How to: Show a Custom Window with an Embedded XAF View

• Jun 11, 2021
• 3 minutes to read

The most recommended way to show a non-XAF window in a WinForms application is to embed custom controls in an XAF form (e.g. DashboardView) using custom view items. However, if it is not appropriate for your case, you can embed XAF views in a custom window by creating views and adding their controls to the form. In the simplest case, it is sufficient to create a View instance, configure it as required, call its View.CreateControls method, and add its Control to the form.

In this example, the custom window with the embedded XAF ListView is invoked when an Action Execute event occurs. Create a new ViewController descendant and add a new SimpleAction in its constructor. In the Action’s Execute event handler, create a new instance of a custom NonXAFForm which is a form object. The LayoutControl control is created to correctly place custom controls on the layout. The XAF ListView control is created using the XafApplication.CreateListView method and its controls are generated using the CreateControls method. Set the controls as layout items and invoke the window using the Form.ShowDialog method.

LinkViewController.cs

using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Actions;
using DevExpress.Persistent.Base;
using DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl;
using DevExpress.XtraLayout;
using System.Windows.Forms;
// ...
public partial class LinkViewController : ViewController {
    public LinkViewController() {
        SimpleAction showWindowAction = new SimpleAction(this, "Show Window", PredefinedCategory.View);
        showWindowAction.ImageName = "ModelEditor_Views";
        showWindowAction.Execute += showWindowAction_Execute;
    }
    void showWindowAction_Execute(object sender, SimpleActionExecuteEventArgs e) {
        NonXAFForm form = new NonXAFForm();
        form.Text = "Form with the XAF ListView";

        LayoutControl layoutControl = new LayoutControl();
        layoutControl.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill;
        form.Controls.Add(layoutControl);

        LayoutControlItem item1 = layoutControl.Root.AddItem();
        TextBox textBox1 = new TextBox();
        item1.Text = "Company";
        item1.Control = textBox1;

        DevExpress.ExpressApp.View listView = Application.CreateListView(typeof(Person), true);
        listView.CreateControls();
        LayoutControlItem item2 = layoutControl.Root.AddItem();
        item2.Text = "Persons";
        item2.Control = (Control)listView.Control;

        form.ShowDialog();
        listView.Dispose();
        form.Dispose();
    }
}

LinkViewController.vb

Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.Actions
Imports DevExpress.Persistent.Base
Imports DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl
Imports DevExpress.XtraLayout
Imports System.Windows.Forms
' ...
Partial Public Class LinkViewController
    Inherits ViewController

    Public Sub New()
        Dim showWindowAction As New SimpleAction(Me, "Show Window", PredefinedCategory.View)
        showWindowAction.ImageName = "ModelEditor_Views"
        AddHandler showWindowAction.Execute, AddressOf showWindowAction_Execute
    End Sub
    Private Sub showWindowAction_Execute(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As SimpleActionExecuteEventArgs)
        Dim form As New NonXAFForm()
        form.Text = "Form with the XAF ListView"

        Dim layoutControl As New LayoutControl()
        layoutControl.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill
        form.Controls.Add(layoutControl)

        Dim item1 As LayoutControlItem = layoutControl.Root.AddItem()
        Dim textBox1 As New TextBox()
        item1.Text = "Company"
        item1.Control = textBox1

        Dim listView As DevExpress.ExpressApp.View = Application.CreateListView(GetType(Person), True)
        listView.CreateControls()
        Dim item2 As LayoutControlItem = layoutControl.Root.AddItem()
        item2.Text = "Persons"
        item2.Control = DirectCast(listView.Control, Control)

        form.ShowDialog()
        listView.Dispose()
        form.Dispose()
    End Sub
End Class

If it is necessary to show a toolbar with Actions and manage the View’s behavior using the Controllers, create a nested Frame‘s instance, place a View in it, and add the Frame’s Template to the form.

C#

void showWindowAction_Execute(object sender, SimpleActionExecuteEventArgs e) {
    NonXAFForm form = new NonXAFForm();
    //...
    Frame frame = Application.CreateFrame(TemplateContext.NestedFrame);
    frame.CreateTemplate();
    frame.SetView(listView);
    LayoutControlItem item2 = new LayoutControlItem();
    item2.Parent = layoutControl.Root;
    item2.Text = "Persons";
    item2.Control = (Control)frame.Template;
    form.ShowDialog();        
}

VB.NET

Private Sub showWindowAction_Execute(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As SimpleActionExecuteEventArgs)
    Dim form As New NonXAFForm()
    '...
    Dim frame As Frame = Application.CreateFrame(TemplateContext.NestedFrame)
    frame.CreateTemplate()
    frame.SetView(listView)
    Dim item2 As New LayoutControlItem()
    item2.Parent = layoutControl.Root
    item2.Text = "Persons"
    item2.Control = CType(frame.Template, Control)
    form.ShowDialog()
End Sub