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);
}
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.
How can I have a black form as a background and some modal forms opened one at a time whose owner is the black form? I need these two to retain their order together (when minimized and maximized) that's why I have chosen the modal form.
I have made a simple main form with black background, and opened a form in dialog (modal) form. The main form provides a black background for me and the modal form stays in front of the black background. But when opening new forms, I can't set the owner of new modal form to the aforementioned black form. I have tried passing the black form object and also registering events to no avail.
Do you know any mechanism to implement the following scenario:
A black form as a background and a series of modal forms opened one at a time in front of the black one in a way that the black form is the owner of every modal form.
Thanks
Edit
Please consider this scenario: I have 3 forms named frmBlack, Form1 and Form2. I use frmBlack as the main blacked form. After placing a button on this form I call the Form1Object.ShowDialog(this). Now suppose that I want to navigate to the third form (Form2), [this means that I must close the Form1Object] I put a button on the second form (Form1) and when this button is pressed I must close the Form1 object and navigate to the Form2Object while its owner in the ShowDialog() function must be set to frmBlack.
This is done using MDI Forms.
Your application will look like this: http://www.datadynamics.com/Help/AB3/Images/MDI%20Child%20menu.gif
This works in winform projects, not in WPF project (at least not by default).
Parent or Owner? That's a difference. Parent is only used in MDI-Applications (see Luigi's post). The owner can be set in the call to ShowDialog( owningForm ).
What is it that you want to achieve?
hth
Mario
To achieve what you want from the window with the second button post pack to the frmBlack and let it do the work.
Or more specifically set a flag within the frmBlack, since in frm1.btnShowNextForm you need to close frm1...
And also take a look at Form.Owner
so something along these lines in frm1.buttonShowNextFormClicked()
{
if ( null != Owner )
{
FrmBlack frmBlackLocal = Owner as FrmBlack;
if ( null != frmBlackLocal )
{
frmBlackLocal.NextAction = FrmBLack.NextActions.ShowForm2; //an enum
}
}
Close();
}
and in frmBlack
{
frm1.ShowDialog(this);
if ( NextAction == NextActions.ShowForm2)
{
frm2.ShowDialog(this);
}
}
Well, of course it needs some brush-up (like extracting the next handler in a function of it's own, but you should get the idea.
hth
Mario
I have a Windows Forms application that opens MDI child forms. When I select those forms, I need to set or render its windowstate to Maximized. The problem is, when I navigate between the open forms, it reverts back to the normal window state, and when I set the window state to maximized again, it shows the transition from normal to maximized state and it doesn't look nice.
How can a Windows application be created that have an MDI parent form that opens many MDI childs in maximized window state?
Here's an answer based on using the MDI "Parent Form and Child Form paradigm," with the following assumptions :
you have a MenuStrip control 'Dock = 'Top on your MDIParentForm, and you've implemented the automatic MDI &Window menu handler as described in : How to: Create an MDI Window List with MenuStrip
you are creating new child forms that :
a. do not have a MaximizeBox, MinimizeBox, etc., but may have ControlBox (for closing them)
b. these child forms may be resizable or not : we won't consider the implications of that here.
You want these MDIChildForms to display maximized in the MDIParent Form, but not to obscure the MDIParentForm's menu.
Okay : assuming you have all your child Forms fully designed, "waiting in the wings" : we might see some code like this in your MDIParentForm code :
// create instances of your child forms
Form2 f2 = new Form2();
Form3 f3 = new Form3();
Form4 f4 = new Form4();
Form5 f5 = new Form5();
private void MDIParentForm1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
f2.Text = "subForm1";
f3.Text = "subForm2";
f4.Text = "subForm3";
f5.Text = "subForm4";
f2.MdiParent = this;
f3.MdiParent = this;
f4.MdiParent = this;
f5.MdiParent = this;
f2.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
f3.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
f4.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
f5.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
f2.Show();
f3.Show();
f4.Show();
f5.Show();
}
At this point, the dock style 'Fill applied to the child forms will make them full-screen, and keep them from obscuring the MDIParentForm menu : and the menu will allow you to auto-select which one is frontmost.
Now, if you want to do fancier stuff : like resizing the child Forms, tiling them, cascading them. You are going to have to change the 'Dock property of these child windows : and then you can make use of the built-in MDI paradigm window arranging facilities as described here : How to: Arrange MDI Child Forms
And if you want to create multiple instances of one type of pre-defined child form : How to Create MDI Child Forms ... see the example on how to use a 'New menu entry : may prove useful.
If you want the window state to always be maximized, I'd recommend switching away from an MDI Form. A TabControl may work better, in that case.
MDI forms have quite a few usability issues, which is why they are not commonly used anymore, and tend to be replaced with other controls/options.
After reading Reeds answer and especially your comment:
problem with tabcontrol is, i have a
lot of controls used per child form
Maybe this will help:
Don't put your controls into a Winform. Instead encapsulate them into a UserControl (maybe it already works by changing your inheritance from Form to UserControl).
Now put every UserControl on it's own TabPage and set its Dock property to Fill. Now you are able to change each UserControl on it's own, without any interference to another control on another TabPage (as far as you don't built in any connection).
If you intend to give up on MDI, you could have a look at docking frameworks like WeifenLuo or DigitalRune. These are free, for other options you can have a look here: http://windowsclient.net/downloads/folders/controlgallery/tags/Windows+Forms+Docking+Windows/default.aspx
EDIT:
If I remember well, DigitalRune allows the usage of windows forms as containers for docked content so the migration effort would be smaller.
Is it possible for Owner window in WPF be on top of Child window when you click on it while Owner window is below Child window?
here is example how I call child window:
Window2 window = new Window2();
window.Owner = this;
window.Show();
Parent/Owner window will always be under child window.
To get the behavior you want, you don't want to set the Owner on either window.
You, of course will have to handle the logic yourself when closing either of the windows to close your imaginary "child" window.
There may be some other logic you'll have to implement related to minimizing, maximizing, etc.
Many of the answers on this page involve nulling-out the Window.Owner property for some or all of the (non-MainWindow) windows in your System.Windows.Application. While this is a simple and easy fix that does indeed, in isolation, fix the issue of Window overlap, unfortunately it also inhibits a lot of useful application-wide functionality that WPF seems otherwise eager to provide in the areas of:
Application activation/deactivation (via mouse-click, desktop Alt-Tab switching, etc...),
correct observance of the Application.ShutdownMode property, and generally,
orderly cleanup, resource disposal, and exit of your Application upon shutdown.
It is possible fix the Window overlap issue while still preserving these system-wide WPF features by instead designating a special invisible window instance as your Application.MainWindow.
Modify your application so that the first Window it creates--which is the Window that gets assigned to Application.MainWindow--is a special dummy Window that is then made invisible by setting its Visibility to Visibility.Hidden or calling Window.Hide(). This will not hide its owned windows. Then, ensure that your desired "main" window containing your true content, plus all the other windows, owned by this invisible window.
Once hidden, the dummy Window will not show in the Windows 10 taskbar. You can set the Window.ShowInTaskbar property on whichever of the visible windows you deem appropriate to simulate apparent special designation, as required.
This approach allows any of the visible windows in your Application to be on top of the others, while still preserving WPF features and behaviors for system-wide app activation. For example, when the Application is activated (by clicking on any one of the windows, or via Alt-tab), all of the application's windows are together brought above any other desktop app windows, while still preserving the most recent "in-app" Z-order. WPF shutdown functionality is also preserved, including correct observation of the Application.ShutdownMode logic in accordance with the invisible MainWindow (or all the others) being closed.
I ran into a similar situation. I solved this by simply removing the owner after showing the window.
Window2 window = new Window2();
window.Owner = this;
window.Show();
window.Owner = null;
Edit:
Someone replied to this, and while looking at it, I decided I wanted to make an extension method.
public static void ShowAsIfChildOf(this Window childWindow, Window parentWindow)
{
childWindow.Owner = parentWindow;
childWindow.Show();
childWindow.Owner = null;
}
Please note that the solution mentioned by Licht
Window2 window = new Window2();
window.Owner = this;
window.Show();
window.Owner = null;
seems to me to be the same as
Window2 window = new Window2();
window.Show();
i.e., as if no ownership relationship has been set, i.e., when you close the owner window the owned windows do not close, etc., and may not be a solution when one would wish to have all of the ownership relationship features except "An owner window can never cover an owned window."
Once this relationship is established, the following behaviours are exhibited:
If an owner window is minimized, all its owned windows are minimized as well.
If an owned window is minimized, its owner is not minimized.
If an owner window is maximized, both the owner window and its owned windows are restored.
An owner window can never cover an owned window.
Owned windows that were not opened using ShowDialog are not modal. The user can still interact with the owner window.
If you close an owner window, its owned windows are also closed.
The best solution here looks to me to be the one with hidden main dummy window described by Glenn Slayden, at the link below, though it would be nice if there was a simpler one.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/66110288/19683309
Don't set Owner for child window, then in MainWindow handle OnClosing event like this:
private void MainWindow_OnClosing(object? sender, CancelEventArgs e)
{
foreach (var window in Application.Current.Windows)
{
if (window is Window appWindow)
{
if(appWindow.Equals(Application.Current.MainWindow))
continue;
appWindow.Close();
}
}
}