Develop Reference

Get the number of a certain Button in stack panel

Hey I would like to create a stack panel with multiple buttons in it and when I press one, it tells me which button it is. Like when I press the second button from the top, I get the number 2 back and so on.
The buttons are created with this loop:
for (int i = 0; i < LBresponse.Items.Count; i++)
{
System.Windows.Controls.Button BTclear = new Button();
BTclear.Content = "Clear";
BTclear.Width = 50;
BTclear.Height = 20;
BTclear.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Right;
BTclear.Click += Button_Click;
BTclear.IsEnabled = true;
STPresponse.Children.Add(BTclear);
}
I could do it with the location of the button but I hope there is a better solution.
One Idea would be to put the number into the context when the button is created but this would not be pretty.

You could store the number or index somewhere, for example in the Tag property:
for (int i = 0; i<LBresponse.Items.Count; i++)
{
System.Windows.Controls.Button BTclear = new Button();
BTclear.Tag = i;
BTclear.Content = "Clear";
BTclear.Width = 50;
BTclear.Height = 20;
BTclear.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Right;
BTclear.Click += (ss, ee) =>
{
MessageBox.Show(((Button)ss).Tag.ToString());
};
BTclear.IsEnabled = true;
STPresponse.Children.Add(BTclear);
}

How to get the index of dynamically created multiple panels in C# GUI form,when a checkbox is clicked in one of the dynamically created panel

I have a split container panel in GUI Form.When a button is clicked in left panel,it pulls out information along with multiple checkboxes on dynamically created panels on the right panel using a loop.Each panel on the right side can have multiple checkboxes based on some condition.For example, the first panel has one checkbox and the second panel below the first has got 8 checkboxes in the same row.When one of the checkboxes in second panel is clicked, I have to get the index of the that panel to do some manipulation. Tab index does not help me to get one as each panel can have any number of checkboxes.I spent a day to get around the problem with no luck. Your help will be much appreciated. I have posted the code below.
for (int j = 0; j < numOfSensors.Count; j++)
{
sensorpanel = new Panel();
sensorpanel.Size = new Size(800, 60);
sensorpanel.Location = new Point(0, Y);
sensorpanel.BackColor = Color.LightGray;
sensorpanel.Paint += new PaintEventHandler(panel_Paint);
Button sensor = new Button();
sensor.Size = new Size(200, 50);
sensor.Location = new Point(1, 1);
sensor.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Flat;
sensor.FlatAppearance.BorderColor = Color.LightGray;
String sensorType = "Occupancy";
sensor.TextAlign = ContentAlignment.MiddleLeft;
sensor.BackColor = Color.LightGray;
sensor.ForeColor = Color.Black;
sensorpanel.Controls.Add(sensor);
if (sensorType.Equals("Occupancy"))
{
CheckBox cb = new CheckBox();
cb.Location = new Point(380, 15);
cb.Size = new Size(20, 17);
cb.Checked = checkBox(j,0);
cb.Text = "Occupancy";
checksensorbuttons.Add(cb);
cb.CheckedChanged += new EventHandler(cb_CheckChanged);
sensorpanel.Controls.Add(cb);
}
else if (sensorType.Equals("Multi-input:Digital"))
{
int xLoc = 210;
int yLoc = 15;
for (int k = 16; k <32; k+=2)
{
CheckBox cb = new CheckBox();
cb.Location = new Point(xLoc, yLoc);
cb.Size = new Size(20, 17);
cb.Checked = checkBox(j,k);
cb.Text = "Multi-input";
cb.CheckedChanged += new EventHandler(cb_CheckChanged);
sensorpanel.Controls.Add(cb);
xLoc += 30;
}
splitContainer.panel2.Controls.Add(sensorpanel);
}
//checkedchanged eventhandler
private void cb_CheckChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
CheckBox checkbox = (CheckBox)sender;
if (checkbox.Text.Equals("Occupancy"))
{
// How to get the index of the panel when a checkbox in corresponding panel is checked?
if (checkbox.Checked == true)
{
//some manipulation
}
else
{
//some manipulation
}
}
else if (checkbox.Text.Equals("Multi-input"))
{
//get index of the panel where one of the checkboxes are clicked
if (checkbox.Checked == true)
{
//do some manipulation
}
else
{
//do some manipulation
}
}

There are multiple ways
Use Name property of the checkbox. When the checkbox is created assign it a logical name which makes it easier to identify it. Only string can be used here.
Use Tag property of the checkbox to preserve the data you want to refer it. Its good place to store any object and not just string.
Use Parent property of the checkbox to access checkbox's parent properties.
As a best practice, assign a logical name to the dynamic controls. This is the best way to identify the control.
sensorpanel.Name = "panel" + j.ToString();
this.Controls.Add(sensorpanel);
:
:
cb.Text = "Occupancy";
cb.Tag = "panel Index = " + j.ToString();
cb.Name = "panel" + j.ToString() + "_" + "cb_" + cb.Text;
sensorpanel.Controls.Add(cb);
void cb_CheckedChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
CheckBox checkbox = (CheckBox)sender;
string mssg;
mssg = "Name = " + checkbox.Name;
mssg = "tag = " + checkbox.Tag;
mssg = "Parent text = " + checkbox.Parent.Text;
mssg = "Parent name = " + checkbox.Parent.Name;
MessageBox.Show(mssg);
}

Set button fill all the width & top of parent in WinForms

I want to create a form with columns of buttons. The buttons should fit all the width of form. Also I want to push it to top of form as possible. It should look like this:
|----------------------------------|
| Form caption |
|----------------------------------|
||--------------------------------||
||Button0 ||
||--------------------------------||
||--------------------------------||
||Button1 ||
||--------------------------------||
||--------------------------------||
||Button2 ||
||--------------------------------||
| |
| |
| free space |
| |
|----------------------------------|
Usually I work with C++/Qt and it's rich of layouts. As I understand c# is not so good in that. I've found that TableLayoutPanel with 1 column can do that. The only thing I want is to push all the buttons to top.
So I've created the following code:
// panelButton was created by VS with following params:
this.panelButton = new System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel();
this.panelButton.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill;
this.panelButton.Name = "panelButton";
this.panelButton.RowCount = 1;
for(int i = 0;i < 3;i ++)
{
Button button = new Button();
button.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
button.Height = 40;
button.Text = "Button" + i;
button.Click += new EventHandler(delegate(object o, EventArgs args) {});
panelButton.Controls.Add(button, 0, i);
}
But the layout I get is wrong - button0 and button1 are 40px height as expected but button2 fills all the space when I expect it will be 40px.
ADDED: I've found a workaround. I add
panelButton.Controls.Add(new Control(), 0, rowIndex);
after the loop and so thet works as expected.

You don't need to use TableLayoutPanel for such task. It's enough to use a Panel and add buttons to it. For each button you need to set its Dock to Top.
If you want the panel grows instead of showing scrolls, you can set the panel AutoSize=true and AutoScroll=false.
If you want scrollbars, just set it's AutoSize=false and AutoScroll=true.
Example 1
An auto sized form containing a panel which has a list of buttons:(Screenshot)
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Controls.Clear();
this.AutoSize = true;
this.AutoSizeMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoSizeMode.GrowAndShrink;
var panel = new Panel();
panel.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
panel.AutoScroll = false;
panel.AutoSize = true;
panel.AutoSizeMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoSizeMode.GrowAndShrink;
this.Controls.Add(panel);
for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++)
{
var buttun = new Button();
buttun.Text = string.Format("Button {0}", i + 1);
buttun.Dock = DockStyle.Top;
panel.Controls.Add(buttun);
}
}
Example 2
A form containing an auto-scroll panel which has a list of buttons:(Screenshot)
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Controls.Clear();
this.AutoSize = false;
var panel = new Panel();
panel.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
panel.AutoScroll = true;
this.Controls.Add(panel);
for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++)
{
var buttun = new Button();
buttun.Text = string.Format("Button {0}", i + 1);
buttun.Dock = DockStyle.Top;
panel.Controls.Add(buttun);
}
}
Note: Layout is not related to C# it's the job of UI frameworks like Windows Forms. To learn more about layout in windows forms take a look at these documents:
Windows Forms Layout
Layout in Windows Forms Controls

Create dynamic buttons in a grid layout - Create a magic square UI

I'm supposed to create a magic square in 2D using Windows Forms Application. It should look like this:
However, the user should be able to decide the size of the square (3x3, 5x5, 7x7, etc). I already wrote the code in a Console Application, but I don't know how to add the 2D graphics.
Somebody already asked this question (How do I put my result into a GUI?), and one of the answers was to use DataGridView, but I'm not sure if that's what I'm looking for, since I can't make it look like the picture.
Any ideas or advice?

You can use a TableLayoutPanel and add buttons to panel dynamically.
If you don't need interaction with buttons, you can add Label instead.
Create square dynamically:
public void CreateSquare(int size)
{
//Remove previously created controls and free resources
foreach (Control item in this.Controls)
{
this.Controls.Remove(item);
item.Dispose();
}
//Create TableLayoutPanel
var panel = new TableLayoutPanel();
panel.RowCount = size;
panel.ColumnCount = size;
panel.BackColor = Color.Black;
//Set the equal size for columns and rows
for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
var percent = 100f / (float)size;
panel.ColumnStyles.Add(new ColumnStyle(SizeType.Percent, percent));
panel.RowStyles.Add(new RowStyle(SizeType.Percent, percent));
}
//Add buttons, if you have your desired output in an array
//you can set the text of buttons from your array
for (var i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
for (var j = 0; j < size; j++)
{
var button = new Button();
button.BackColor = Color.Lime;
button.Font = new Font(button.Font.FontFamily, 20, FontStyle.Bold);
button.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Flat;
//you can set the text of buttons from your array
//For example button.Text = array[i,j].ToString();
button.Text = string.Format("{0}", (i) * size + j + 1);
button.Name = string.Format("Button{0}", button.Text);
button.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
//If you need interaction with buttons
button.Click += b_Click;
panel.Controls.Add(button, j, i);
}
}
panel.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
this.Controls.Add(panel);
}
If you need interaction with buttons
void button_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
var button = (Button)sender;
//Instead put your logic here
MessageBox.Show(string.Format("You clicked {0}", button.Text));
}
As an example, you can call
CreateSquare(3);
Screenshot:

You can create a Form and add a TableLayoutPanel with this property
tableLayoutPanel1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
tableLayoutPanel1.BackColor = Color.Gold;
and this is the result
When you create Row and Column, to fit correctly set the percentage in this way:
After this you can add a Button or Label in each square.

why doesnt my panel show all my buttons in my c# application?

my panel in my windows form application doesn't include all the buttons i asked it to. It shows only 1 button, Here is the code
private void AddAlphaButtons()
{
char alphaStart = Char.Parse("A");
char alphaEnd = Char.Parse("Z");
for (char i = alphaStart; i <= alphaEnd; i++)
{
string anchorLetter = i.ToString();
Button Buttonx = new Button();
Buttonx.Name = "button " + anchorLetter;
Buttonx.Text = anchorLetter;
Buttonx.BackColor = Color.DarkSlateBlue;
Buttonx.ForeColor = Color.GreenYellow;
Buttonx.Width = 30;
Buttonx.Height = 30;
this.panelButtons.Controls.Add(Buttonx);
//Buttonx.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.MyButton_Click);
}
}

Aren't they all going to be on the same position?
Try setting Buttonx.Location = new Point(100, 200);
(but with different points for different buttons)

You could use a FlowLayoutPanel, which would take care of the layout for you, or you need to track the locations yourself, or which could look something like this:
private void AddAlphaButtons()
{
char alphaStart = Char.Parse("A");
char alphaEnd = Char.Parse("Z");
int x = 0; // used for location info
int y = 0; // used for location info
for (char i = alphaStart; i <= alphaEnd; i++)
{
string anchorLetter = i.ToString();
Button Buttonx = new Button();
Buttonx.Name = "button " + anchorLetter;
Buttonx.Text = anchorLetter;
Buttonx.BackColor = Color.DarkSlateBlue;
Buttonx.ForeColor = Color.GreenYellow;
Buttonx.Width = 30;
Buttonx.Height = 30;
// set button location
Buttonx.Location = new Point(x, y);
x+=30;
if(x > panel1.Width - 30)
{
x = 30;
y+=30;
}
this.panelButtons.Controls.Add(Buttonx);
//Buttonx.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.MyButton_Click);
}
}