layered controls on screen

[Guest]

am thinking about design where user would select/click a button - - and
controls would appear. this would help keep the screen uncluttered. typical
user would eventually use 4 or 5 different buttons in the course of their
work.

if these controls are in a single form - but only showing when selected
(which would be nice and clean) then I am guessing in the design view all
these controls would show on top of each other and it is going to be very
messy to manage/tweak their properties, dimensions, and such...because they
will all be on top of each other and it will look like a jumble....

one work around is to not go the single form route and instead toggle to
differing forms when the button is pressed rather than having the controls
appear and disappear on a single form...

any advice on approach before I sit down and start on this one??...thanx

 

[Guest]

Consider using a Tab control and putting the different groups on different
pages of the tab control.

 

[Rick Brandt]

am thinking about design where user would select/click a button - -
and controls would appear. this would help keep the screen
uncluttered. typical user would eventually use 4 or 5 different
buttons in the course of their work.

if these controls are in a single form - but only showing when
selected (which would be nice and clean) then I am guessing in the
design view all these controls would show on top of each other and it
is going to be very messy to manage/tweak their properties,
dimensions, and such...because they will all be on top of each other
and it will look like a jumble....

one work around is to not go the single form route and instead toggle
to differing forms when the button is pressed rather than having the
controls appear and disappear on a single form...

any advice on approach before I sit down and start on this
one??...thanx

Use a TabControl. That is exactly what they're for. If you like you can set
the TabStyle to "Buttons" or even to "None" and use your own buttons to change
pages.

 

[Guest]

hey gracias both....haven't been a user of tabs...will check it out....