We have a simple Windows Forms application that will run in a Windows tablet. What we have so far is running well; the issue I'll be having is moving from winform to winform, and opening/closing Forms.
Currently, it looks something like this.
The following opens the main Form FormHome:
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
Application.Run(new FormHome());
}
A click in button from FormHome will then open a new Form call FormInput:
var form = new FormInput();
form.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterParent;
form.ShowDialog();
A click in FormInput will open yet another Form, FormFeedback:
var form = new FormFeedback(patientInputId);
form.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterParent;
form.ShowDialog();
And finally, FormFeedback will open one last final Form, FormThanks:
var form = new FormThanks();
form.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterParent;
form.ShowDialog();
FormThanks doesn't do anything; it just thanks the user and has a Close button. This means that this Close button will close FormThanks, FormFeedback, FormInput, so that the only Form I'll be seeing is FormHome.
Except for closing the winforms, everything else is working fine. But when I see the Forms that need to be opened/closed, I'm thinking that maybe it's better to use another architecture instead of the regular Windows Forms.
I was reading this SO link and someone suggests to use an MDI containter and replace with panels instead. But my first thought is that I'll be seeing the FormBorder of the MDI container, plus the FormBorder of the child Form.
What are your thoughts? Should I switch to another architecture or just find a way to close all those Forms?
Thanks.
You could try the .hide property. This will hide the forms you don't want to see and then you can use the .show to bring the ones you want forward. I hope i'm helping
Related
I am making a game using Windows Forms, and I feel that the easiest way to make different screens (Main Menu, Settings, Etc...) is using a separate form for each screen. I have looked up up many different ways to do this. Many people talk of using form2.Show(); this.Hide();, however, this creates a new popup window.
People have also suggested using this.IsMdiContainer = true; to create a new window inside of the current window, but this is also not the functionality I want.
EDIT: Another question, multiple-guis-one-window, explains slightly that this can be achieved using UserControls, but does not elaborate with any examples, or what I should do.
I want to completely replace the current form's functionality with that of a new form.
Is there a way to achieve this? If not, is there a good alternative?
As I understood, you want to keep the same form and change the data inside that form (to not get the effect that your form was closed and reopened again).
The problem is windows form does not support such thing directly (at least not in an optimal way), I would use another UI frameworks for that. However, if you want to stick though with windows forms, you may use GroupBox or Panel tools (available from windows form design tools in Visual studio). Here you can group your elements as required, and show/hide the group/panel as required.
That is one of the best available solution for windows form AFAIK.
You want to open child forms within main form then you should try this i have create it without any User Control.
I have manage one parent form and two child forms. child forms should be open within parent form.
frmMain(Parent Form)
Set frmMain Property as Following
WindowState = System.Windows.Forms.FormWindowState.Maximized
I have take 3 panel in frmMain window.
pnlMenu (For Display Menu)
Set pnlMenu.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Top property
Set height of this panel as you require.
pnlMain (For Display Child Forms)
Set pnlMain.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill property
pnlFooter (For Footer Section)
Set pnlFooter.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Bottom; property
Set height of this panel as you require.
I have set menubar in pnlMenu(Click on that menu for display child form in pnlMain)
frmMain.cs
public void BindFormIntoMainForm(Form Main)
{
Main.TopLevel = false;
Main.WindowState = FormWindowState.Maximized;
Main.AutoScroll = true;
pnlMain.Controls.Clear();
pnlMain.Controls.Add(Main);
pnlMain.Refresh();
Main.Show();
}
private void childToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
frmChildForm1 ChildForm1 = new frmChildForm1();
BindFormIntoMainForm(ChildForm1);
}
private void childForm2ToolStripMenuItem1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
frmChildForm2 ChildForm2 = new frmChildForm2();
BindFormIntoMainForm(ChildForm2);
}
BindFormIntoMainForm method responsible for display child form in main window.
frmChildForm1 & frmChildForm2(ChildForm)
Set both form Property as Following
FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.None
Now when you click on Child Form 1 Menu then display following output:
when you click on Child Form 2 Menu then display following output:
I think it can be helpful for you.
I'm trying to implement some complement views inside my application and I would like to have a better layout control over them. I don't know how to explain in words what my desired functionality is, so I made it through with some photoshop help, hoping you could give me a hand to implement it.
My application now looks like this:
(i need reputation to post images so.. sorry for the links)
http://i59.tinypic.com/2ikv8m1.jpg
When I minimize the modeless form which is focused in the previous image, I would like to be able to see it (and handle it to maximize or close) inside my main form as I show in the image below (made it in photoshop)
http://i58.tinypic.com/1e28go.jpg
Hope someone can lead my into a solution and thanks for the support.
EDIT: I need to be able to move that form outside my main form, even to a different monitor.
If you don't want to use the MDI approach, then set TopLevel of the modeless Form to false and add it to the main Forms Controls collection before showing it:
Form frm = new Form();
frm.TopLevel = false;
this.Controls.Add(frm);
frm.Show();
*Obviously changing Form to the correct type of your modeless form.
If i understand what you are trying to do, you want to minimize a certain form but still see it within your app (im assuming like Excel or Word)
You can do something similar to what Idle_Mind said, but enclose both in a Form instead of the parent.
Form fParent = new Form();
fParent.Dock = DockMode.Fill;//i think this is the syntax. Use this if you want the form to fill to the screen
Form fChild = new Form();
fChild.TopLevel = false;
fParent.Controls.Add(fChild);
fChild.Show();
Here, it should minimize to the lower left part of the parent form. You can then size the parent to whatever you want it to be.
I have a form that i want to always be on top whenever it is opened in the application but i dont want it to be on top when the main form is minimized or another application is navigated. I want it to be on top only in my application.
Following the answer in the question : How to make a window always stay on top in .Net?
this.TopMost = true;
Makes the form on top but the form is still on top when another application is navigated to or the main form is closed.
Pls how do i make the form only on top in the application while enabling user to still work on the main form?
You are looking for an owned window. It is always on top of the owner and it gets minimized along with the owner. Good examples of owned windows are the various helper windows inside Visual Studio. You can undock them but they'll always stay on top of the VS main window.
You create an owned window by displaying it with the Show(owner) overload. Or by explicitly assigning its Owner property.
Set the top level and then set the owner, example below.
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
Form2 f2 = new Form2();
//top level not really needed
f2.TopLevel = true;
f2.Show(this);
}
I was wondering if anyone can help me with this rather baffling situation. I have a WPF form myForm which I am displaying modally in a WinForm application (without using an ElementHost). Everything works fine if I use the default WindowStyle and it is shown in the taskbar. However now I don't want the form to show in the taskbar or contain the minimize button, therefore I have done the following:
MyForm myForm = new MyForm();
myForm.ShowInTaskbar = false;
myForm.WindowStyle = System.Windows.WindowStyle.ToolWindow;
myForm.WindowStartupLocation =System.Windows.WindowStartupLocation.CenterOwner;
myForm.ShowDialog();
Now, the wpf form displays as expected modally and without the minimize button. If I now select the "parent" winform application in the taskbar, the wpf form disappears and there doesn't seem to be any way of returning to it! I have read this which is similar but not the same (pure WPF application), so I can understand why the main app does not appear in the ALT+TAB menu, but can anyone tell me how I can return to the wpf form?
Thanks in advance.
The use of WindowsInteropHelper allows you to wrap a hosted WPF-form using a Winforms-form and set its parent as a Winforms control, which prevents the WPF form from disappearing (as also pointed out by dowhilefor and Hans Passant)
E.g.:
// Use the interop helper for the specified wpf window hosted by the win32 owner
WindowInteropHelper wih = new WindowInteropHelper(wpfForm);
wih.Owner = this.someWin32FormsControl.Handle;
This is not related to Winforms or WPF, this is the way Windows functions. The only solution that I think you have is to wire up your modality; that is intercept the Activated event on your Winforms form and if your WPF tool window is visible, bring that window forward and give it focus.
I am developing an application in C#. I have a Main Form where I have some buttons that give the user the possibility to start a new form into the Main Form.
When there are more of this kind of forms opened and the user choose to minimize one, it goes to back behind all opened forms. So if the user would want to open again that form he must close/minimise all forms.(for beeing able to see the minimized one)
How can I manage the minimised form location so it could be visible after it is minimised? I tried without any result stuff like that: bringToFront, Activate, Focus, etc.
My Main Form contains the buttons and a panel, so the forms are opening in the panel bellow the buttons.
why don't you go for MDI win-form ? I think they fit really well in what you are trying to achieve
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms973874.aspx
Finally I did managed myself to solve the problem. It was so simple.
For the forms that opens in the panel child I removed
formName.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
and I set the formName.Height = panelContainer-25; So now the little form minimized is visible.
I know this is late post but might be useful for someone like me.
Try this this was working for me to set minimized window location and size as well
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/d6014e48-2adb-4096-8bea-94c2f3b1c47c/how-to-change-the-location-of-a-minimized-mdichild-form?forum=winforms