C# .NET Substitutes for UserControl Panels - c#

I'm fairly new to GUI-development in C# .NET, using WinForms, and I'm creating an application with one form, (like a main menu), and with different "sub-menus", that can all be opened in the same form. This is what I currently have:
Application with UserPanel1 open.
Application without any UserPanel selected.
I've seen some shady youtuber use UserControls for this, and that's what I'm currently working with. I'm using a TableLayoutPanel, with the UserControls dropped into it.
But I have some problems with this. First, I don't know if this is the correct way to use UserControls and if this will throw any errors.
Second of all, I don't know the exact way to use multiple UserControls in one form, because I can't drag multiple UserControls in a single cell of a TableLayoutPanel, and if I instantiate a new UserControl using some simple code, it won't display all of the custom controls I previously placed (in that UserControl). Here is that code:
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Form1_UserControl1 form1_UserControl1 = new Form1_UserControl1();
form1_UserControl1.Show();
form1_UserControl1.BringToFront();
form1_UserControl1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
}
I know that this is probably a simple thing that I'm doing wrong, but I only need some simple advice.
Am I using the right control, or is there a better/easier way to achieve what I'm looking for?

Initialize all UserControls to private fields
TableLayoutPanel add all these UserControls
Use buttons to hide/show them.
My sample code:
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
private UserControl[] myUserControls = new UserControl[3];
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
InitializeUserControls();
}
private void InitializeUserControls()
{
for (int i = 0; i < myUserControls.Length; ++i)
{
myUserControls[i] = new UserControl();
myUserControls[i].Hide();
myUserControls[i].BringToFront();
myUserControls[i].BackColor = Color.Blue;
myUserControls[i].Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
tableLayoutPanel2.Controls.Add(myUserControls[i]);
}
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
myUserControls[0].Visible = !myUserControls[0].Visible;
}
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
myUserControls[1].Visible = !myUserControls[1].Visible;
}
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
myUserControls[2].Visible = !myUserControls[2].Visible;
}
}

Related

Display multiple groupboxes on winforms

So, in my WinForms application, I need to display several "pages" (that are groupboxes holding textbox, buttons, maskedbox and etc) on one main page on my application. Firstly I tried to use a "user controller", but it didn't work out because the name of the controllers didn't match the names that I passed to my database connection for example. So I tried to place these groupboxes one on top of another one via the "location property". All working just fine, but now I have a significant problem when I decide to make a few changes to these groupboxes controllers. It's very hard to access them and I wonder if there's another way to do so because it looks very amateur approach... How do I achieve this kind of functionality without placing groupboxes on top of another one? And I also wonder, is it correct to do it with groupbox or should I use panel?
An example of the approach:
private void btnCadastrarBeneficiario_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
groupBoxUsuarioCadastro.Visible = false;
groupBoxClienteCadastro.Visible = false;
groupBoxHospitalCadastro.Visible = false;
GroupBoxMonitoramento.Visible = false;
groupBoxBeneficiarioCadastro.Visible = true;
}
I use the visibility property so I can show (or not) the groupbox and make them behave like an actual page.
---EDIT----
In order to make myself clear I created a minimal version of what I'm trying to show here:
namespace WinFormsApp1
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
groupBox2.Visible = false;
groupBox3.Visible = false;
groupBox1.Visible = true;
}
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
groupBox1.Visible = false;
groupBox3.Visible = false;
groupBox2.Visible = true;
}
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
groupBox1.Visible = false;
groupBox2.Visible = false;
groupBox3.Visible = true;
}
}
}
This is the code of a minimal application similar to what I'm doing. It works just fine, but I wonder if there's another way to do it, a more efficient, organized, and sophisticated way.
I would tend to do something like this:
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
HideAllBut(groupBox1);
}
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
HideAllBut(groupBox2);
}
private void HideAllBut(GroupBox groupToShow)
{
var groups = new[] {groupBox1, groupBox2};
foreach(var gb in groups)
{
gb.Visible = (gb == groupToShow);
}
}
You can obviously extend that to as many controls of whatever kind you like.

Access controls in created TabPage from separate function C# WinForms

I have the following code in my WinForms C# app:
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
var txtbox2 = new System.Windows.Forms.RichTextBox();
TabPage createdtabpage = new TabPage("I am a tab");
tabControl1.TabPages.Add(createdtabpage);
createdtabpage.Controls.Add(txtbox2);
}
And I want to access the text of txtbox2 when a separate button is clicked. I have this code:
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//Either this:
string text = txtbox2.Text;
//or maybe this:
string text = createdtabpage.Controls[txtbox2]
}
However, this code doesn't work because the variables are not accessible to outside functions.Does anybody have a good way to access these TabPage controls from an outside function?
Thanks for any help
From the control tab, the tab is selected and then the desired control is found by name.
use this code
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
var textBox = (RichTextBox)tabControl1.SelectedTab.Controls["txtbox2"];
MessageBox.Show(textbox.Text);
}
Without a name, you have to navigate through all the controls, and for example, if you have multiple richTextBox controls, know the order in which they are located.
foreach (Control control in tabControl1.SelectedTab.Controls)
{
if(control is RichTextBox)
{
MessageBox.Show(control.Text);
}
}

How to implement usercontrol to be visible on click inside one panel (DockPanel)?

I am making a basic application in WPF (C#) where I wanted to use UserControl. I already created 3 sample UserControl and a single page window which have buttons, labels, panel etc. I wanted to load each UserControl on click button. You can see my logic (code) below -
public partial class Dashboard : Window
{
public Dashboard()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void btn1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
Dock_MainPanel.Controls.Clear();
Dock_MainPanel.Visible = true;
Sample1 usr1 = new Sample1();
usr1.Show();
Dock_MainPanel.Controls.Add(usr1);
}
private void btn2_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
//SAMPLE CODE
}
}
Now my issue is this code is not working. It is stating some error. It is shown in image as below -
Error shown in image
Basically I wanted to load each UserControl on clicking of their respective button. If anyone having other solutions, it is welcomed.
As #Stefan W. suggests you should add an instance of the UserControl to the DockPanel's Children collection but if you intend to add several elements to the same DockPanel you probably also want to set the attached Dock property of the element using to specify where in the DockPanel the element will be located. You can do this using the DockPanel.SetDock method. Also, to make the DockPanel visible, you set its Visibility to Visibility.Visible. Try this:
private void btn1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
Dock_MainPanel.Children.Clear();
Dock_MainPanel.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;
Sample1 usr1 = new Sample1();
DockPanel.SetDock(usr1, Dock.Right);
Dock_MainPanel.Children.Add(usr1);
}
You should access the 'Children' collection in DockPanel
Dock_MainPanel.Children.Clear();
Dock_MainPanel.Children.Add(usr1);

Pass parameter in an already opened form in C#

I want to pass a parameter to the textbox. I have the following code and it is passing the parameter but not the way I want.
My main form in already open and I want to pass the parameter from my search form. when I do with the code below it opens mt 1 more main form and the parameter is shown in there. I want to by able to show in the opened main form.
When I erase frmMain.Show(); nothing happens.
Main frmMain = new Main();
artikal = "TEST TEST";
frmMain.ed_artiakal.Text = artikal;
frmMain.Show();
any suggestions?
You have many variants to solve your problem.
Option 1
Define and use custom event.
Search form code:
public event EventHandler ArtikalTextChanged;
private void textBox1_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (ArtikalTextChanged != null)
ArtikalTextChanged(this, EventArgs.Empty);
}
Main form code:
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Search search = new Search();
search.ArtikalTextChanged += OnArtikalTextChanged;
search.Show();
}
private void OnArtikalTextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.ed_artiakal.Text = (sender as Search).textBox1.Text;
}
Don't forget to make textBox1 of Search form public.
Option 2
Get instance of your main form in search form:
Search form code:
private void textBox1_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
var mainForm = Application.OpenForms.OfType<Main>().FirstOrDefault();
mainForm.ed_artiakal.Text = textBox1.Text;
}
Main form code:
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Search search = new Search();
search.Show();
}
Don't forget to make ed_artiakal control public in your Main form.
Option 3
Share data between forms (recommend)
But if you application is large and you want to make it scaleable and flexible I recommend you to use data-binding technique to share data between forms without coupling them. You can read more at articles: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/h974h4y2(v=vs.90).aspx
I have solved my problem in the following way.
On my Search Form I created a public string and when I showed the form I referenced to that string in my case GetItemCode.
The key here was to use ShowDialog() and not to use Show().
SEARCH FORM
Search frmSearch = new Search();
frmSearch.ShowDialog();
ed_artiakal.Text = frmSearch.GetItemCode;
MAIN FORM
public string GetItemCode
{
get { return Artikal; }
}
Now when I close the search form the value is shown in the TextBox on my main form.
Thanks for your answers and comments!

Designing a dynamic panel

I am new to C# and I want to design a GUI for a image processing application in c#. I have a very basic rudimentary layout designed as shown below
Here, the image plane is fixed and it will show a live stream video. I have designed all the buttons frame and the side panel. But I do not know how to dynamically change the side panel for each button I click. For example, If I click button1_1, I want some things in the side panel and for button1_2, some other things in it. How do I go about doing it.
EDIT:
Thanks for the answers. I see tab controls is an option. But I want a new panel evertime a click a button. which can further open forms. Is it possible?
OK, let's see. It's easy to do with "TabControl" or array of "Panel"s.
1.Do it with TabControl.
You can design GUI in TabControl in multiple subTabs(if you don't know how please ask.). Then you change it in button click event, to make subTab you wanna show(which means make it visiable and not visiable for other subTabs.)
2.Do it with array of panel.
You can use panel[] panels. In button click event, you hide other panels and show the one you want.
Hope answer helps you!
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
tabControl1.SelectedIndex = 0;
tabControl1.TabPages[0].Text = "First";
}
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
tabControl1.SelectedIndex = 1;
}
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
tabControl1.SelectedIndex = 2;
}
you may want to add split container in your form.
Create UserControl for each buttons.
Code for the button click event
//Button1Click Event
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
UserControl1 m_UserControl = new UserControl1();
splitContainer1.Panel2.Controls.Clear();
splitContainer1.Panel2.Controls.Add(m_UserControl);
}
//Button2Click Event
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
UserControl2 m_Usercontrol2 = new UserControl2();
splitContainer1.Panel2.Controls.Clear();
splitContainer1.Panel2.Controls.Add(m_Usercontrol2);
}
you can do this if you want to change what usercontrol display in a panel at run time.
Correct me if i misunderstood your question.
In WinForms, you could use a tab control and just change the selected tabs index when a button is pressed. More specifically, when its click event is fired. Here is a good tutorial on using the TabControl and here is a tutorial on wiring up click events.
EDIT:
This is a better tutorial.
Since you can't hide the tabs of a tabcontrol without using WPF, you may need to use something else, if you don't like the way they look. A good workaround if you only have a couple of buttons and thus views, would be to use panels. When button one is clicked show panel one and hide panel two, etc. Here would be the code:
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
pane2.visible = false;
pane1.visible = true;
}
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
pane1.visible = false;
pane2.visible = true;
}
Hope this helps you!

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