Toolbar DropDownButton doesnt show dropdown if you click on the botton?

[MrPolite]

If you have a DropDownButton in your toolbar it seems like it only shows the drop down menu when you click on the little down arrow next to the button (which is somewhat natural)

I'm trying to make a button that would show the drop down whether you click on the button or the dropdown arrow next to it. But I cant seem to find a way to find the location of a toolbar button (and hence I have no idea where to put my dropdown context menu)
any ideas? I guess I have to figure out the location of the button within the toolbar but I dunno how

[Nebo_vb]

Why don't you try with:

Private Sub ToolBar1_ButtonClick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs) Handles ToolBar1.ButtonClick
        If e.Button Is ToolBarButton1 Then
            ContextMenu1.Show(control, position)
        End If
    End Sub

HTH!

Nebo

[MrPolite]

yeah but as I said I dont know how to determine the position of the button within the toolbar that's the main problem

[Nebo_vb]

Here's the solution

Dim pos As Point
        pos = ToolBar1.MousePosition
        If e.Button Is ToolBarButton1 Then
            ContextMenu1.Show(ToolBar1, ToolBar1.PointToClient(pos))
        End If

[zaza]

Hi,

The way I do it is to assume that the button is of standard width (becaue most of my buttons are) and subdivide the toolbar into several pieces by the unusually shaped buttons (dropdowns, separators etc). I then check the rectangle.X property to determine which separators I am between at the present time and use it to display a description in the status bar:

Dim mousex As Integer = e.X
 
        If mousex < tools.Buttons(1).Rectangle.X Then
           statusbar.Panels(0).Text = "Some description"
        ElseIf mousex > (tools.Buttons(1).Rectangle.X + tools.Buttons(1).Rectangle.Width) And mousex < tools.Buttons(6).Rectangle.X Then
             statusbar.Panels(0).Text = tools.Buttons(Int((mousex - (tools.Buttons(1).Rectangle.X + tools.Buttons(1).Rectangle.Width)) / tools.Buttons(0).Rectangle.Width) + 2).description
        ElseIf mousex > (tools.Buttons(6).Rectangle.X + tools.Buttons(6).Rectangle.Width) And mousex < tools.Buttons(12).Rectangle.X Then
             statusbar.Panels(0).Text = tools.Buttons(Int((mousex - (tools.Buttons(6).Rectangle.X + tools.Buttons(6).Rectangle.Width)) / tools.Buttons(0).Rectangle.Width) + 7).description
        ElseIf 
 
          'blahblahblah
        Else
                statusbar.Panels(0).Text = ""
            End If
       End If

Here I have a separator as buttons(1), buttons(6), buttons(12) etc. Basically, it says:

If mouse X > separator 1 and mouse X < separator 2 Then

Get the difference between mouse X and the right hand edge of the separator

Divide this by the standard button width to give a number between 0 and the number of buttons in this part of the toolbar

Add on the offset because the separator is at position 6 etc.

Stick the description in the statusbar.

You could do similar, but display the context menu only if you're over the correct button.

HTH

zaza

EDIT: Hey, I like that PointToClient thing. Looks handy.

[Nebo_vb]

Huh, looks complicated....

I like PointToClient too

[MrPolite]

thanks zaza, I'll stick to the simple method
thanks nebo_vb too Control.MousePosition property is somewhat useful but doesnt make much sense. It's working fine now

[RobDog888]

Here is how it would do it.

Private Sub tbbNavigation_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.ToolBarButtonClickEventArgs) Handles tbbNavigation.ButtonClick
    Select Case Me.tbbNavigation.Buttons.IndexOf(e.Button)
        Case 1
            'Back
            Me.ContextMenu1.Show(Me.tbbNavigation, New Point(e.Button.Rectangle.Left, e.Button.Rectangle.Bottom))
        Case 2
            'Next
        Case 3
            'Home
        Case 4
            'Search
    End Select
End Sub

[MrPolite]

oh w00t
button.Rectangle gives the location didnt think of that thanks

[RobDog888]

..

[zaza]

button.Rectangle gives the location

Er...that was my "complicated" method too
Although I trap mine in the mousemove event so I can't use the e.button.

Nice code though, RD.

zaza

[RobDog888]

Thanks zaza. I think I am making the transition from VB6 to VB.NET allot better now after, what, 6 months.

Still, I have a long way to go.

[MrPolite]

Er...that was my "complicated" method too
Although I trap mine in the mousemove event so I can't use the e.button.

Nice code though, RD.

zaza

sorry I read the first few lines and I thought that you're assuming a fixed width for each button so I didnt look at the code

thaks to all anyways