Is it possible to replace an asp:button with a HTML element - asp.net

Question

I'm using asp forms and wanted to know if it's possible to replace the standard buttons with HTML elements that are styled using CSS.
My login page uses a standard button
<asp:Button ID="LoginButton" runat="server" Text="Login"
onclick="LoginButton_Click" />
linked to code behind (C#) which performs the login check.
I've seen some nice buttons implemented using the HTML <button> element and styled with CSS which can have features such as images and roll over highlighting. The basic HTML looks like this
<button type="submit" class="positive" onclick ="...">
<img src="/icons/tick.png" alt=""/>
Login
</button>
I've seen another question discussing the Difference between asp:button and html's button so I understand the <button> element is not a drop-in replacement but I'd like to know if the asp:button can be replaced and still call the LoginButton_Click C# code behind?
EDIT:
Although I'm using ASP I don't mind using some client side javascript if necessary.
The buttons I saw which got me thinking about this were found here: Rediscovering the Button Element
EDIT 2:
I tried the answer from XIII using the LinkButton asp control and that worked, rendering the button as I wanted and activating the C# when clicked
<asp:LinkButton ID="LoginBtn" CssClass="button positive"
OnClick="LoginButton_Click" runat="server">
<img src="/icons/tick.png" alt=""/>
Login
</asp:LinkButton>
Javascript is inserted in to the page (as mentioned by Curt) which was not a problem for me but may be for other people; but since the asp:loginview and other controls associated with forms authentication already need javascript I'm not sure this is a problem with the solution.
I decided to accept jwiscarson's answer as this is a cleaner implementation and, despite what I thought, <button> can be a drop-in replacement for <asp:button>

Answer 1

The answer to your question:
if the asp:button can be replaced and still call the LoginButton_Click C# code behind?
is yes. If you have a button like:
<button type="submit" id="submit" class="positive" runat="server">Submit</button>
The attribute you need to set is not onclick, but onserverclick. You could also do something like:
protected override OnInit(EventArgs e)
{
submit.ServerClick += new EventHandler(submit_ServerClick);
}
If you need to do styling on that button, I think the best way to tackle that is via CSS classes like you have in your example.

Answer 2

An alternative approach would be to make use the LinkButton control and style that completely with CSS. We used to do so for a certain project in the past. Worked out pretty great for our customer.
The property of interest if CssClass

Answer 3

You may set CSS class via cssClass property of <asp:Button/>. However you may set runat="server" and onserverclick="LoginButton_Click" attribute to <button/>.

Answer 4

You could use HTML button if you desire, and learn how to call the __doPostBack() method with the proper arguments. Asp.Net buttons and HTML buttons are pretty much the same when it comes to the way they are rendered in the client.

Answer 5

As had been posted here already you could style the HTML rendered by your asp:button or use another asp control. Your asp:button will be rendered as a <input type="submit"> with possibly more limited CSS options than a <button> tag.
From some googling I think it is possible to get a <button> tag rendered but it looks like a non trivial excercise see How can I use the button tag with ASP.NET?