value

`HitTest` — Ability to become current object
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

`Parent` — Parent container
`Figure` object (default) | `Panel` object | `Tab` object | `ButtonGroup` object | `GridLayout` object

`Children` — `ButtonGroup` children
empty `GraphicsPlaceholder` array (default) | 1-D array of component objects

`HandleVisibility` — Visibility of object handle
`'on'` (default) | `'callback'` | `'off'`

`Type` — Type of graphics object
`'uibuttongroup'`

`Tag` — Object identifier
`''` (default) | character vector | string scalar

`UserData` — User data
`[]` (default) | array

`uifigure`-Based Apps Only

`Buttons` — Buttons managed by button group
array of `RadioButton` objects | array of `ToggleButton` objects

`Enable` — Operational state
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

`Tooltip` — Tooltip
`''` (default) | character vector | cell array of character vectors | string array | 1-D categorical array

`Scrollable` — Ability to scroll
`'off'` (default) | on/off logical value

`AutoResizeChildren` — Automatically resize children
`'on'` (default) | on/off logical value

`Layout` — Layout options
empty `LayoutOptions` array (default) | `GridLayoutOptions` object

`figure`-Based Apps Only

`ShadowColor` — Border shadow color
RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

R2023a: Change button group border color using `BorderColor` property, not `HighlightColor`

R2022b: Change button group border width in `uifigure`-based apps

R2020a: `UIContextMenu` property is not recommended

R2015a: `ResizeFcn` property is not recommended

R2014b: `Selected` property is not recommended

R2014b: `SelectionHighlight` property is not recommended

R2014b: `Clipping` property is not recommended