Position a form in a Parent Container

Position a form in a Parent Container

• dave kumar

  Actually you have crossed types. The split container will provide two panels in which you can add your own controls. An MDIParent (which hosts MDIChildren) is a totally different animal.

  For split container:

  Create a new item in your project and select UserControl and name it myChild.cs and you will now see a blank container. Populate that container with what ever UI controls you want to display. Now when you build a project you will have your new control.

  With the split container as your base control you now do this to put your control on the left side of the screen.

  void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs args)

  {

  myChild child = new myChild();

  child.splitContainer1.Panel2.Controls.Add(child);

  child.Dock = DockingStyle.Fill;

  }

  For an MDI container:

  Delete the split container and in the form properties find the MDIParent property and set it to true.

  Add a new item in your project and make it a FORM not a user control and name it myChild.cs. Place the same controls in it and build your project to have your forms built and functional.

  Now to add your MDIChild:

  void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs args)

  {

  myChild child = new myChild();

  child.MdiParent = this;

  child.Show();

  }

  Notice the difference between the two in that you deal with controls on the splitcontainer and forms with MDIChildren. The MDIParent is a unique containing control and deals with forms. The showing of the child in a splitContainer is encompassed in the showing of the form itself and you dock the control so that it is sized and managed by the containing panel (assuming your controls are all properly anchored).

  Hope this helps.

  
  
  

• oananiev

  Not through the designer, but you can do it programmatically. You need to do the following:

  1. Instantiate the child form
  2. Set its TopLevel = false
  3. Add the child form to the appropriate container panel

  It will appear like a window locked within the panel. You can remove the border from the child form's designer and then maximize it by setting the WindowState, that is, if you don't want it to look like a window within the panel.

  
  
  

• Mike Carlisle

  Thanks - can you give me the specific code to add the child form to the container.

  
  
• Position a form in a Parent Container