The button widget is an easy way to decorate the HTML button and link elements in your user interface. With a simple call to the button widget, we're able to decorate the standard elements with the theme framework found in jQuery UI. Additionally, there are two types of buttons. There is the singular notion of a button, the more popular use case. But there is also the notion of a buttonset—used in cases where we would like to decorate checkboxes and radio buttons found in typical HTML forms.

In this chapter, we take a much closer look at what the button entails, covering some usage scenarios by example. We'll go from the simple usage, such as creating a checklist and sorting buttons, to more advanced usage, such as applying effects and automatically filling space. Along the way, you'll learn how the widget framework supports developers in extending the button where it doesn't quite do what they need it to.