I want to be able to use things like the Solution Explorer window or the Properties window from Visual Studio in my Windows Forms application. I am not sure what the term for it is so I cannot look it up.
Have you tried using a normal panel? You might want to code all the contents of the solution explorer and the properties panel. The panel can be docked from its properties. Then, for example, if autosize is disabled, you write
If ...... Then
_something_.Autosize = false
End If
But that's a TON of code!
I don't think you can reproduce the solution explorer dynamically nor the properties panel. Besides, do you need to change all properties of an object at once? It looks like you are trying to remake visual basic dynamically. Well, that can't happen. Not with the current versions of vb.net, at least.
You should try involving things with panel that appears on your screen with all the settings in it, but like TGamer, there is a lot of code to do. But start with showing and hiding the panel to start with. Maybe try importing the settings through a VS file stored somewhere in your directory.
Related
I am trying to add a simple windows form to my VB.Net project. I have used the designer to design the form how I want it with buttons, a text box and a Timer. The problem is when I try to view the code, there is only an empty class that looks like this:
Public Class MCastMain
End Class
I have set the application type to a windows form application in the project properties, and I have made a successful build of the application since doing so. I have been scrawling the internet and this forum for about half an hour now and I can't find one other person who is having this problem, nor can I find a tutorial that mentions any special steps that must be taken beyond what I have done. This is the first project I have done in Visual Studio.
I know this is probably stupid simple, but I have no idea what to do. Any help is appreciated as always.
Forms comes as partial class meaning the code is separated in two files.
The "empty" code you shown is from "mcastmain.vb" (if the file is named as the class).
With that one there is a (probably hidden) file "mcastmain.designer.vb" file which contains the generated code by the designer ; and is not meant to be modified (as any designer change will rewrite the file).
To show the hidden files you have to look in the solution explorer on the button on it's top there should be a "show all files" button. (it may be possible to do the same via the menu but I don't have VS right there to be sure where)
I'm looking for a way to inspect running XAML in a Windows 8 store app. Essentially, I want firebug / chrome inspector style functionality where I can look at the XAML source generated at runtime, to debug simple layout and style issues.
I've tried Snoop, Pistachio and WPF Inspector but none work for Windows Store apps. The only one I can find which seems to work for Store apps is XAML Spy, which is €90. I can't justify that cost.
Is there any other way to inspect running XAML?
WinRT XAML Toolkit now has an actual visual - visual tree debugger.
Get it from NuGet: nuget.org/packages/winrtxamltoolkit.Debugging then call WinRTXamlToolkit.Debugging.DC.ShowVisualTree() to display the debugger tool inside of your app. It's the third option so now you can use
the WinRTXAMLToolkit.Debugging.VisualTreeDebugger class - that enables you to debug the tree in your Visual Studio
XAML Spy - which is a great commercial visual tree debugger that runs in a separate window
and now this visual tree debugger in the WinRT XAML Toolkit that works inside of your app.
The VisualTreeDebugger class from WinRT XAML Toolkit is what you could use if you want a free tool. It doesn't do as much as XAML Spy, but you get what you pay for. I thought of adding more features to it like actual visualization of what you debug, but the work required would not justify the time investment + I didn't want to step on Koen Zwikstra's turf. I am sure he is doing a great job on that tool. Anyways - VisualTreeDebugger is enough for me, so maybe it would also be enough for you.
The way you can use it is add the class to your code, add a reference in your XAML like
xmlns:debug="WinRTXamlToolkit.Debugging"
then put a hook on a control where you would like to start debugging, like
debug:VisualTreeDebugger.BreakOnLoaded="True"
which will dump the core visual tree details as text in your debugger output window (Ctrl+W,O) and break in the code that dumped your tree where you can investigate the "path" variable, which contains the list of all visual tree elements from the debugged control to the root, so you can watch their values if what you need wasn't already dumped in the output window.
Other options include
debug:VisualTreeDebugger.BreakOnTap="True"
debug:VisualTreeDebugger.BreakOnLayoutUpdated="True"
debug:VisualTreeDebugger.BreakOnLoaded="True"
debug:VisualTreeDebugger.TraceOnTap="True"
debug:VisualTreeDebugger.TraceOnLayoutUpdated="True"
debug:VisualTreeDebugger.TraceOnLoaded="True"
Since it is source code and really a single simple class - you can easily add additional things to the code to do any custom debugging you need.
XAML Spy is what you need. You find it at http://xamlspy.com.
there is a new free tool called XAML Inspector. It's available through NuGet. Just search for "xamlinspector" or get if from the project page: www.xamlinspector.com
Greetings
Christian
I am using Windows Form and .Net 4 in Visual Studio 2010. I need to do some cross-plots, and would like to have a few features, as cursor and zoom in and out.
I tried to use ZedGraph, however I was not able to add its controller to the toolbox. I don't know if I have done something wrong or if it is not compatible.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you!
First, I'll assume you are using WinForms (as opposed to WPF).
Add references to the ZedGraph DLLs to your project
Right-click references in the solution explorer and select Add Reference
Select the browse tab and locate ZedGraph.dll (also ZedGraph.Web.dll if needed)
Rebuild the project (F6)
In the Toolbox, check that ZedGraphControl has appeared under Components
This control can be added to the design layout of a form.
Alternatively, once you have the reference added, you can add a graph to a form in code with the following:
using ZedGraph;
ZedGraphControl myZedGraphControl = new ZedGraphControl();
// set size, location, etc. properties
form1.Controls.Add(myZedGraphControl);
Most of the time when I code, either using Visual Studio or gVim, I like to have many open windows with code files so that I can go back and forth from one to another, either to edit or just read while editing another file.
Thus I found VS 2010's feature of "floating" code windows very helpful. However, the fact that when a code window is floating, it's "always on top" is a bit annoying, because it might hide other windows, such as the "Find Results" for example.
Is this something that is customizable? Is there a configuration value somewhere that either enables or disables the "always on top feature" of floating code windows in Visual Studio 2010?
Thanks
Well, it is not a real top-most window, it is merely on top of the Visual Studio main window. An 'owned' window. From where it competes with other windows that VS displays for the Z-order, like the Find Results window. You'd need to arrange these windows so they don't easily overlap and obscure each other. That's supported, you can dock them. Bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, isn't it?
If you have concrete ideas how to improve this then you can post them to connect.microsoft.com
I have a problem with the style of the button in a messagebox.
If I call the following line of code in a current project the button get one type of visual apperance/style. And If I create a new VB.NET Windows Application project it gets a standard Windows apperance/style.
Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show("Yaay", "Yaay!", Windows.Forms.MessageBoxButtons.OK)
See the difference between the buttons below.
I suspect they inherit the visual apperance from it's parent or maybe from some project settings. But I have not been able to find out from where.
Both projects are created in VB.NET 2.0, and both have same System.Windows.Forms - dll as reference (c:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\System.Windows.Forms.dll).
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/2a956b0675.jpg
Screenshot can be found here.
Thanx in advance for your help!
I cannot see the image from where I am so I'm not sure if this will help you.
Open the Project Properties for each solution and look at the Application tab.
Is the "Enable Applicaton Framework" item ticked? And if so, is the "Enable XP Visual Styles" item also ticked?
That may the difference in the two solutions.