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First Posted 29 Sep 2003
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Simple Runtime Control Sizing and Dragging Class

By | 29 Sep 2003 | Article
Sample and brief description of simple class that enables sizing and dragging of controls on a form

Figure - Form showing selected Label control, following selection

Introduction

The PickBox class provides sizing handles that allow the positioning and sizing on simple controls on a containing form. This C# sample was adapted from an earlier version of the class written in VB (version 6). The sample was prepared using Borland's C# Builder IDE and exported to a VS project.

Using the code

The PickBox class exposes a "WireControl" method that attaches events to a passed control, implementing “pickbox” behavior. Clicking on a “wired” control displays eight sizing handles around the perimeter of the control and enables sizing and dragging of the control via mouse event handlers provided by the class instance (see commented code for details). The following snippet illustrates the use of the PickBox class and this function from within the Sample Form:

//(Excerpt from Winform.cs)
//
// Create an instance of the PickBox class
//
private PickBox pb = new PickBox();
public WinForm() // Sample Form's constuctor
{
    InitializeComponent();
    //
    // Provide a Click event handler for each control
    // that attaches a pick box to the control when clicked
    //
    foreach (Control c in this.Controls) {
        pb.WireControl(c);
    }
}

The "WireControl" method attaches a Click event handler to each passed control. When called the event handler then attaches the "pickbox", made up of eight Label controls that act as sizing handles, to the clicked control. In addition, mouse event handlers are attached to the control allowing for dragging of the control on its parent form.

//(Excerpt from PickBox.cs)
private void SelectControl(object sender, EventArgs e) {
    if (m_control is Control) {
        m_control.Cursor = oldCursor;
        // Remove event any event handlers appended to last control
        // by this class
        m_control.MouseDown -= new MouseEventHandler(this.ctl_MouseDown);
        m_control.MouseMove -= new MouseEventHandler(this.ctl_MouseMove);
        m_control.MouseUp -= new MouseEventHandler(this.ctl_MouseUp);
        m_control.Click -= new EventHandler(this.SelectControl);
        m_control = null;
    }
    m_control = (Control)sender;
    //Add event handlers for moving the selected control around
    m_control.MouseDown += new MouseEventHandler(this.ctl_MouseDown);
    m_control.MouseMove += new MouseEventHandler(this.ctl_MouseMove);
    m_control.MouseUp += new MouseEventHandler(this.ctl_MouseUp);
    //Add sizing handles to Control's container (Form or PictureBox)
    for (int i = 0; i<8; i++) {
        m_control.Parent.Controls.Add(lbl[i]);
        lbl[i].BringToFront();
    }
    //Position sizing handles around Control
    MoveHandles();
    //Display sizing handles
    ShowHandles();
    oldCursor = m_control.Cursor;
    m_control.Cursor = Cursors.SizeAll;
}

The sizing handles are Labels that are created, initialized and stored in an array of Label controls when the instance of the PickBox class is constructed. MouseDown, MouseMove, and MouseUp events service the array of Labels during control sizing operations.

Points of Interest

The class sample works well for simple applications, but may exhibit some interaction within applications employing more complicated, time-critical event handling. In it’s current form it provides for the selection of only one control at a time.

The PickBox sample is a simpler, and probably less versatile C# example of the functionality presented in the C++ sample “A Sizing/Moving widget” by Andrew JM Hall.

History

  • This is the initial submission of the sample.

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

About the Author

Jim Korovessis

Program Manager
General Dynamics Canada
Canada Canada

Member

Manager, Customer Training in Ottawa, ON, Canada
www.gdcanada.com

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Comments and Discussions

 
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QuestionHow to create multiple selection on panel. Pinmembertinku321:04 13 May '12  
GeneralThank Very Much Pinmembersanaz13x23:37 5 Jan '12  
SuggestionGreat article PinmemberSudarshan.chandan@gs.com22:34 13 Oct '11  
QuestionGreat patent - Any license? PinmemberMember 769042613:50 9 Oct '11  
AnswerRe: Great patent - Any license? PinmemberJim Korovessis1:39 11 Oct '11  
GeneralMy vote of 5 PinmemberBharat Mallapur1:01 14 Apr '11  
AnswerUpdated with multiple selection Pinmemberecklerpa9:17 21 Apr '09  
GeneralPickBox and Pictureboxes PinmemberJuwi_uk5:04 4 Mar '09  
GeneralMultiple controls drag n drop. [modified] PinmemberVB 8.01:45 20 Feb '09  
GeneralGreate code Pinmemberammar7922:04 26 Jan '09  
GeneralAdaptation for multiple selection (more than one selected control). [modified] PinmemberDiego Osorio16:43 26 Dec '08  
GeneralRe: Adaptation for multiple selection (more than one selected control). Pinmemberammar7922:12 26 Jan '09  
GeneralRe: Adaptation for multiple selection (more than one selected control). PinmemberDiego Osorio1:23 27 Jan '09  
GeneralDragging between containers Pinmemberdkalyan18:30 12 May '08  
Thanks for a great piece of software. Would it be possible to change it so that a dragged control can be moved between containers, for example the label could be dropped into the panel or the panel into another panel?
GeneralGreat Work BUT !!!! Pinmemberzooooooz2:11 10 May '08  
GeneralResize Control @ Runtime Pinmemberferozasi12:00 22 Apr '08  
GeneralMoving with keyboard Question Pinmemberblakadm23:53 13 Apr '08  
GeneralRe: Moving with keyboard Question Pinmemberjazzyvishal19:51 21 Jul '08  
Questionhow labels are selected which are created at button click event Pinmemberjassi4u19:43 2 Aug '07  
GeneralNice Article!!! PinmemberIrfan Kothari0:32 11 Apr '07  
Questionhow about rotating ? PinmemberThe Code Guru13:25 19 Jan '07  
AnswerRe: how about rotating ? PinmemberJK Rajesh18:59 30 Jan '07  
AnswerRe: how about rotating ? PinmemberThe Code Guru20:14 30 Jan '07  
GeneralVS 2005 PinmemberNewbieDude0:59 7 Feb '06  
GeneralRe: VS 2005 Pinmembershitfish5:03 18 Aug '06  

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