Anyway to tell the IDE Designer not to manage a control? - C# Discussion Boards

Re: Question about inheriting from TreeNode

Heath Stewart4-Dec-03 18:46

4-Dec-03 18:46

I was about to tell you to cast. It's an important concept to understand when dealing with polymorphism.

There is actually a better way, though:

propertyGrid.SelectedObject = ((TreeNodePtr)e.Node).SkinObject;

It's better because the as keyword acts as a cast that - if the cast is not successful - only returns null instead of throwing an InvalidCastException. This is better because it requires fewer instructions to perform and doesn't use a try-catch, which can be very expensive! Fortunately, even if the original TreeNode was not a TreeNodePtr, casting it will make it one so that an exception will not be thrown - SkinObject will be null, though, which will just reset the PropertyGrid. Either way, a simple cast is faster and will perform better.

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.21
GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++
-----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Re: Question about inheriting from TreeNode

DoofToo8-Dec-03 6:27

DoofToo

8-Dec-03 6:27

Ok, I have a new, related, question...

I need to find out the exact type of the SkinObject that's being passed in to the AfterSelect function. Some of them have a property that others don't, and depending on which one is selectd, a button needs to be enabled or disabled.

I've been trying to use the typeof function to retrieve this, but it's not working. For instance if I try something like:

Type t = typeof(((TreeNodePtr)e.Node).SkinObject);

the compiler just tells me that typeof is expecting a type.

I've figured that I can just add another property to TreeNodePtr, like a boolean or something, and just set it to true or false when I'm creating the TreeNode, but I figure there has to be a more elegant solution to this.

Any ideas?

Re: Question about inheriting from TreeNode

Heath Stewart8-Dec-03 6:34

Heath Stewart

8-Dec-03 6:34

typeof is a compile-time function. You need to use Object.GetType (always returns the right Type of the object), so you'd want to use:

Type t - e.Node.GetType()

For reference types, you can also check with the is keyword:

if (e.Node is SkinObject)
{
  // ...
}

And here I thought GetType would've been the obvious choice! Roll eyes | :rolleyes:

Re: Question about inheriting from TreeNode

DoofToo8-Dec-03 10:31

DoofToo

8-Dec-03 10:31

>And here I thought GetType would've been the obvious choice!

hehe... well, it would have been except that I had typeof fresh in my mind from writing my typeconverters. :P

TextBox Alignment

Shaun Becker4-Dec-03 13:00

Shaun Becker

4-Dec-03 13:00

I have a textbox inside a user control that I set up to be right aligned to start. Then when the textbox receives focus, I want it to align left. Then when focused is lost, I want it to restore itself back to right alignment. I can get it to align itself left when focus is given to the textbox. But, when the user tabs off the textbox, it erases the text and keeps focus on the textbox. I tied into the enter and leave events and also tried it on the gotfocus and lostfocus events but I don't understand why it is erasing the text and why it is not giving focus to the next control. Any ideas would be very helpful. Thanks

Re: TextBox Alignment

Heath Stewart4-Dec-03 14:30

Heath Stewart

4-Dec-03 14:30

The problem is with the order of events. When using the keyboard, the events are fired in the following order:

Enter
GotFocus
Leave
Validating
Validated
LosFocus

When you use the mouse or call the Focus method, the events are fired in the following order:

Enter
GotFocus
LostFocus
Leave
Validating
Validated

So, if you handle the Enter and LostFocus events, what you want works when using the keyboard. If you use the likely pairs together (like Enter and Leave), when you change the TextAlign property the handle for the text control is recreated. If it had the focus (which for keyboard events, it still does) the focus is again set to the TextBox. This is why you couldn't leave. The text disappearing is again related to the handle of the text control (which is actually a wrapper for the Edit common control) being created at the wrong time so that the text isn't being restore because it wasn't there when the handle was recreated.

The trick is to change the alignment at the correct time based on whether or not a mouse button was clicked:

// Hook-up event handlers.
myTextBox.Enter += new EventHandler(myTextBox_Enter);
myTextBox.Leave += new EventHandler(myTextBox_Leave);
myTextBox.LostFocus += new EventHandler(myTextBox_LostFocus);

// Handle events.
private void myTextBox_Enter(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  myTextBox.TextAlign = HorizontalAlignment.Left;
}
private void myTextBox_Leave(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  if (Control.MouseButtons != MouseButtons.None)
    myTextBox.TextAlign = HorizontalAlignment.Right;
}
private void myTextBox_LostFocus(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  if (Control.MouseButtons == MouseButtons.None)
    myTextBox.TextAlign = HorizontalAlignment.Right;
}

Seems pretty whacky, but it works.

Re: TextBox Alignment

Shaun Becker5-Dec-03 1:46

Shaun Becker

5-Dec-03 1:46

Thank you very much. That worked

Anyway to tell the IDE Designer not to manage a control?

DoofToo4-Dec-03 12:51

DoofToo

4-Dec-03 12:51

Here's my problem. I've added a Tree Control to my form. I've created my own child class of TreeNode (called TreeNodePtr), though, and I'm trying to use that. It's working fine, but everytime I change anything on the form in Design View, VS.NET changes all of the "new MyApp.TreeNodePtr(Test, "Test")" calls to things like (MyApp.TreeNodePtr)(System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode(Test, "Test").

I'm kind of new to this, but isn't this called a cast?

It's like the IDE knows I want to have a TreeNodePtr, but instead of just leaving it alone, it decides to cast it instead, and then it messes up all of my constructor calls.

Re: Anyway to tell the IDE Designer not to manage a control?

Heath Stewart4-Dec-03 13:57

Heath Stewart

4-Dec-03 13:57

Yes, it's a cast but there's really nothing you can do about it. The form and control designers do what they do. The only way to change it is to extend TreeView, create your own designer, and attribute your custom TreeView with the designer type you created. This isn't a trivial task, especially if you're new to .NET.

The other thing is to not use the designer! It's handy to initially layout controls on a form but it often becomes a hinderance. For example, I deal with a lot of localization but I hate how VS.NET does it. I rearrange quite a bit of code and move the ResourceManager out of InitializeComponents where VS.NET expects to find it. Since it doesn't, the designer breaks. I don't care though, because I stop using the designer long before that. It's the best way to truly learn what's going on instead of dragging-and-dropping your way to a simple application. Anyone can do that.

Web Setup Project, setup.exe check current installed version before downloading...

Chris Richner4-Dec-03 12:44

Chris Richner

4-Dec-03 12:44

Hi,

i've created a web based setup project in VS.NET. Now everytime i start the setup.exe file, it downloads the msi package from the server. It would be nice if the setup.exe will check current installed version and only download if there is a new one on the server. Lets say a kind of update installation.

How to do that?

.:[Greetz from Jerry Maguire]:.

Re: Web Setup Project, setup.exe check current installed version before downloading...

Heath Stewart4-Dec-03 13:53

Heath Stewart

4-Dec-03 13:53

By buying a commercial Windows Installer development environment (like the user-friendly, yet completely customizable Wise for Windows Installer, or the very expensive InstallShield Developer) with a better bootstrapper (setup.exe), or by writing your own. See the Windows Installer SDK for information about that. It's not difficult, but it's important to remember that either you need to build your bootstrapper with each build, or have it download a configuration file (like the setup.ini file) that has the version information in it. The latter would definitely be easier than building and linking your own executable, but your bootstrapper will still need to know where to look (either by hardcoding a fixed URL for the setup.ini file or updating the .rsrc section of the executable with a more dynamic URL).

ListView (View=List) with Vertical Scroll ?

pahluwalia4-Dec-03 9:10

pahluwalia

4-Dec-03 9:10

Hi
I have a listview lv with lv.View = View.List. It always shows the items with horizontal scroll & not vertical !

Is there a way I can set it to scroll vertically when the no of items is more in the lv that its size ?

Paul

Re: ListView (View=List) with Vertical Scroll ?

Heath Stewart4-Dec-03 9:45

Heath Stewart

4-Dec-03 9:45

Not without extending ListView and owner-drawing several things about the list-view control (ListView is just a wrapper for the list-view common control). I'm not sure you could even do this if you did go to all that work (and it is a lot!).

If it's really necessary, you might be better off looking for a third-party .NET control that can do it. Be sure it's that important, though, since this would be inconsistent with practically all other list views in Windows. It's important to remain consistent for useability unless absolutely necessary (read the Windows UI Guidelines for more details and reasoning for this if you don't already see the inherent importance of it).

launch file viewer from c# program

elena123454-Dec-03 9:03

elena12345

4-Dec-03 9:03

Here is my problem:
The user selects a file.
Based on what the extension is, I need to get the viewer that is registered with the operating system for this file type.
And then I need to open the file with the viewer.

Do you know how to do that in C#?

Thanks a ton,

Elena

Re: launch file viewer from c# program

Heath Stewart4-Dec-03 9:40

Heath Stewart

4-Dec-03 9:40

Process.Start("path/to/file.ext");

For fine-grain control, see the ProcessStartInfo class where you can specify a different verb other than "open" (or the default, which is "open" on Win98/ME machines) or redirect the standard IO streams.

A way to control graphic card driver?

Radoslav Bielik4-Dec-03 8:29

Radoslav Bielik

4-Dec-03 8:29

Hi guys,

I have a short (and simple, perhaps) question but I don't know where to start or where to search for more information. Is it possible to control graphic card driver / modify its settings from a windows forms application written in C#? I'm not looking for anything universal/reusable, all I need is to know if (and how) it is possible to control drivers for nVidia cards.

[Edit]
Additional info:
What I need to do is to control the nView settings (since this is a dual head nVidia graphic card). For example to switch the card between "clone mode" (where the image on both screns is identical) and "dual mode" (where both screens display separate image - the desktop is usually extended to cover both screens).
[/Edit]

Thanks for any clues or resource links,
rado

Radoslav Bielik
http://www.neomyz.com/poll [^] - Get your own web poll

Re: A way to control graphic card driver?

Daniel Turini4-Dec-03 8:53

Daniel Turini

4-Dec-03 8:53

I don't know what you mean by "control graphic card" , but managed DirectX may be what you look for.

Trying to make bits uncopyable is like trying to make water not wet.
-- Bruce Schneier

By the way, dog_spawn isn't a nickname - it is my name with an underscore instead of a space. -- dog_spawn

Re: A way to control graphic card driver?

Radoslav Bielik4-Dec-03 9:19

Radoslav Bielik

4-Dec-03 9:19

Hi Daniel and thanks for a quick response.

Sorry for being so vague - what I need to do is to control the nView settings (since this is a dual head nVidia graphic card). For example to switch the card between "clone mode" (where the image on both screns is identical) and "dual mode" (where both screens display separate image - the desktop is usually extended to cover both screens). I'm not sure if this would be possible with DirectX Frown | :(

Thanks,
rado

Radoslav Bielik
http://www.neomyz.com/poll [^] - Get your own web poll

Re: A way to control graphic card driver?

Heath Stewart4-Dec-03 9:37

Heath Stewart

4-Dec-03 9:37

See the SystemInformation class. The VirtualScreen property gives you the entire Rectangle that spans all monitors in a multi-monitor system. You can then calculate where your windows are supposed to be. This still requires a multi-monitor system (either with a dual-head graphics card, or multiple graphics cards), but doesn't require that you have to support a specific driver (like NVIDIA).

Re: A way to control graphic card driver?

Radoslav Bielik4-Dec-03 9:46

Radoslav Bielik

4-Dec-03 9:46

Hello Heath and thanks for your response. I didn't know about the VirtualScreen property of the SystemInformation class, but I'm already using the Screen.AllScreens[i].Bounds to get the bounds of all monitors connected to the system and to properly position the windows.

What I'm trying to do is to switch the card into a mode when both screens display the same thing (clone) - I can do this manually using the display settings but I was looking for a way how to do this from a Windows Forms application (if possible at all). The reason for this is that I need to display the same content on both screens (one of them would be a projector) at certain times and instead of cloning the content programatically I thought that it would be more efficient to use the graphic driver capabilities to clone screen content.

Thanks again,
rado

Radoslav Bielik
http://www.neomyz.com/poll [^] - Get your own web poll

Re: A way to control graphic card driver?

Heath Stewart4-Dec-03 10:18

Heath Stewart

4-Dec-03 10:18

Oh...I see, sorry.

This really warrants that you visit NVIDIA's web site and see if they have an SDK to download, or at least API documentation. This is nothing that is covered by C# or the .NET Framework (since C# is really just a language that targets the CLR, but anyway...).

You'll most likely end-up P/Invoking native calls to their drivers or some library that is installed as part of nView.

For more information on P/Invoke, see the System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImportAttribute. This will allow you to call native methods from managed code.

Re: A way to control graphic card driver?

Radoslav Bielik4-Dec-03 10:49

Radoslav Bielik

4-Dec-03 10:49

Thanks I'll try this!

rado

Radoslav Bielik
http://www.neomyz.com/poll [^] - Get your own web poll

Re: A way to control graphic card driver?

Noah Duke4-Dec-03 9:53

Noah Duke

4-Dec-03 9:53

Radoslav Bielik wrote:
For example to switch the card between "clone mode" (where the image on both screns is identical) and "dual mode"

I don't know of a way to do it programatically, unless nVidia as an API available to do this. While DirectX can let you do some things with the card, it's not quite what you're looking for.

I had a similar situation when I upgraded my video card a few months ago. Unfortunately, I'm at work and the control panel is different, but I'll try to walk you through what may help.

Go to the Display control panel, click on the Settings tab and click the Advanced... button.

Click on the tab for nVidia (this is the part where I'm going from memory - I'm not sure exactly how it's labeled, but since you're asking this question, I assume you've poked around these settings already!)

On the navigation menu that sticks off the side (at least on the recent driver versions) one of the last options is Desktop Utilities. Click to Enable Desktop Utilities and then click the Desktop Manager Configuration button.

In the dialog box that pops up, one of the tabs is for Hotkeys. You can set one of these for various settings. I set up a hotkey to toggle Clone mode on and off.

I hope this helps. If I rambled on all this time and completely missed the point, please forgive me!;P

--Noah Duke

____________________________________________
// TODO: Insert incredibly witty sig here.

Re: A way to control graphic card driver?

Radoslav Bielik4-Dec-03 10:02

Radoslav Bielik

4-Dec-03 10:02

Noah Duke wrote:
I hope this helps. If I rambled on all this time and completely missed the point, please forgive me!

Smile | :)

I am looking for a programmatic way but I highly appreciate your effort - the HotKey approach seems like a good idea. The problem is that now I have a localized Slovak version of the graphic card driver and can't find the settings I'm looking for at all! I hate localized software Confused | :confused:

thanks,
rado

Radoslav Bielik
http://www.neomyz.com/poll [^] - Get your own web poll

Accessing the Image of a System.Web.UI.WebControls.HyperLink

mkushner4-Dec-03 8:17

mkushner

4-Dec-03 8:17

Hi All,
Does anybody know a way to access the tag that is generated when the ImageUrl property of a System.Web.UI.WebControls.HyperLink is set?

I'm trying to write some onmouseover code to the image. If I could get the ID (which isn't written to the source of the page) I could call a javascript function passing it the Image ID.

I think it may have something to do with RenderChildren method.

If anyone has any suggestions, your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike Kushner
mike@kushners.com

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