---
title: "How to: Trigger Menu Events for Toolbar Buttons"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
  - "cpp"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "examples [Windows Forms], toolbars"
  - "ToolBar control [Windows Forms], click event handlers"
  - "ToolBar control [Windows Forms], coding button click events"
  - "toolbars [Windows Forms], click event handlers"
ms.assetid: 98374f70-993d-4ca4-89fb-48fea6ce5b45
---
# How to: Trigger Menu Events for Toolbar Buttons
> [!NOTE]
> The <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip> control replaces and adds functionality to the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar> control; however, the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar> control is retained for both backward compatibility and future use, if you choose.  
  
 If your Windows Form features a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar> control with toolbar buttons, you will want to know which button the user clicks.  
  
 On the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar.ButtonClick> event of the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar> control, you can evaluate the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs.Button%2A> property of the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs> class. In the example below, a message box is shown, indicating which button was clicked. For details, see <xref:System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox>.  
  
 The example below assumes a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar> control has been added to a Windows Form.  
  
### To handle the Click event on a toolbar  
  
1. In a procedure, add toolbar buttons to the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar> control.  
  
    ```vb  
    Public Sub ToolBarConfig()  
    ' Instantiate the toolbar buttons, set their Text properties  
    ' and add them to the ToolBar control.  
       ToolBar1.Buttons.Add(New ToolBarButton("One"))  
       ToolBar1.Buttons.Add(New ToolBarButton("Two"))  
       ToolBar1.Buttons.Add(New ToolBarButton("Three"))  
    ' Add the event handler delegate.  
       AddHandler ToolBar1.ButtonClick, AddressOf Me.ToolBar1_ButtonClick  
    End Sub  
    ```  
  
    ```csharp  
    public void ToolBarConfig()
    {  
       toolBar1.Buttons.Add(new ToolBarButton("One"));  
       toolBar1.Buttons.Add(new ToolBarButton("Two"));  
       toolBar1.Buttons.Add(new ToolBarButton("Three"));  
  
       toolBar1.ButtonClick +=
          new ToolBarButtonClickEventHandler(this.toolBar1_ButtonClick);  
    }  
    ```  
  
    ```cpp  
    public:  
       void ToolBarConfig()  
       {  
          toolBar1->Buttons->Add(gcnew ToolBarButton("One"));  
          toolBar1->Buttons->Add(gcnew ToolBarButton("Two"));  
          toolBar1->Buttons->Add(gcnew ToolBarButton("Three"));  
  
          toolBar1->ButtonClick +=
             gcnew ToolBarButtonClickEventHandler(this,  
             &Form1::toolBar1_ButtonClick);  
       }  
    ```  
  
2. Add an event handler for the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar> control's <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar.ButtonClick> event. Use a case switching statement and the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs> class to determine the toolbar button that was clicked. Based on this, show an appropriate message box.  
  
    > [!NOTE]
    > A message box is being used solely as a placeholder in this example. Feel free to add other code to execute when the toolbar buttons are clicked.  
  
    ```vb  
    Protected Sub ToolBar1_ButtonClick(ByVal sender As Object, _  
    ByVal e As ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs)  
    ' Evaluate the Button property of the ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs  
    ' to determine which button was clicked.  
       Select Case ToolBar1.Buttons.IndexOf(e.Button)  
         Case 0  
           MessageBox.Show("First toolbar button clicked")  
         Case 1  
           MessageBox.Show("Second toolbar button clicked")  
         Case 2  
           MessageBox.Show("Third toolbar button clicked")  
       End Select  
    End Sub  
    ```  
  
    ```csharp  
    protected void toolBar1_ButtonClick(object sender,  
    ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs e)  
    {  
       // Evaluate the Button property of the ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs  
       // to determine which button was clicked.  
       switch (toolBar1.Buttons.IndexOf(e.Button))  
       {  
          case 0 :  
             MessageBox.Show("First toolbar button clicked");  
             break;  
          case 1 :  
             MessageBox.Show("Second toolbar button clicked");  
             break;  
          case 2 :  
             MessageBox.Show("Third toolbar button clicked");  
             break;  
       }  
    }  
    ```  
  
    ```cpp  
    protected:  
       void toolBar1_ButtonClick(System::Object ^ sender,  
          ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs ^ e)  
       {  
         // Evaluate the Button property of the ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs  
         // to determine which button was clicked.  
          switch (toolBar1->Buttons->IndexOf(e->Button))  
          {  
             case 0 :  
                MessageBox::Show("First toolbar button clicked");  
                break;  
             case 1 :  
                MessageBox::Show("Second toolbar button clicked");  
                break;  
             case 2 :  
                MessageBox::Show("Third toolbar button clicked");  
                break;  
          }  
       }  
    ```  
  
## See also

- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolBar>
- [How to: Add Buttons to a ToolBar Control](how-to-add-buttons-to-a-toolbar-control.md)
- [How to: Define an Icon for a ToolBar Button](how-to-define-an-icon-for-a-toolbar-button.md)
- [ToolBar Control](toolbar-control-windows-forms.md)