QuickBooks Interface

[vovan]

I have a request from my client to develop a new application in VB2005. It
should use MDI design. The client wants it to look similar to Intuit
QuickBooks - Outlook like bar on the left side, child windows should appear
inside of MDI. Splitter allowing to change the width of the bar should be
there.
I tried to use Splitter control as well as SplitContainer Control.
I have Klik Resizer Control which works fine with resizing, but I cannot
make it work with child window when the Splitter is moved. I also coudn't
find any way to place a child window when I use SplitContainer - there is no
empty space in MDI and child just doesn't appear.
Any advice how to create QuickBooks interface.

Thank you
vovan

 

[RobinS]

Do a search on CodeProject for "Outlook Toolbar". If that doesn't work,
check Google. I've seen code out there to replicate the Outlook look.

Robin S.

 

[Branco Medeiros]

I have a request from my client to develop a new application in VB2005. It
should use MDI design. The client wants it to look similar to Intuit
QuickBooks - Outlook like bar on the left side, child windows should appear
inside of MDI. Splitter allowing to change the width of the bar should be
there.

<snip>

If I understand you correctly, you want to dock your child windows
inside the panels in the split container. I don't know if this would
work with MDI children, but regular windows can be easily placed
inside the panels:

<aircode>
Private Sub Form_Load(...) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim C1 As New ChildForm

'the order of these two statements
'*is* significant
C1.TopLevel = False
C1.Parent = SplitContainer2.Panel1

C1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
C1.Visible = True

Dim C2 As New ChildForm
C2.TopLevel = False
C2.Parent = SplitContainer2.Panel2
C2.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
C2.Visible = True
End Sub
</aircode>

Just remember to remove the caption of your child windows first =)))

HTH.

Regards,

Branco.

 

[vovan]

Thank you,
I know how to create Outlook like interface. Outlook like design uses
SplitContainer and on the right side there is a Panel(s). I do not know how
to place child form on the Panel.
So far I came to the idea to use Custom controls containing everything I
planned to place on the child form. I'm not sure this is a good idea,
because I'm going to have many child forms (Custom Controls) in
myapplication.

vovan

 

[Branco Medeiros]

vovan wrote:

Although I set its Dock = Fill when I move Splitter, the child doesn't fill
the Panel.

<snip>

I don't see this happening here, even with MDI children... The windows
fill automatically. Oh, they won't if you set their windowstate to
maximized...!

HTH.

Regards,

Branco.

 

[vovan]

Thank you very much Branco.
I moved 1 step forward.
Now I have a problem with accessing the child form via code.
Although I set its Dock = Fill when I move Splitter, the child doesn't fill
the Panel.
If I set its Dock again (under button click for instance) it fills again.
I tried to put that resetting under SplitterMoved event
Try

Me.ActiveMdiChild.Dock = DockStyle.Fill

Catch ex As Exception

It's not working because ActiveMDIChild is nothing. How do I reference the
child form?

vovan

 

[sdf.ska]

Next question:
How to remove (close) the form I loaded into Panel?
What is the equivalent to
For Each frm in Forms...
used in VB6?

Any other enumeration approaches in VB 2005?





- Show quoted text -

vovan I had similar issues with an app i build 2 years ago in vb.net
2002/03. for very little cash i found exactly what i was lookin for
from Infragistics they have an mdi docking component that works realy
well and it saved me a ton of time..

 

[vovan]

Thanks a lot Branco. Yes, I set it to be Maximized before.
Now everything works great. At least that stuff I already tried.
You saved a lot of my time.

vovan

 

[vovan]

Next question:
How to remove (close) the form I loaded into Panel?
What is the equivalent to
For Each frm in Forms...
used in VB6?

Any other enumeration approaches in VB 2005?
vovan

 

[vovan]

Thank you
I have currently Infragistics subscription. But I never worked with MDI
Docking Component.
I'll try

Another question:
I'm trying to enumerate open forms in order to close those I need anymore.
In the project I'm working on it highlights My.Application.OpenForms. In an
absolutely new testing project there is no problem with that collection.
What is wrong with my project?

vovan

 

[RobinS]

Are you trying to close the children? Or all the forms? The children will
close when you close the parent. Looping through My.Application.OpenForms
*should* work. although you might not want to close the form that invokes
it until it's done.

Robin S.
------------------------

 

[vovan]

By some reason I couldn't make My.Application.OpenForms work.
I created a new project, using cut/paste imported everything from my
existing project. In a new project OpenForms works and I can close either
all loaded forms or just those I want, by looping through OpenForms
collection

Vovan

 

[RobinS]

Well, that's just weird. If you want to pursue it, what do you mean when
you say you couldn't make it work in the old project? Did it find no forms,
or did it give you an error message? You cut/pasted everything into a new
product?

Robin S.
-----------------------------

 

[vovan]

In design it highlights OpenForms and says "it's not defined"

 

[RobinS]

Are you running vS2005?

Robin S.
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