MDI Form loading

29 Jun 2006 8:05 PM

Charlie Brown

I am using the following to load my mdi form into the parent.

                If Me.frmIncoming Is Nothing Then
                    Me.frmIncoming = New IncomingForm
                    Me.frmIncoming.MdiParent = Me
                End If
                Me.frmIncoming.Show()
                Me.frmIncoming.Location = New Point(10, 450)

When the forms Show() method is called and before the location is
changed the form briefly appears at the default child MDI location
before moving. This looks terrible on screen as a user. Is there a
way of overriding the show method so it won't preposition the form? I
have tried placing the location before the Show() method but that
doesn't work.

29 Jun 2006 9:14 PM

gene kelley

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On 29 Jun 2006 13:05:49 -0700, "Charlie Brown" <cbr***@duclaw.com>
wrote:

>I am using the following to load my mdi form into the parent.
>
>                If Me.frmIncoming Is Nothing Then
>                    Me.frmIncoming = New IncomingForm
>                    Me.frmIncoming.MdiParent = Me
>                End If
>                Me.frmIncoming.Show()
>                Me.frmIncoming.Location = New Point(10, 450)
>
>When the forms Show() method is called and before the location is
>changed the form briefly appears at the default child MDI location
>before moving. This looks terrible on screen as a user. Is there a
>way of overriding the show method so it won't preposition the form? I
>have tried placing the location before the Show() method but that
>doesn't work.

You need to change the StartUpPosition from WindowsDefault to Manual.

I would avoid naming an instance of a form with same name as the
original form.

Dim ChildForm As New IncomingForm
ChildForm.MdiParent = Me
ChildForm.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual
ChildForm.Location = New Drawing.Point(50, 50)
ChildForm.Show()

29 Jun 2006 10:36 PM

Charlie Brown

Thanks Gene, that gets me a little further. Now the form starts in the
correct position, however the border shows for a brief second before
disappearing. I do not want a border on the form. Basically what it
looks like to the user is a windows form flashes and then goes away.
Can I somehow get rid of this?

gene kelley wrote:
Show quoteHide quote

> On 29 Jun 2006 13:05:49 -0700, "Charlie Brown" <cbr***@duclaw.com>
> wrote:
>
> >I am using the following to load my mdi form into the parent.
> >
> >                If Me.frmIncoming Is Nothing Then
> >                    Me.frmIncoming = New IncomingForm
> >                    Me.frmIncoming.MdiParent = Me
> >                End If
> >                Me.frmIncoming.Show()
> >                Me.frmIncoming.Location = New Point(10, 450)
> >
> >When the forms Show() method is called and before the location is
> >changed the form briefly appears at the default child MDI location
> >before moving. This looks terrible on screen as a user. Is there a
> >way of overriding the show method so it won't preposition the form? I
> >have tried placing the location before the Show() method but that
> >doesn't work.
> You need to change the StartUpPosition from WindowsDefault to Manual.
>
> I would avoid naming an instance of a form with same name as the
> original form.
>
> Dim ChildForm As New IncomingForm
> ChildForm.MdiParent = Me
> ChildForm.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual
> ChildForm.Location = New Drawing.Point(50, 50)
> ChildForm.Show()

30 Jun 2006 4:26 AM

gene kelley

On 29 Jun 2006 15:36:22 -0700, "Charlie Brown" <cbr***@duclaw.com>
wrote:

>Thanks Gene, that gets me a little further. Now the form starts in the
>correct position, however the border shows for a brief second before
>disappearing. I do not want a border on the form. Basically what it
>looks like to the user is a windows form flashes and then goes away.
>Can I somehow get rid of this

Do you mean border of the child form at the default position flashes
before it actually displays in the correct position? Opening a new
MDI project here with a MDI Parent form, a form named IncomingForm,
and only the sample code I had in a click event, I do no see what you
describe. The child form displays as expected.

I have, however, run across that flashing business under other
circumstances. It usually has to do with some piece of code that is
executing and causing the form's visibility to change before the form
should be shown. One notorious example is trying to change the
WindowState to Maximized before the forms is shown. What you get is a
form border at Normal size and then a flash up to Maximized when the
form finishes loading.

1) Try stepping through the code starting at:
Dim ChildForm As New IncomingForm (or whatever you are using)
and see if you can detect where the ChildForm might be showing before
it should.

2) Try Starting a new MDI test project as I described and then adding
bits of code from your original IncomingForm and see if you can
determine where the flashing is occurring.

Gene

Show quoteHide quote

>gene kelley wrote:
>> On 29 Jun 2006 13:05:49 -0700, "Charlie Brown" <cbr***@duclaw.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I am using the following to load my mdi form into the parent.
>> >
>> >                If Me.frmIncoming Is Nothing Then
>> >                    Me.frmIncoming = New IncomingForm
>> >                    Me.frmIncoming.MdiParent = Me
>> >                End If
>> >                Me.frmIncoming.Show()
>> >                Me.frmIncoming.Location = New Point(10, 450)
>> >
>> >When the forms Show() method is called and before the location is
>> >changed the form briefly appears at the default child MDI location
>> >before moving. This looks terrible on screen as a user. Is there a
>> >way of overriding the show method so it won't preposition the form? I
>> >have tried placing the location before the Show() method but that
>> >doesn't work.
>> You need to change the StartUpPosition from WindowsDefault to Manual.
>>
>> I would avoid naming an instance of a form with same name as the
>> original form.
>>
>> Dim ChildForm As New IncomingForm
>> ChildForm.MdiParent = Me
>> ChildForm.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual
>> ChildForm.Location = New Drawing.Point(50, 50)
>> ChildForm.Show()

30 Jun 2006 3:59 PM

Charlie Brown

I started a new project with 2 forms. Set form 1 to MDI parent and
added a button with the following code in the click event. Form2 is set
to no form border.

Dim ChildForm as New Form2
ChildForm.MdiParent = Me
ChildForm.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual
ChildForm.Show()
ChildForm.Location = New Point(100, 100)

When you click the button it will create the second form, which for a
split second will appear with a border, then move to it's proper
location at 100,100.

gene kelley wrote:
Show quoteHide quote

> On 29 Jun 2006 15:36:22 -0700, "Charlie Brown" <cbr***@duclaw.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Thanks Gene, that gets me a little further. Now the form starts in the
> >correct position, however the border shows for a brief second before
> >disappearing. I do not want a border on the form. Basically what it
> >looks like to the user is a windows form flashes and then goes away.
> >Can I somehow get rid of this
>
>
> Do you mean border of the child form at the default position flashes
> before it actually displays in the correct position?   Opening a new
> MDI project here with a MDI Parent form, a form named IncomingForm,
> and only the sample code I had in a click event, I do no see what you
> describe. The child form displays as expected.
>
> I have, however, run across that flashing business under other
> circumstances. It usually has to do with some piece of code that is
> executing and causing the form's visibility to change before the form
> should be shown. One notorious example is trying to change the
> WindowState to Maximized before the forms is shown. What you get is a
> form border at Normal size and then a flash up to Maximized when the
> form finishes loading.
>
> 1) Try stepping through the code starting at:
> Dim ChildForm As New IncomingForm (or whatever you are using)
> and see if you can detect where the ChildForm might be showing before
> it should.
>
> 2) Try Starting a new MDI test project as I described and then adding
> bits of code from your original IncomingForm and see if you can
> determine where the flashing is occurring.
>
> Gene
>
>
>
> >gene kelley wrote:
> >> On 29 Jun 2006 13:05:49 -0700, "Charlie Brown" <cbr***@duclaw.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> >I am using the following to load my mdi form into the parent.
> >> >
> >> >                If Me.frmIncoming Is Nothing Then
> >> >                    Me.frmIncoming = New IncomingForm
> >> >                    Me.frmIncoming.MdiParent = Me
> >> >                End If
> >> >                Me.frmIncoming.Show()
> >> >                Me.frmIncoming.Location = New Point(10, 450)
> >> >
> >> >When the forms Show() method is called and before the location is
> >> >changed the form briefly appears at the default child MDI location
> >> >before moving. This looks terrible on screen as a user. Is there a
> >> >way of overriding the show method so it won't preposition the form? I
> >> >have tried placing the location before the Show() method but that
> >> >doesn't work.
> >> You need to change the StartUpPosition from WindowsDefault to Manual.
> >>
> >> I would avoid naming an instance of a form with same name as the
> >> original form.
> >>
> >> Dim ChildForm As New IncomingForm
> >> ChildForm.MdiParent = Me
> >> ChildForm.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual
> >> ChildForm.Location = New Drawing.Point(50, 50)
> >> ChildForm.Show()

30 Jun 2006 7:41 PM

gene kelley

On 30 Jun 2006 08:59:34 -0700, "Charlie Brown" <cbr***@duclaw.com>
wrote:

>Dim ChildForm as New Form2
>ChildForm.MdiParent = Me
>ChildForm.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual
>ChildForm.Show()
>ChildForm.Location = New Point(100, 100)

The above code will "flash" as you are moving the form after it is
shown. Try this:

        Dim ChildForm As New Form2
        ChildForm.MdiParent = Me
        ChildForm.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual
        ChildForm.Location = New Point(100, 100)

        ChildForm.Show()

Gene