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Appearance

is an option for displayed objects such as Button and Slider that specifies the general type of appearance they should have.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Possible Issues  
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Appearance

Appearance

is an option for displayed objects such as Button and Slider that specifies the general type of appearance they should have.

Details

  • Typical settings for Appearance include Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, as well as such attributes as "Open" and "Closed".
  • When multiple appearance specifications refer to a particular object, they are given in a list.
  • When an object can be in several different states, the setting for Appearance can be given in the form {"cond1"->app1,"cond2"->app2,…}.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (4)

Display all the controls of Manipulator:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulator[0.3, Appearance -> "Open"]

Display the current value of Manipulator as an editable label:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulator[0.7, Appearance -> "Labeled"]

Control the appearance of Button:

Wolfram Language code: Button["xx", Null, Appearance -> #] & /@ {"DialogBox", "Palette", "FramedPalette", "Frameless", "Pressed", {"FramedPalette", "Pressed"}}

Different appearances for the slider thumb are available on some platforms:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Slider[0.5, Appearance -> a], {a, {"UpArrow", "DownArrow"}}]

Scope  (4)

Force an ActionMenu object to look like a PopupMenu:

Wolfram Language code: ActionMenu["xx", {"a" :> Print[1], "b" :> Print[2]}, Appearance -> "PopupMenu"]

Give multiple appearance specifications in a list:

Wolfram Language code: IntervalSlider[Appearance -> {"Markers", "Labeled"}]

Use any expression as the appearance for locators in LocatorPane:

Wolfram Language code: Table[LocatorPane[{0, 0}, Graphics[{Gray, Disk[]}], Appearance -> a], {a, {Style["", Large], "string", Framed[x + y], Graphics[Rectangle[], ImageSize -> 20]}}]

Specify a three-column layout for CheckboxBar:

Wolfram Language code: CheckboxBar[Dynamic[props], CityData["Properties"], Appearance -> "Vertical" -> {Automatic, 3}]

Possible Issues  (1)

Appearances provided by the operating system may be different or unavailable on other platforms:

Wolfram Language code: Slider[0.5, Appearance -> "UpArrow"]

Generic appearances are available on all platforms:

Wolfram Language code: Style[Slider[0.5, Appearance -> "UpArrow"], ControlsRendering -> "Generic"]
Wolfram Research (2007), Appearance, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Appearance.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2007), Appearance, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Appearance.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2007. "Appearance." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Appearance.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2007). Appearance. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Appearance.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_appearance, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Appearance}", year="2007", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Appearance.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_appearance, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Appearance}, year={2007}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Appearance.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}