How to: Show a Custom Form with the WinForms Dashboard Designer

• Mar 28, 2018
• 2 minutes to read

This topic describes how to show a custom form as the WinForms Dashboard Designer used to create and modify dashboards in WinForms XAF applications. For instance, it can be required for customizing the menu (adding custom bar items or removing certain default bar items).

• Add the new XtraForm or RibbonForm to the project.
• Add the DashboardDesigner control to the newly created form as described in the Create a Designer Application section of the Create a WinForms Designer topic.
• Add a property of the DashboardDesigner type to the custom form.
• In a Windows Forms module, add a Controller that is activated in the IDashboardData Views only.
• Access the WinShowDashboardDesignerController using the Frame.GetController<ControllerType> method.
• Access the DashboardDesignerManager object using the WinShowDashboardDesignerController.DashboardDesignerManager property.
• Handle the DashboardDesignerManager.CreateCustomForm event. Create and assign a custom form to the CreateCustomFormEventArgs.Form property.

Note

A complete sample project is available at https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/XAF_how-to-show-a-custom-form-as-the-winforms-dashboard-designer-t473819.

CustomDashboardDesignerForm.vb

Imports DevExpress.DashboardWin

Namespace CustomDashboardDesignerForm.Module.Win
    Partial Public Class CustomDashboardDesignerForm
        Inherits DevExpress.XtraBars.Ribbon.RibbonForm

        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
        End Sub
        Public ReadOnly Property Designer() As DashboardDesigner
            Get
                Return dashboardDesigner
            End Get
        End Property
    End Class
End Namespace

CustomDashboardDesignerFormController.vb

Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Win
Imports DevExpress.Persistent.Base

Namespace CustomDashboardDesignerForm.Module.Win.Controllers
    Public Class CustomDashboardDesignerFormController
        Inherits ObjectViewController(Of ObjectView, IDashboardData)

        Private showDashboardDesignerController As WinShowDashboardDesignerController
        Protected Overrides Sub OnActivated()
            MyBase.OnActivated()
            showDashboardDesignerController = Frame.GetController(Of WinShowDashboardDesignerController)()
            If showDashboardDesignerController IsNot Nothing Then
                AddHandler showDashboardDesignerController.DashboardDesignerManager.CreateCustomForm, AddressOf Manager_CreateCustomForm
            End If
        End Sub
        Private Sub Manager_CreateCustomForm(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As CreateCustomFormEventArgs)
            e.Form = New CustomDashboardDesignerForm()
        End Sub
        Protected Overrides Sub OnDeactivated()
            MyBase.OnDeactivated()
            If showDashboardDesignerController IsNot Nothing Then
                RemoveHandler showDashboardDesignerController.DashboardDesignerManager.CreateCustomForm, AddressOf Manager_CreateCustomForm
            End If
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

CustomDashboardDesignerFormController.cs

using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Win;
using DevExpress.Persistent.Base;

namespace CustomDashboardDesignerForm.Module.Win.Controllers {
    public class CustomDashboardDesignerFormController : ObjectViewController<ObjectView, IDashboardData> {
        private WinShowDashboardDesignerController showDashboardDesignerController;
        protected override void OnActivated() {
            base.OnActivated();
            showDashboardDesignerController = Frame.GetController<WinShowDashboardDesignerController>();
            if(showDashboardDesignerController != null) {
                showDashboardDesignerController.DashboardDesignerManager.CreateCustomForm += Manager_CreateCustomForm;
            }
        }
        private void Manager_CreateCustomForm(object sender, CreateCustomFormEventArgs e) {
            e.Form = new CustomDashboardDesignerForm();
        }
        protected override void OnDeactivated() {
            base.OnDeactivated();
            if(showDashboardDesignerController != null) {
                showDashboardDesignerController.DashboardDesignerManager.CreateCustomForm -= Manager_CreateCustomForm;
            }
        }
    }
}

CustomDashboardDesignerForm.cs

using DevExpress.DashboardWin;

namespace CustomDashboardDesignerForm.Module.Win {
    public partial class CustomDashboardDesignerForm : DevExpress.XtraBars.Ribbon.RibbonForm {
        public CustomDashboardDesignerForm() {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
        public DashboardDesigner Designer {
            get { return dashboardDesigner; }
        }
    }
}