Window Forms help

Question

I'm new to C# visual studio 2003 and wanted to create a window forms.
I would like to creat a form within form. Lets call the main form form_a and the two other forms that are inside form_a called form_b and form_c.

Where form_a is the main form that is not resizable and form_b is inside form_a and form_c also inside form_a. Form_b would be located on the left side of form_a from top to bottom with form_c below it. Form_b & form_c would only take up about 25% of form_a space. Wouild like to be able to resize form_b or form_c by clicking on the horizontal bar between these two forms then if scrolled up form_b would shrink and form_c would get bigger. 
 
I would really like to learn how to do this. If anyone could tell me which good books or web sites explain this I would really apprecaite it.

Thanks Marty

Answer 1

I figured it out by using a Panels.

First panel created and Dock to the left of the form
Added spliter in to the form side so it Docks on the left
Added Panel 2 and Dock it to the top of the first panel
Added Spliter under Panel 2 and Dock it to to the top

One thing I found is that if the spilter does not have both boxes on either side of the line then the spliter will not work when run.

I hope this may help others just starting out like I'm am.

Marty

Here is the code.

using System;

using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace DockTest

{

/// <summary>

/// Summary description for Form1.

/// </summary>

public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form

{

private System.Windows.Forms.Splitter splitter2;

private System.Windows.Forms.Splitter splitter1;

private System.Windows.Forms.Panel panel1;

private System.Windows.Forms.Panel panel2;

/// <summary>

/// Required designer variable.

/// </summary>

private System.ComponentModel.Container components = null;

public Form1()

{

//

// Required for Windows Form Designer support

//

InitializeComponent();

//

// TODO: Add any constructor code after InitializeComponent call

//

}

/// <summary>

/// Clean up any resources being used.

/// </summary>

protected override void Dispose( bool disposing )

{

if( disposing )

{

if (components != null)

{

components.Dispose();

}

}

base.Dispose( disposing );

}

#region Windows Form Designer generated code

/// <summary>

/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify

/// the contents of this method with the code editor.

/// </summary>

private void InitializeComponent()

{

this.splitter2 = new System.Windows.Forms.Splitter();

this.splitter1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Splitter();

this.panel1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Panel();

this.panel2 = new System.Windows.Forms.Panel();

this.panel2.SuspendLayout();

this.SuspendLayout();

//

// splitter2

//

this.splitter2.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.Blue;

this.splitter2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(208, 0);

this.splitter2.Name = "splitter2";

this.splitter2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(8, 414);

this.splitter2.TabIndex = 2;

this.splitter2.TabStop = false;

//

// splitter1

//

this.splitter1.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.Brown;

this.splitter1.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Top;

this.splitter1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(0, 176);

this.splitter1.Name = "splitter1";

this.splitter1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(208, 8);

this.splitter1.TabIndex = 3;

this.splitter1.TabStop = false;

//

// panel1

//

this.panel1.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Top;

this.panel1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(0, 0);

this.panel1.Name = "panel1";

this.panel1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(208, 176);

this.panel1.TabIndex = 2;

//

// panel2

//

this.panel2.Controls.Add(this.splitter1);

this.panel2.Controls.Add(this.panel1);

this.panel2.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Left;

this.panel2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(0, 0);

this.panel2.Name = "panel2";

this.panel2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(208, 414);

this.panel2.TabIndex = 1;

this.panel2.Paint += new System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventHandler(this.panel2_Paint);

//

// Form1

//

this.AutoScaleBaseSize = new System.Drawing.Size(5, 13);

this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(560, 414);

this.Controls.Add(this.splitter2);

this.Controls.Add(this.panel2);

this.Name = "Form1";

this.Text = "Form1";

this.TopMost = true;

this.Load += new System.EventHandler(this.Form1_Load);

this.panel2.ResumeLayout(false);

this.ResumeLayout(false);

}

#endregion

/// <summary>

/// The main entry point for the application.

/// </summary>

[STAThread]

static void Main()

{

Application.Run(new Form1());

}

private void Form1_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)

{

}

private void panel2_Paint(object sender, System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs e)

{

}

}

}