open new form inside a panel

Question

I am developing a windows application with vs2010 and I have a link label. I want to make a new card opened when clicked in my linked-label. Do I have to create a new form and add it in my main form or there is another way? If so, the second form can be placed inside my main form and how?

Thanks in advanced

Koteswararao Mallisetti · Answer

you have 3 options 1. use the mdi forms 2.create the child form object in main form call the showDialog() method 3.create the child form object in main form call the show method the difference between the showdialog and show is when we use show we can perform action on each form independently  when we use showDialog() we can't perform any action on parent form until child form is closed.

George Paroglou · Answer

thanks for the sample you attached.how can I add a splitter bar between the panel and the field of child production? Cause that was the main reason I was using splitContainer

theLizard · Answer

Not the way you are doing things. see attached...

George Paroglou · Answer

in this sample that i attached is there a way to make the child form to be produced always on top of the two panels on not? If so how this can be done? check please the sample this is what I am trying to do...

theLizard · Answer

It is probably easier to design your child form with the buttons and whatever I still do not know what you are trying to do but an MDI application is one where you can open a child form multiple times so that whatever is on the form is created as a new form or card if that makes it easier for you to understand. With good design you can have a child form with the panel you want and the link labels and show whatever it is you want to show in a separate child form which would replace the second panel of say your splitter panel.

George Paroglou · Answer

I thought that if something is constant (ie the buttons and the sub linklabels) it would be easier to to show its new form in a second panel which will have a splitter in between. Which are the choices of making something like this? With only a splitter perhaps? I thought splitterContainer as the most appropriate way of having to separate fields: one static and the other dynamic. Perhaps it may work without mdi way but with the third option tha koti said and what should be the syntax? check what I mean in the attached sample. I want the splitterContainer to be maximized and form2 to be published always at the front.

theLizard · Answer

You cannot use MDI in the manner that you are MDI parents cannot have panels on them and then expect that the panels become the parent of MDI Children. What are you using the panels for? Why do you need panels?

George Paroglou · Answer

I have two panels in which I have buttons and linklabels at panel1 and I want to make each clicked linklabel to be shown in panel2 in tab control layout. For each click I am trying to make them produced inside panel2 and create a new tab control (even if it's not a unique tab). In panel2 I will not use more that textboxs labels thumb images and buttons. The problem that I am facing is that the child form is not producted at the top of panel2 but behind. I put topmost option in my child to true but still nothing!

theLizard · Answer

I certainly want lots of child forms to be opened. Is mdi method the best choice on these? MDI is the only choice for lots of Child forms. All child forms are owned by the MDI parent. Unfortunately it opens the child form in a seperate window and not inside the main form and in panel2 field It is opening the child form inside the main form as it is supposed to. What exactly are you trying to do what are the two panels used for what is a card used for  is a new form just another data entry form of the same objects(Text Combo etc) In an MDI application each document IS an MDI Child. Each MDI Child can be associated with another MDI Child but you need to manage these yourself. What you are trying to do may not need an MDI solution it may be a simple case of a single form with a dynamic Tab set. There may be lots of options but until you can elaborate on what you want to achieve there is not much anyone can tell you.

George Paroglou · Answer

I certainly want lots of child forms to be opened. Is mdi method the best choice on these? Actually I have two panels. panel1 (at left) has the menu buttons and panel2 (at right) is the place in which every new form must be published. In panel2 I want to be published my child form which has a tab control. While waiting for an answer I developed a new form called Card1 followed the dmi option and used the code below in doubleclick event private void linkLabel1_DoubleClick( object sender EventArgs e) { Card1 sc = new Card1 (); this .splitContainer1.Panel2.Controls.Add(sc.MdiParent); sc.Show(); } Unfortunately it opens the child form in a seperate window and not inside the main form and in panel2 field any idea guys?

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Note that MDI windows are designed for use with multiple documents where each document has a MDI child window and each MDI child window has a document. If your application is not like that then MDI child windows might not be flexible enough for your purposes. Will there be only a specific number of child windows or do you need to have many child windows? You might be able to use panels.

George Paroglou · Answer

cheers koti for your answer. could you please give me more details about the 1st and 3rd option? I want each new form be ready for changes even if I already have lots of forms opened. So I guess it suits me the 3rd option. How we manage the confusing way of having all the labels textboxs and anything else all together in the same place of main form?