I have a config dialog that configures two different aspects of my application. As the two set of configurations are very similar, I decided to just use one set of controls for both. However, I like the aesthetics of TabControl (I tried RadioButton, but it makes the users feel like they are making a choice between the two aspects, rather than choosing to configure one). Can I make a "pseudo" TabControl that have the same content on both pages, i.e. one that works just like a RadioButton?
I also tried to hide the TabPages by resizing the TabControl, but it feels difficult to get the layout right (finding where the TabPage would be).
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I have problems with editing panels in C# windows forms(Visual studio 2008). I placed some panels into another, and now I have problems with navigating panels inside parental containers. Is there any tool that gives not only drag-drop control, but also tree view of container and panels in it. For example, like Navigator window in NetBeans(IDE for Java). Any help?
I'm not sure about VS2008, but newer versions have Document Outline Window (View > Other Windows > Document Outline)
To not get lost in controls, consider to name them properly. Then you can find them in the list of Properties window.
Instead of label1 use labelInputName, located on panel1, which you also rename to panelInput. This gives parent/child feeling and you will never lost.
If you get lost, use Document Outline window to see tree-like relation via Controls property (who is control of who). This window is a helper (help to find and select control), you will still have to use designer to do changes.
Another important thing is UI design. Whenever you get cluttered or bulky feeling, than it's the time to change something.
Making UserControl for repeatable part is one way.
Another is to differ design and run time (what you see in designer): to example, if you have several panels, which has to be shown at same place, then you can use dynamic container for them (FlowLayoutPanel, TableLayoutPanel) or you can have them placed in a way for you to easily see them in design-time, but their position will be corrected during run-time (to example, in the constructor). Prioritizing designing is a must if you are going to support project and edit functionality in next versions.
p.s.: talking about winforms, but all said should be true for wpf as well.
In the most basic sense, what is a Tab Control?
I am looking into creating one from scratch (I have many good reasons for this and simply extending existing ones won't make me feel better). But I am not sure how they are made.
Is a Tab Control just a bunch of Panels, inside a main Panel? Here's a picture of what I mean...
At it's core, TabControl is a very simple control. Nothing but a row of rectangles with text on them. It is Winforms that adds the TabPage class, a scrollable container control that adds the ability to hide controls. Derived from the Panel class.
It bulks up with features that you can arbitrarily drop. Like rendering in a way that's compatible with the active visual styles theme that the user selected. And dealing with an app that asks for more tabs than can fit in a row. And implementing both keyboard and mouse navigation. And implementing transparency so the parent window content is visible behind the tabs.
It is so simple that the need to implement your own is rare :)
I'm making a custom GUI for my application. Basically my application has multiple 'tabs'. Each tab has a panel control binded to it, to display tabs contents. Whenever any of the tabs are clicked, appropriate panel control becomes visible (that displays contents) and the rest of the panels become invisible.
The problem is that when I design them in Visual Studio, it's hard to work, ether panels are stacked up on each other or I put them in different coordinates, and when panel becomes active, it's location is updated.
Is there I way I could design all the panels, like on separate 'form' or something like the same way I have separate classes? if that makes sense. Thanks!
EDIT:
I can't use the standard tab control, because my application has custom GUI, all buttons and everything is designed in image processing app. Tab control doesn't allow me to use my own graphics.
I'm going to take a look at UserControl, thanks everybody!
You can create each tab content in a separate UserControl. Use that each UserControl as the only content on each tab.
You should be able to design each "panel" as a separate UserControl.
Your main Form can just be composed from those UserControls, instead of having the entire UI built into one class.
First I would suggest you stick with the standard .NET controls in most cases. Particularly in this case the standard TabControl seems to be a good fit.
That said, you can place all the panels on the form in their final location (being sure not to place a panel within the other panel). You can then use the drop down in the Properties dialog to select the Panel you wish to work with. Next go to the Format menu and choose Order->Bring to Front. This will bring the wanted panel to the front so you may use the designer on it. You can then continue to hide or show the appropriate panels at runtime.
I am new to WPF and am trying to find the right control.
I am coding a WPF app that has two sections. The left side is an Outlook like sidebar (Odyssey controls).
For everything else I want a control that I can easily swap the contents of based on what is in the side bar.
So the user selects an option in the side bar and all the controls in the main section would change.
If I was writing this in Windows Forms I could just create a few Panels and then show the one that is relevant (and hide the others). When I try this in WPF you can see the contents of the panel underneath. I know I could make them not visible, but I am getting the feeling that I may be going about this the wrong way.
So here is the question. What is the best way (in WPF) to handle content sections of the app to change.
Based on your example (switching what is shown based on what is selected in a side panel) I'd recommend restyling a TabControl because that's really tab switching even if it doesn't look like it. Check out this for a decent example, set TabStripPlacement to Left and you will have a good start.
Depending on how your data is set up a Master-Detail pattern might be another good choice.
If you want to switch everything programmatically you'll want to use a ContentPresenter and DataTemplates for the UI "panels". This article by Josh Smith is about MVVM but his example application is basically the pattern you'll be looking for.
In my C# class, we use Visual Studio. My teacher says it is really not good practice to be stacking controls or panels on top of each other and hiding and showing them when needed. They say it should all be kept to separate forms. However, this puzzles me. I can understand that if you are in design mode, it is a little strange to see all these controls on top of each other, but you edit them all separately, so I don't see the issue. I think its really odd to be closing and opening forms like that and it looks a bit strange to the user.
Say you had an application in which you wanted to use multiple controls on top of each other. Say for example it was a login/register form and you didn't want to use a tab control, for whatever reason, and you wanted buttons in the menu strip to switch between the login or register user control, wouldn't it make sense to simply hide/show user controls?