Beta test my line control please...

Ok, I got tired of everyone complaining about the lack of a line control in VB.Net, so I created one. Will all of you please check it out and see how it works. I basically need a beta test of it to check to be sure it works correctly.

Some things to help you get started:
Right-Click on your toolbox and click customize toolbox. Click the .Net Framework components tab. Click the browse button to locate where you extracted the dll at. Double click it. The toolbox customizer should add it, and check it for you. It will now be in your toolbox to use. Look at the bottom.

Set the Angle property to get the desired effect needed.

After setting the Angle property, resize the control to get the angle and/or size you desire.

Set the LineWidth property to get a thicker or thinner line (float value).

Set the Color property to change the lines color.

Also, right-click the control and send to background if it overlaps any other controls.

Good luck all, and I am looking forward to your feedback...

Forgot to attach the file:

The only problem I have found is that the background isn't opaque. I am trying to find a solution to this, and if anyone knows how, please do tell..lol.

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Originally posted by hellswraith
The only problem I have found is that the background isn't opaque. I am trying to find a solution to this, and if anyone knows how, please do tell..lol.

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why do you need to do that? just override the resize event and make sure that the user can only resize the control lengthwise. wouldn't that work?

Nicely done . Thank you !:)

Quote:

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Ok, I got tired of everyone complaining about the lack of a line control in VB.Net

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Yeah. God forbid someone actually having to type 2 whole lines of actual code! :eek:

LOL.:D

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Originally posted by MrPolite
why do you need to do that? just override the resize event and make sure that the user can only resize the control lengthwise. wouldn't that work?

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That isn't the problem, the problem comes when they make the line at an angle. Then the 'square' area that the user control takes up becomes quite large. When the line is horizontal or vertical, everything is perfect.

I have a slightly updated version here:
http://www.variantx.com/Main/DevTool...neControl.aspx
not much has changed though.

hmm have you looked at SetStyle ()? there is an option for transparency, as far as I remember. btw you never told me why you're inheriting from Control and not UserControl? What's the difference?

another though: isn't it possible to draw the line on the form, rather than drawing it in the usercontrol? I know you can easily draw something on the form, but is it possible to draw a line that passes over all the controls in the form ?(basically like a line that has the highest ZOrder and is on top of some controls)

I have done the SetStyle already, but it doesn't work so well.

I thought about trying to get the graphics object of the form, and just directly drawing on it, but I couldn't figure out a way to get the graphics object from the form.

I forgot to tell you about why I was inheriting from control and not usercontrol. It is because the documentation said that if I am going to be drawing my control using the paint event, then to inherit from control.

Quote:

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Originally posted by hellswraith
I forgot to tell you about why I was inheriting from control and not usercontrol. It is because the documentation said that if I am going to be drawing my control using the paint event, then to inherit from control.

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I dont know the difference between control and usercontrol :(
anyways I tried this with a usercontrol and it compiled. I didn't actualy test it though. So I guess you can draw on the form this way. But I really don't know how to draw on the controls that are on the form

VB Code:

Private Sub UserControl1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        AddHandler Me.ParentForm.Paint, AddressOf Form_Paint
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub Form_Paint(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs)
 
    End Sub

this would draw a line on the form, but I dont think there is a way to draw on the controls correctly without knowing which control has what Zorder.

VB Code:

Private Sub UserControl1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        AddHandler Me.ParentForm.Paint, AddressOf Form_Paint
        If Me.DesignMode Then
            Me.Visible = False
        End If
 
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub Form_Paint(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs)
        e.Graphics.DrawLine(Pens.Black, Me.Left, Me.Top, Me.Left + Me.Width, Me.Top + Me.Height)
    End Sub
 
 
    Private Sub LineControl_Paint(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) Handles MyBase.Paint
        If designmode Then  ' Preview the line in the control at design time
            e.Graphics.DrawLine(Pens.Black, 0, 0, Me.Width, Me.Height)
        End If
    End Sub
 
'UserControl overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
    Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
        If disposing Then
            If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
                components.Dispose()
            End If
 
            If Not Me.ParentForm Is Nothing Then
                RemoveHandler Me.ParentForm.Paint, AddressOf Form_Paint
            End If
        End If
        MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
    End Sub