[RESOLVED] Close all Forms except main Form

[Adebiyi24]

Hello vbforums
I need to close any opened form except the main form
I'm using this function

Public Sub EndForms()
For Each currentForm As Form In Application.OpenForms
If currentForm.Name <> "MainForm" Then
currentForm.Close()
End If
Next
End Sub

In toolstrip click, I use:

Private Sub ToolS1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles ToolS1.Click
        EndForms()
        frm2.Show(Me)
    End Sub

Private Sub ToolS2_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles ToolS2.Click
        EndForms()
        frm3.Show(Me)
    End Sub

The problem is that I have to click twice so as the code is executed.
How can I make the code execute by clicking just once?
thank you

[Shaggy Hiker]

Is the empty Handles clause in that last snippet just a copy paste error, or is it actually missing?

What do you see when you step through the code? What is the state of frm2 at the time that you call .Show on it?

[Adebiyi24]

Is the empty Handles clause in that last snippet just a copy paste error, or is it actually missing?

thank you for your interest
just a copy paste error

What do you see when you step through the code?

I get this error
An unhandled exception of type 'System.InvalidOperationException' occurred in mscorlib.dll
But when adding Try and catch , I need two clicks to execute the code.

What is the state of frm2 at the time that you call .Show on it?

It is in a state of closing
thanks

[jmcilhinney]

That exception is probably because you're enumerating a list and modifying it within the loop. Closing a form is going to modify the OpenForms list.

I assume that this code is in the main form itself. If so then Me is a reference to the main form, so you can close each open form other than Me. To do that while not modifying the list you're enumerating, create an array first. Here are two options:

For Each frm In Application.OpenForms.Cast(Of Form)().ToArray()
    If frm IsNot Me Then
        frm.Close()
    End If
Next

For Each frm In Application.OpenForms.Cast(Of Form)().Except({Me}).ToArray()
    frm.Close()
Next

[Adebiyi24]

jmcilhinney thanks a lot
In fact I figured out that the problem is in the toolstrip click event.
I have used your codes but instead of using Toolstrip_Click, I have used Button_Click and everything goes fine.
However under Toolstrip_Click, I need to click twice to get the code executed.
I wonder if there is a solution to this issue.
thanks again

[jmcilhinney]

You don't actually need to click the ToolStripButton twice. It's a focus issue. The click on the ToolStripButton will not be registered unless the form containing it has focus. Notice that, if you click the form to give it focus first and then click the ToolStripButton, it works as expected. I'm not sure whether there's a way around that or not.

[Adebiyi24]

You don't actually need to click the ToolStripButton twice. It's a focus issue. The click on the ToolStripButton will not be registered unless the form containing it has focus. Notice that, if you click the form to give it focus first and then click the ToolStripButton, it works as expected. I'm not sure whether there's a way around that or not.

YOU are right sir
It is question of focus
I added

Me.Focus()

at the end of EndForms() function but didn't solve the issue

For Each frm In Application.OpenForms.Cast(Of Form)().Except({Me}).ToArray()
                frm.Close()
            Next
            Me.Focus()

[jmcilhinney]

Read the documentation for that Focus method and you'll see what you should be doing instead. ALWAYS read the documentation. That's not really a solution though, because you're back in the same boat as soon as the user clicks the second form.

[jmcilhinney]

There seems to be a genuine solution here:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...-a-mouse-click

[Adebiyi24]

There seems to be a genuine solution here:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...-a-mouse-click

I can't figure out how to use that class

[Shaggy Hiker]

It looks like there's a bit of translation, and the blog link in that post appears to have expired. The code will look roughly like this:

 Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As Windows.Forms.Message)
        MyBase.WndProc(m)
        If m.Msg = WM_MOUSEACTIVATE AndAlso m.Result = MA_ACTIVATEANDEAT  Then
            m.Result = MA_ACTIVATE
        End If

    End Sub

However, you will need to get the values for those constants. WM_MOUSEACTIVATE is relatively easy. I didn't find a quick reference for the other two, though. I also left out the casting to and from an IntPtr.

[.paul.]

Const WM_MOUSEACTIVATE As Integer = &H15
Const MA_ACTIVATEANDEAT As Integer = &H2
Const MA_ACTIVATE As Integer = &H1

[Adebiyi24]

I found a trick to overcome the issue
In ToolStrip1_MouseEnter, I put :

ToolStrip1.Focus()

and in ToolStripButton_click, I call Endforms()
Then it worked

[jmcilhinney]

I found a trick to overcome the issue
In ToolStrip1_MouseEnter, I put :

ToolStrip1.Focus()

and in ToolStripButton_click, I call Endforms()
Then it worked

That's a bad solution again. The fact that the user's mouse passes over a part of a form doesn't mean that they want to focus that form. You've got a proper solution that does what you actually want to do, i.e. focuses the form immediately when you click a ToolStripButton so that the button registers the Click. Maybe use that.

One of the answers to the SO question I linked to has a full VB code solution. All you have to do is add that class to your project, use that ToolStripExtended class instead of the regular ToolStrip and then set the ClickThrough property to True. Voila, it works exactly as you want.

If you don't want to delete the ToolStrip you already have and create another, simply open the designer code file and change the type of ToolStrip1 from ToolStrip to ToolStripExtended. To get to that designer code file, you'll need to click the Show All Files button in the Solution Explorer and then expand the node for your form. I suggest creating a backup of the solution folder first, because doing something wrong in that designer code file will prevent the form being displayed in the designer.

[.paul.]

It looks like there's a bit of translation, and the blog link in that post appears to have expired. The code will look roughly like this:

 Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As Windows.Forms.Message)
        MyBase.WndProc(m)
        If m.Msg = WM_MOUSEACTIVATE AndAlso m.Result = MA_ACTIVATEANDEAT  Then
            m.Result = MA_ACTIVATE
        End If

    End Sub

However, you will need to get the values for those constants. WM_MOUSEACTIVATE is relatively easy. I didn't find a quick reference for the other two, though. I also left out the casting to and from an IntPtr.

Wouldn't MyBase.WndProc(m) be better placed at the end of the sub?

 Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As Windows.Forms.Message)        
    If m.Msg = WM_MOUSEACTIVATE AndAlso m.Result = MA_ACTIVATEANDEAT  Then
        m.Result = MA_ACTIVATE
    End If
    MyBase.WndProc(m)
End Sub

[Adebiyi24]

jmcilhinney
thanks a lot
it worked