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.NET 6.0+

WinApplication.UseLightStyle Property

Enables the Light Style in a WinForms application.

Namespace: DevExpress.ExpressApp.Win

Assembly: DevExpress.ExpressApp.Win.v24.1.dll

NuGet Package: DevExpress.ExpressApp.Win

Declaration

[Browsable(false)]
public bool UseLightStyle { get; set; }

Property Value

Type Description
Boolean

true, if the Light Style is enabled for a WinForms application; otherwise, false.

Remarks

The UseLightStyle property is bound to DockingViewStyle.

UseLightStyle value WindowsFormsSettings.DockingViewStyle value
true DockingViewStyle.Light
false DockingViewStyle.Default

The Solution Wizard enables the Light Style for all new XAF WinForms applications. For this purpose, the wizard generates new projects with the FrameworkSettings.DefaultSettingsCompatibilityMode property set to Latest.

The Light Style uses the following templates:

  • LightStyleMainForm - in applications with the Standard UI;
  • LightStyleMainRibbonForm - in applications with the Ribbon UI.

The image below demonstrates the difference between a Layout with enabled and disabled Light Style:

UseLightStyle_ListView

The UseLightStyle property affects which built-in Controller XAF uses: the ChooseSkinController or the ConfigureSkinController.

UseLightStyle value Built-in Controller
true ConfigureSkinController
false ChooseSkinController

The ConfigureSkinController provides new WinForms skin and palette runtime skin selectors for Bar UI and Ribbon UI.

WinForms UI Skin selector Palette selector
Bar UI SkinDropDownButtonItem BarButtonItem with a Dropdown Gallery
Ribbon UI SkinDropDownButtonItem SkinPaletteRibbonGalleryBarItem

Bar UI

WinForms-BarUI-LightStyle-SkinPaletteSelector

Ribbon UI

WinForms-RibbonUI-SkinPaletteSelector

If you want to enable the Light Style for an existing application, refer to the How to migrate a WinForms application to use the Light Style KB article.

See Also