Layout MDI problems with more than 3 windows

[Olivier BESSON]

Hello,

When i use LayoutMdi with TileHorizontal or TileVertical and more than 3
windows the result is not the expected one and is the same.
When i TileVertical 4 windows i want them
===
=1=
===
=2=
===
=3=
===
=4=
===
(like ALL windows application does) but i got them :
======
=1==2=
======
=3==4=
======

If TileHorizontal : the result is the same.

Example VB Code :
You open a new windows application and paste this in Form1.vb

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
If Me.MdiParent Is Nothing Then
Me.IsMdiContainer = True
For i As Integer = 1 To 4
Dim f As Form1 = New Form1
f.MdiParent = Me
f.Show()
Next i
Me.LayoutMdi(MdiLayout.TileVertical)
End If
End Sub

Thanks,

Olivier

 

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi Olivier,

I performed a test based on your sample code and saw the same result as you
did.

If I change the sample code as follows, i.e. show 6 child forms in the MDI
parent form, these child forms are displayed differently:

For i As Integer = 1 To 6
Dim f As Form = New Form
' show the value of the variable i in the child form's
title bar
f.Text = i.ToString()
f.MdiParent = Me
f.Show()
Next i

If I use LayoutMdi with TileHorizontal, these child forms are arranged into
3 rows and 2 columns, something like:

6 3
5 2
4 1

If I use LayoutMdi with TileVertical, these child forms are arranged into 2
rows and 3 columns, something like:

6 4 2
5 3 1

As you can see, when using LayoutMdi with TileHorizontal, the child forms
are arranged horizontally by the greatest extent, and on the contrary, when
using LayoutMdi with Vertical, the child forms are arranged verically by
the greatest extent.

This makes sense, doesn't it?

I hope I make some clarifications.

If you have any question, please feel free to let me know.

Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Olivier BESSON Subscription]

Hello Linda,

Thanks for your reply but in fact the problem is that is way of tilling is
really not the same than the excel one (when you tileVertical there are
nether 2 workbooks that are side by side) and that i m porting my major
application from VB6 to VB.NET and i have a hundred of users that use
tilling a lot (horizontal and vertical) to compare datas from differents
windows.
Is there a way to mimics the excel tilling (an obscure parameter, an
undocumented function, api call ???) from a .NET MDI application ?

Reagrds,

Olivier

 

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi Olivier,

Thank you for your prompt reply!

Is there a way to mimics the excel tilling (an obscure parameter, an

undocumented function, api call ???) from a .NET MDI application ?

Yes, we could do that in a .NET MDI application. A solution is to calculate
the proposed location and size for each MDI child form and then rearrange
them in the MDI parent form.

Since MDI child forms are displayed within MdiClient control, we need to
get this control first to get its size so as to make the calculation
accurate.

The following is a sample code. You could call it in your program to tile
the MDI child forms horizontally or vertically.

Private Sub ArrangeChildForms(ByVal style As MdiLayout)
Dim mc As MdiClient
For i As Integer = 0 To Me.Controls.Count - 1
If (Me.Controls(i).GetType().Equals(GetType(MdiClient))) Then
mc = Me.Controls(i)
End If
Next

If (style = MdiLayout.TileHorizontal) Then
Dim frmheight As Integer = (mc.Size.Height - 4) /
Me.MdiChildren.Length
For i As Integer = 0 To Me.MdiChildren.Length - 1
Me.MdiChildren(i).Top = i * frmheight
Me.MdiChildren(i).Left = 0
Me.MdiChildren(i).Width = mc.Size.Width - 4
Me.MdiChildren(i).Height = frmheight
Me.MdiChildren(i).WindowState = FormWindowState.Normal
Next
ElseIf (style = MdiLayout.TileVertical) Then
Dim frmwidth As Integer = (mc.Size.Width - 4) /
Me.MdiChildren.Length
For i As Integer = 0 To Me.MdiChildren.Length - 1
Me.MdiChildren(i).Top = 0
Me.MdiChildren(i).Left = i * frmwidth
Me.MdiChildren(i).Width = frmwidth
Me.MdiChildren(i).Height = mc.Size.Height - 4
Me.MdiChildren(i).WindowState = FormWindowState.Normal
Next
End If

End Sub

Hope this helps.
If you have any question, please feel free to let me know.


Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

 

[Olivier BESSON Subscription]

Hi Linda,

Thanks a lot.

I hoped another response (a "secret" framework function ) because it
would be eaysier to use in different applications than to copy/paste each
time code or to add it to my libraries, but this one is statisfying and i'll
start to implement it in my projects.

Again thanks a lot.

Regards,

See you,

Olivier