What's up with this?

Using Arduino Programming Questions
#1

So, I am recently new to this programing thing and I was doing pretty well, but I ran into an issue.
I am working on a project for my Destination Imagination team where we are trying to turn on a LED strip with a button. I am working on the code, but I am having a hard time.
I decided to hack a simple flashing code, since we are trying to make the strip flash when the button is pushed. While testing different codes and hacks I ran into these problems:

  1. The strip kept flashing, and when the button was pushed, it would flash faster

  2. When I would leave the flashing without button alone, it would randomly start to flash faster

And the problems I am currently facing:

  1. The lights would flash even though I wasn't pressing the button, and when I did nothing happened

  2. The lights wouldn't come on in the beginning (yay), but when I pressed the button, they didn't go on (not so yay)

The code I was using for equal amounts of flash without button is this one:

int ledPin = 13;
int button = 2;
void setup(){
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(button, INPUT);
}
delay (30000)
void loop(){
int button_status = digitalRead(button);
if (button_status = HIGH){
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
delay(1000);
}
if (button_status = LOW){
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}
}

And the code from when it wouldn't turn on at all was this:

int ledPin = 13;
int button = 2;
void setup(){
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(button, INPUT);
}
void loop(){
int button_status = digitalRead(button);

if (button_status = HIGH){
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}else{

digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
delay(1000);
}
}

Can anyone help please???

#2

How is the switch (button) wired? The accepted way is to wire the switch between ground and a digital input and enable the internal pull up resistor with pinMode(pin, INPUT_PULLUP). That way the input is held HIGH when the switch is open (not pressed) and LOW when the switch is closed (pushed). Change your logic to act on a LOW signal from the switch when it is pressed.

#3

Which way is your switch wired?

2017-08-05_20-33-24.jpg

#4 
if (button_status = HIGH){

== for comparison

void setup(){
  ...
} 
delay (30000)
void loop(){
...
}

I don't believe that would even compile. Cannot have delay outside of a function.

#5

Cannot have delay outside of a function.

Especially one lacking a semicolon.

The code I was using for equal amounts of flash without button is this one:

No, it isn't, because that would not have compiled.

Use code tags when posting code. Make sure it is complete, and is the code that you actually tested.

#6