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A Time-Of-Day Picker control

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4.57/5 (18 votes)
9 Dec 20021 min read 125.5K   2.5K   73   24
A simple control that allows the user to pick time periods in the day

Sample Image - TimeFrame.jpg

Introduction

This control uses double buffering to provide an interface that allows a user to choose time frames throughout the day. The control is modeled after a control that originally showed up in Windows NT, which allowed a user to specify valid login hours to the domain.

About the control

The control has a property called TimeFrames that returns a 3 dimensional array of TimeSpan objects.

C#
public TimeSpan[][][] TimeFrames
  • The first dimension is the day
  • The second dimension is a specific contiguous time span
  • The third dimension will only have two elements, the first is the start time and the second is the end time

As suggested in the Eric White & Chris Garrett text "GDI+ Programming: Creating Custom Controls Using C#", all sections of the screen are split up into seperate objects. Since all major areas of the control can be hot tracked or selected, there is a base concept of a TimeFrameObject, which all sub areas inherit from. This base class includes members for the bounds of the object and whether the object is hot tracked or selected. This really cuts down on the code. For example, this method figures out where on the screen a particular point is and figures out which TimeFrameObject contains the point.

C#
private TimeFrameObject GetTimeFrameObject( MouseEventArgs e )
{
    TimeFrameObject tfo = null;
    if( Grid.Contains( e.X, e.Y ) )
    {
        tfo = CellMatrix[ (int)( ( e.Y - Header ) / y_grid_inc), 
                (int)( ( e.X - LeftMargin ) / x_grid_inc) ];
    }
    else if( ( e.X > Grid.X ) && ( e.X < 
            ( Grid.X + Grid.Width ) ) && ( e.Y < Grid.Y ) )
    {
        tfo = (TimeFrameObject)
            TimeSlots[ (int)( ( e.X - LeftMargin ) / x_grid_inc) ];
    }
    else if( ( e.X < Grid.X ) && 
            ( e.Y < ( Grid.Y + Grid.Height ) ) && ( e.Y > Grid.Y ) )
    {
        tfo = (_Day)Days[ (int)( ( e.Y - Header ) / y_grid_inc) ];
    }
    else if( TopLeft.Contains( e.X, e.Y ) )
    {
        tfo = TopLeft;
    }
    return tfo;
}

This reduces OnMouseDown to:

C#
protected override void OnMouseDown( MouseEventArgs e )
{
    TimeFrameObject tfo = GetTimeFrameObject( e );
    if( tfo != null )
    {
        if( e.Button == MouseButtons.Left )
        {
            tfo.Selected = ! tfo.Selected;
            tfoLastSelected = tfo;
            this.Invalidate( true );
        }
    }
}

That's all

License

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Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralSmall Update Pin
Angelo Cresta9-Jul-09 21:28
professionalAngelo Cresta9-Jul-09 21:28 
GeneralAdd a vertical or horizontal scrollbar Pin
Judyll11-Nov-07 4:24
Judyll11-Nov-07 4:24 
QuestionSample code VB.NET? Pin
pclady28-Nov-06 18:00
pclady28-Nov-06 18:00 
Generalread graphical frame Pin
crisyuri2-Feb-06 12:47
crisyuri2-Feb-06 12:47 
QuestionLoad Data Failed? Anyone can help me? Pin
xiaohu15-Jan-06 17:47
xiaohu15-Jan-06 17:47 
GeneralLoading Data Pin
Farmer Greg9-Apr-05 9:45
Farmer Greg9-Apr-05 9:45 
QuestionHow to migrate to WebForm? Pin
XTV27-Sep-04 22:27
XTV27-Sep-04 22:27 
GeneralIt's genious! Pin
elmotheelk17-Aug-04 1:33
elmotheelk17-Aug-04 1:33 
GeneralTwo TImeFrame Pin
Member 128750311-Aug-04 9:56
Member 128750311-Aug-04 9:56 
GeneralRe: Two TImeFrame Pin
Member 128750311-Aug-04 10:04
Member 128750311-Aug-04 10:04 
GeneralRe: Two TImeFrame Pin
fatcat111117-Feb-05 13:00
fatcat111117-Feb-05 13:00 
GeneralRe: Two TImeFrame Pin
tonysameh12-Feb-06 0:38
tonysameh12-Feb-06 0:38 
GeneralDid anyone manage to solve loading dataset into the control Pin
chrisybhot128-Apr-04 22:56
chrisybhot128-Apr-04 22:56 
Generalgetting this party started Pin
kvc25-Jul-03 3:36
kvc25-Jul-03 3:36 
GeneralRe: getting this party started Pin
amun10026-Oct-09 23:37
amun10026-Oct-09 23:37 
GeneralTimeSpans vs. DateTime Pin
Heath Stewart20-Jan-03 8:12
protectorHeath Stewart20-Jan-03 8:12 
GeneralRe: TimeSpans vs. DateTime Pin
ClearlyDotNet30-Jan-03 7:40
ClearlyDotNet30-Jan-03 7:40 
GeneralNice! Pin
Tim Hodgson16-Jan-03 4:33
Tim Hodgson16-Jan-03 4:33 
QuestionCool Control . but how to load data ? Pin
scryer2117-Dec-02 0:03
scryer2117-Dec-02 0:03 
AnswerRe: Cool Control . but how to load data ? Pin
ClearlyDotNet30-Jan-03 7:44
ClearlyDotNet30-Jan-03 7:44 
GeneralRe: Cool Control . but how to load data ? Pin
xavier213-Feb-03 7:02
xavier213-Feb-03 7:02 
Generalbut how to load data ? Pin
maartensmolders7-Apr-03 1:21
maartensmolders7-Apr-03 1:21 
GeneralRe: but how to load data ? Pin
dl4gbe29-Nov-04 6:05
dl4gbe29-Nov-04 6:05 
GeneralRe: Cool Control . but how to load data ? Pin
cmpenney13-Oct-08 6:09
cmpenney13-Oct-08 6:09 

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