How to: Show a Custom Form with the WinForms Dashboard Designer
- 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.
- CustomDashboardDesignerFormController.vb
- CustomDashboardDesignerForm.vb
- CustomDashboardDesignerFormController.cs
- CustomDashboardDesignerForm.cs
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