How to: Create a UI Type Editor
Caution
This content was written for .NET Framework. If you're using .NET 6 or a later version, use this content with caution. The designer system has changed for Windows Forms and it's important that you review the Designer changes since .NET Framework article.
The following code examples contain two different user interface (UI) type editors for two properties of the FlashTrackBar control described in How to: Create a Windows Forms Control That Shows Progress.
In the first example, the FlashTrackBarValueEditor is applied to the Value property and demonstrates the following points:
How the FlashTrackBarValueEditor extends the UITypeEditor class.
How to override the EditValue method to set the properties of the editor.
How to override the GetEditStyle method to specify the style for the editor.
In the second example, the FlashTrackBarDarkenByEditor extends the FlashTrackBarValueEditor and overrides a helper method to set properties. The FlashTrackBarDarkenByEditor is applied to the DarkenBy property of the FlashTrackBar.
Note
You must compile these examples along with the FlashTrackBar control, as described in How to: Create a Windows Forms Control That Shows Progress.
FlashTrackBarValueEditor
Imports System
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.ComponentModel.Design
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Drawing.Drawing2D
Imports System.Drawing.Design
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Diagnostics
Imports System.Windows.Forms.ComponentModel
Imports System.Windows.Forms.Design
Namespace Microsoft.Samples.WinForms.VB.FlashTrackBar
<System.Security.Permissions.PermissionSetAttribute(System.Security.Permissions.SecurityAction.Demand, Name:="FullTrust")> _
Public Class FlashTrackBarValueEditor
Inherits UITypeEditor
Private edSvc As IWindowsFormsEditorService
Overridable Protected Sub SetEditorProps(editingInstance As FlashTrackBar, editor As FlashTrackBar)
editor.ShowValue = true
editor.StartColor = Color.Navy
editor.EndColor = Color.White
editor.ForeColor = Color.White
editor.Min = editingInstance.Min
editor.Max = editingInstance.Max
End Sub
Overrides OverLoads Public Function EditValue(context As ITypeDescriptorContext, provider As IServiceProvider, value As object) As Object
If ((context IsNot Nothing) And (context.Instance IsNot Nothing) And (provider IsNot Nothing)) Then
edSvc = CType(provider.GetService(GetType(IWindowsFormsEditorService)), IWindowsFormsEditorService)
If (edSvc IsNot Nothing) Then
Dim trackBar As FlashTrackBar = New FlashTrackBar()
AddHandler trackBar.ValueChanged, AddressOf Me.ValueChanged
SetEditorProps(CType(context.Instance, FlashTrackBar), TrackBar)
Dim asInt As Boolean = True
If (TypeOf value Is Integer) Then
trackBar.Value = CInt(value)
ElseIf (TypeOf value Is System.Byte) Then
asInt = False
trackBar.Value = CType(value, Byte)
End If
edSvc.DropDownControl(trackBar)
If (asInt) Then
value = trackBar.Value
Else
value = CType(trackBar.Value, Byte)
End If
End If
End If
Return value
End Function
Overrides OverLoads Public Function GetEditStyle(context As ITypeDescriptorContext) As UITypeEditorEditStyle
If ((context IsNot Nothing) And (context.Instance IsNot Nothing)) Then
Return UITypeEditorEditStyle.DropDown
End If
Return MyBase.GetEditStyle(context)
End Function
private Sub ValueChanged(sender As object, e As EventArgs)
If (edSvc IsNot Nothing) Then
edSvc.CloseDropDown()
End If
End Sub
End Class
End Namespace
namespace Microsoft.Samples.WinForms.Cs.FlashTrackBar {
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.ComponentModel.Design;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.Drawing.Design;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Forms.Design;
[System.Security.Permissions.PermissionSet(System.Security.Permissions.SecurityAction.Demand, Name = "FullTrust")]
public class FlashTrackBarValueEditor : System.Drawing.Design.UITypeEditor {
private IWindowsFormsEditorService edSvc = null;
protected virtual void SetEditorProps(FlashTrackBar editingInstance, FlashTrackBar editor) {
editor.ShowValue = true;
editor.StartColor = Color.Navy;
editor.EndColor = Color.White;
editor.ForeColor = Color.White;
editor.Min = editingInstance.Min;
editor.Max = editingInstance.Max;
}
public override object EditValue(ITypeDescriptorContext context, IServiceProvider provider, object value) {
if (context != null
&& context.Instance != null
&& provider != null) {
edSvc = (IWindowsFormsEditorService)provider.GetService(typeof(IWindowsFormsEditorService));
if (edSvc != null) {
FlashTrackBar trackBar = new FlashTrackBar();
trackBar.ValueChanged += new EventHandler(this.ValueChanged);
SetEditorProps((FlashTrackBar)context.Instance, trackBar);
bool asInt = true;
if (value is int) {
trackBar.Value = (int)value;
}
else if (value is byte) {
asInt = false;
trackBar.Value = (byte)value;
}
edSvc.DropDownControl(trackBar);
if (asInt) {
value = trackBar.Value;
}
else {
value = (byte)trackBar.Value;
}
}
}
return value;
}
public override UITypeEditorEditStyle GetEditStyle(ITypeDescriptorContext context) {
if (context != null && context.Instance != null) {
return UITypeEditorEditStyle.DropDown;
}
return base.GetEditStyle(context);
}
private void ValueChanged(object sender, EventArgs e) {
if (edSvc != null) {
edSvc.CloseDropDown();
}
}
}
}
FlashTrackBarDarkenByEditor
Imports System
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.ComponentModel.Design
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Drawing.Drawing2D
Imports System.Drawing.Design
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Diagnostics
Namespace Microsoft.Samples.WinForms.VB.FlashTrackBar
Public Class FlashTrackBarDarkenByEditor
Inherits FlashTrackBarValueEditor
Overrides Protected Sub SetEditorProps(editingInstance As FlashTrackBar, editor As FlashTrackBar)
MyBase.SetEditorProps(editingInstance, editor)
editor.Min = 0
editor.Max = System.Byte.MaxValue
End Sub
End Class
End Namespace
namespace Microsoft.Samples.WinForms.Cs.FlashTrackBar {
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.ComponentModel.Design;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.Drawing.Design;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Forms.Design;
public class FlashTrackBarDarkenByEditor : FlashTrackBarValueEditor {
protected override void SetEditorProps(FlashTrackBar editingInstance, FlashTrackBar editor) {
base.SetEditorProps(editingInstance, editor);
editor.Min = 0;
editor.Max = byte.MaxValue;
}
}
}
See Also
Tasks
How to: Implement a UI Type Editor