Fitting runtime buttons inside a form - vb.net

Question

I have a number of buttons between 5-20 and it's variable each time the form loads based on the user settings. I am trying to fit all these buttons on my form no matter what the size of the form is. The buttons are generated during runtime. I would like the first button to be 20 points from the top bar (at any size) and the rest of the buttons simply to fit in the form. This is what I have now but I have to maximize the form to view them all and also while I'm expanding the form the space between the buttons decreases and they overlap with each other whereas they should keep a relative distance. Any ideas?
Dim iButtonWidth, iButtonHeight, iVerticalSpace As Integer
If UserButtons.Count > 0 Then
iButtonHeight = Me.Size.Height - (Me.Size.Height * 0.85)
iButtonWidth = Me.Size.Width - (Me.Size.Width * 0.5)
iVerticalSpace = iButtonHeight / 3
For Each btn In UserButtons
btn.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(iButtonWidth, iButtonHeight)
btn.Location = New Point(20, 20 + btn.TabIndex * iVerticalSpace * 3)
Next
End If

Answer 1

Here's a quick example using the TableLayoutPanel to play with:
Public Class Form1
Private UserButtons As New List(Of Button)
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Static R As New Random
Dim NumButtons As Integer = R.Next(5, 21) ' "a number of buttons between 5-20 and it's variable each time"
UserButtons.Clear()
For i As Integer = 1 To NumButtons
Dim btn As New Button()
btn.Text = i.ToString("00")
btn.Dock = DockStyle.Fill ' Optional: See how you like it with this on vs. off
UserButtons.Add(btn)
Next
DisplayButtons()
End Sub
Private Sub DisplayButtons()
TableLayoutPanel1.SuspendLayout()
TableLayoutPanel1.Controls.Clear()
TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Clear()
TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount = 5 ' Fixed Number of Columns
For i As Integer = 1 To TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount
TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New ColumnStyle(SizeType.Percent, 911)) ' the size doesn't matter here, as long as they are all the same
Next
' Variable Number of Rows:
Dim RowsRequired As Integer = ((UserButtons.Count - 1) \ TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount) + 1 ' Integer Division
TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Clear()
TableLayoutPanel1.RowCount = RowsRequired
For i As Integer = 1 To TableLayoutPanel1.RowCount
TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New RowStyle(SizeType.Percent, 911)) ' the size doesn't matter here, as long as they are all the same
Next
TableLayoutPanel1.Controls.AddRange(UserButtons.ToArray)
TableLayoutPanel1.ResumeLayout()
End Sub
End Class

Answer 2

First of all what kind of container are the buttons in? You should be able to set the container's AutoScroll property to true - then when controls within it spill out of the visible bounds you will get a scroll bar.
Then also what you could do is draw each button in more of a table with a certain number next to each other before dropping down to the next line (instead of just 1 button on each line). If that is an option that works for you then you could get more buttons within the visible space.
I happen to have an example to do the same thing with picture boxes (and text boxes under each picture box). Hope this helps:
Dim point As New Point(0, 0)
'create 11 picture and text boxes-you can make this number the number your user selects.
Dim box(11) As PictureBox
Dim text(11) As TextBox
Dim i As UInt16
For i = 0 To 11 'or whatever your number is
box(i) = New PictureBox
box(i).Width = 250 'your button width
box(i).Height = 170 'your button height
box(i).BorderStyle = BorderStyle.FixedSingle
box(i).Location = point
layoutsPanel.Controls.Add(box(i)) 'my container is a panel
text(i) = New TextBox
text(i).Height = 50
text(i).Width = 250
point.Y += box(i).Height
text(i).Location = (point)
layoutsPanel.Controls.Add(text(i))
point.Y -= box(i).Height 'reset Y for next picture box
'Put 4 picture boxes in a row, then move down to next row
If i Mod 4 = 3 Then
point.X = 0
point.Y += box(i).Height + text(i).Height + 4
Else
point.X += box(i).Width + 4
End If
Next