Deep Copy of a Form including all controls and variables

Question

4.00/5 (1 vote)

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Hello,

I am Trying to Clone a Form.
When i am using serialization. It copies all the members but doesnt open a new Form.
What i here want is to create a exact replica of the form i.e a new Form

C#

Form1 Frm1= new Form1();
Form1 Frm2= Frm1.MemberwiseClone();
Frm2.Show();

The Above mention code does Create a new Object but refers to the previous object i.e Frm1.

I used another Function

C#

Form1 Frm2= Clone() as Form1;
 public object Clone()
        {

            BinaryFormatter formatter = new BinaryFormatter();
            MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream();
            formatter.Serialize(stream, this);
            stream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);
            this.MemberwiseClone();
            return (Form1)formatter.Deserialize(stream);

        }

This Code Creates the new object but doesnt copy the Data.

Please help!!!

Kind Regards

Posted 11-Mar-15 23:24pm

nikita2410

Updated 11-Mar-15 23:55pm

CHill60

v4

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Comments

CHill60 12-Mar-15 5:41am

We can't see your screen, access your HDD or read your mind. Without seeing some code we can't help you find out what the problem is.
Use the Improve question widget to post the code you are having a problem with

nikita2410 12-Mar-15 5:54am

Please refer the question again. have updated it

Mehdi Gholam 12-Mar-15 5:47am

Why? Just clone the data and open the form with that.

nikita2410 12-Mar-15 5:52am

How???

Mehdi Gholam 12-Mar-15 5:55am

Create a data container class and bind your form to the properties of that class (basic model-view implementation).

nikita2410 12-Mar-15 6:35am

i got your point.
Will try!! It might work

nikita2410 13-Mar-15 4:21am

thank you. Problem of members is solved. But controls still doesnt get Cloned.

BillWoodruff 13-Mar-15 5:46am

Please clarify:

1. you want to "Clone" a Form at run-time ?

2. what are the types of "data" you want/need to copy to the "clone" ? Does "data" mean all the settings/properties/values of all the Controls, or something more/else ?

3. what's the advantage, the pay-off, for the user of your Application being able to "clone" the Form at run-time ? why did you choose this design ?

4. Are there relatively few Controls on the Form you wish to clone at run-time ? Do those Controls include Controls like a TreeView, or ListView ? That's relevant to one possible "quick and dirty" solution strategy you might use.

5. Are you willing to "pay the cost of" using Reflection in a fairly complex way to Clone a Form and its Controls and settings/values ?

nikita2410 13-Mar-15 8:47am

1. Yes i want to Clone a form at runtime.
2. Data Types includes Int, strings, controls like Labels, panels along with properties.
3. Its a requirement from the user that after he does all the settings to form he wants to clone it so that he doesnt have to follow the procedure all again.
4. Nope just labels and panels, structures.
5. I dint get your Point.

BillWoodruff 13-Mar-15 9:07am

Hi, How is it that the user can now set the Form's settings at run-time ? You have implemented some UI for this, or you are using a PropertyGrid ?

re #5: using 'Reflection to get the Properties/Settings/Fields/Methods, etc. of one Form and then applying them to another Form is complicated, and an "expensive" operation in terms of computation.

nikita2410 13-Mar-15 9:27am

yes i have implemented a UI to change settings.
okay. Can you suggest me any tool for the same.

BillWoodruff 13-Mar-15 10:34am

You could present a PropertyGrid to allow the end-user to edit a Form's settings at run-time.

I have an answer in mind for you, but please clarify this for me:

1. do you want the end-user to be able to edit EVERY property on the Form at run-time, or only certain properties and settings ? Is it the case that there are only certain Controls on the Form whose settings you want the user to edit.

2. have you considered having all new Forms inherit from a Form that you have configured the UI on ? going that way would mean you would need to copy only the current data from the "base" Form. however, if your requirement is to synchronize the data cross some number of copies of the base Form, would not recommend that.

Do you have any experience with Windows Hooks and using pInvokes ?

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