1. Mike Harsh PRSL001 Program Manager Microsoft Corporation
Tips and Tricks: Answers to Common Questions when Building Windows Forms Applications
Mike Harsh
PRSL001
Program Manager
Microsoft Corporation
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

2. Agenda 5 real world customer questions and solutions Questions
1/5/ :20 AM
Agenda
5 real world customer questions and solutions
TabControl with tabs on bottom
Docking confusion
Read-only ComboBox
Tracking the true visibility of a control in a container
DataBinding DateTimePicker to null
Questions
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

3. Non-Top Aligned Tabs Visual styles and TabControl Alignment
1/5/ :20 AM
Non-Top Aligned Tabs Visual styles and TabControl Alignment
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

4. Non-Top Aligned Tabs The problem
1/5/ :20 AM
Non-Top Aligned Tabs The problem
ComCtl v6 doesn’t implement other alignments
Visual styles disabled
Visual styles enabled
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

5. Non-Top Aligned Tabs The Solution
1/5/ :20 AM
Non-Top Aligned Tabs The Solution
Draw the TabControl UI in code
Set ControlStyles.UserDraw to true
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

6. Docking Confusion What order are controls docked in?
1/5/ :20 AM
Docking Confusion What order are controls docked in?
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

7. Docking Confusion The problem
1/5/ :20 AM
Docking Confusion The problem
Controls are docked based on their order in the Controls collection
This is known as Z-order
Docking issues due to Z-order can be tough to debug by looking at the designer
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

8. Docking Confusion The Solution
1/5/ :20 AM
Docking Confusion The Solution
Use the new Document Outline window in Visual Studio
Ctrl+alt+t in the standard profile
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

9. ReadOnly ComboBox 1/5/2018 12:20 AM
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

10. ReadOnly ComboBox The problem
1/5/ :20 AM
ReadOnly ComboBox The problem
ComboBox doesn’t support the concept of readonly
Workaround of disabling the control doesn’t allow selection of text
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

11. ReadOnly ComboBox The Solution
1/5/ :20 AM
ReadOnly ComboBox The Solution
Implement a ReadOnly property on a ComboBox subclass
Create a text field and a disabled button to place over the ComboBox
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

12. Tracking The True Visibility Of A Control In A Container
1/5/ :20 AM
Tracking The True Visibility Of A Control In A Container
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

13. True Control Visibility The problem
1/5/ :20 AM
True Control Visibility The problem
Visible property always returns the correct state.
VisibleChanged is only raised when the Visible property of the control is modified
It’s not raised when a control’s parent’s Visible property is set to false
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

14. True Control Visibility The Solution
1/5/ :20 AM
True Control Visibility The Solution
Create a component that listens for all visibility changes and notifies a control when it is no longer on the screen
Uses a window hook on the thread and listen for the WM_SHOWWINDOW and WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING messages
Users register a handler for a control visibility change
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

15. DataBinding DateTimePicker Null support for DateTimePicker
1/5/ :20 AM
DataBinding DateTimePicker Null support for DateTimePicker
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

16. DataBinding DateTimePicker The problem
1/5/ :20 AM
DataBinding DateTimePicker The problem
DateTimePicker has no UI for displaying NULL
DateTimePicker’s Value property is a DateTime
You cannot set NULL to a value type
Early bound compile error
Late bound exception
DataBinding infrastructure catches the exception, but doesn’t set the value
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

17. DataBinding DateTimePicker The Solution
1/5/ :20 AM
DataBinding DateTimePicker The Solution
Create a control that extends DateTimePicker and adds a Nullable<DateTime> property
Use the DateTimePicker’s check box as the null UI
Bind to the new property instead
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

18. Summary 5 real world customer questions and solutions
1/5/ :20 AM
Summary
5 real world customer questions and solutions
TabControl with tabs on bottom
Docking confusion
Read-only ComboBox
Tracking the true visibility of a control in a container
DataBinding DateTimePicker to null
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

19. Community Resources At PDC After PDC
1/5/ :20 AM
Community Resources
At PDC
Interesting in helping with Visual Studio and Developer Platform’s future planning?  Sign up at the Tools and Language Track Lounge to attend a focus group.
For more information, go see
PRS321  Windows Forms: Integrating Windows Forms and Windows Presentation Foundation ("Avalon") (Thur 11:30am)
FUN222  Windows Vista: What’s New in Software Installation for Windows Vista: Exploring the Windows Installer (MSI) and ClickOnce Options (Fri 1pm)
Labs
FUNHOL15 ClickOnce Deployment
PRSHOL17 New UI Features in Windows Forms
PRSHOL18 New Data Features in Windows Forms
PRSHOL19 Windows Forms: Advanced Layout
The Windows Forms table in the Presentation track lounge
Ask The Experts
After PDC
MSDN dev center:
MSDN Forums:
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

20. © 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
1/5/ :20 AM
© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

21. Richtextbox With A Visual Style Border
1/5/ :20 AM
Richtextbox With A Visual Style Border
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

22. Flashing A Window In The Taskbar
1/5/ :20 AM
Flashing A Window In The Taskbar
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.