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How to: Set the ToolStrip Renderer for an Application

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You can customize the appearance of your ToolStrip controls individually or for all the ToolStrip controls in your application.

Example

The following code example demonstrates how to selectively apply a custom renderer to a ToolStrip control and a MenuStrip control.

To use this code example, compile and run the application, and then select the scope of the custom rending from the ComboBox control. Click Apply to set the renderer.

To see custom menu item rendering, select the MenuStrip option from the ComboBox control, click Apply, and then open the File menu item.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Drawing;

Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Drawing

// This example demonstrates how to apply a
// custom professional renderer to an individual
// ToolStrip or to the application as a whole.
class Form6 : Form
{
    ComboBox targetComboBox = new ComboBox();

    public Form6()
    {
        // Alter the renderer at the top level.

        // Create and populate a new ToolStrip control.
        ToolStrip ts = new ToolStrip();
        ts.Name = "ToolStrip";
        ts.Items.Add("Apples");
        ts.Items.Add("Oranges");
        ts.Items.Add("Pears");

        // Create a new menustrip with a new window.
        MenuStrip ms = new MenuStrip();
        ms.Name = "MenuStrip";
        ms.Dock = DockStyle.Top;

        // add top level items
        ToolStripMenuItem fileMenuItem = new ToolStripMenuItem("File");
        ms.Items.Add(fileMenuItem);
        ms.Items.Add("Edit");
        ms.Items.Add("View");
        ms.Items.Add("Window");

        // Add subitems to the "File" menu.
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("Open");
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("Save");
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("Save As...");
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("-");
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("Exit");

        // Add a Button control to apply renderers.
        Button applyButton = new Button();
        applyButton.Text = "Apply Custom Renderer";
        applyButton.Click += new EventHandler(applyButton_Click);

        // Add the ComboBox control for choosing how
        // to apply the renderers.
        targetComboBox.Items.Add("All");
        targetComboBox.Items.Add("MenuStrip");
        targetComboBox.Items.Add("ToolStrip");
        targetComboBox.Items.Add("Reset");

        // Create and set up a TableLayoutPanel control.
        TableLayoutPanel tlp = new TableLayoutPanel();
        tlp.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
        tlp.RowCount = 1;
        tlp.ColumnCount = 2;
        tlp.ColumnStyles.Add(new ColumnStyle(SizeType.AutoSize));
        tlp.ColumnStyles.Add(new ColumnStyle(SizeType.Percent));
        tlp.Controls.Add(applyButton);
        tlp.Controls.Add(targetComboBox);

        // Create a GroupBox for the TableLayoutPanel control.
        GroupBox gb = new GroupBox();
        gb.Text = "Apply Renderers";
        gb.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
        gb.Controls.Add(tlp);

        // Add the GroupBox to the form.
        this.Controls.Add(gb);

        // Add the ToolStrip to the form's Controls collection.
        this.Controls.Add(ts);

        // Add the MenuStrip control last.
        // This is important for correct placement in the z-order.
        this.Controls.Add(ms);
    }

    // This event handler is invoked when
    // the "Apply Renderers" button is clicked.
    // Depending on the value selected in a ComboBox control,
    // it applies a custom renderer selectively to
    // individual MenuStrip or ToolStrip controls,
    // or it applies a custom renderer to the
    // application as a whole.
    void applyButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        ToolStrip ms = ToolStripManager.FindToolStrip("MenuStrip");
        ToolStrip ts = ToolStripManager.FindToolStrip("ToolStrip");

        if (targetComboBox.SelectedItem != null)
        {
            switch (targetComboBox.SelectedItem.ToString())
            {
                case "Reset":
                {
                    ms.RenderMode = ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode;
                    ts.RenderMode = ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode;

                    // Set the default RenderMode to Professional.
                    ToolStripManager.RenderMode = ToolStripManagerRenderMode.Professional;

                    break;
                }

                case "All":
                {
                    ms.RenderMode = ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode;
                    ts.RenderMode = ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode;

                    // Assign the custom renderer at the application level.
                    ToolStripManager.Renderer = new CustomProfessionalRenderer();

                    break;
                }

                case "MenuStrip":
                {
                    // Assign the custom renderer to the MenuStrip control only.
                    ms.Renderer = new CustomProfessionalRenderer();

                    break;
                }

                case "ToolStrip":
                {
                    // Assign the custom renderer to the ToolStrip control only.
                    ts.Renderer = new CustomProfessionalRenderer();

                    break;
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

// This type demonstrates a custom renderer. It overrides the
// OnRenderMenuItemBackground and OnRenderButtonBackground methods
// to customize the backgrounds of MenuStrip items and ToolStrip buttons.
class CustomProfessionalRenderer : ToolStripProfessionalRenderer
{
    protected override void OnRenderMenuItemBackground(ToolStripItemRenderEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Item.Selected)
        {
            using (Brush b = new SolidBrush(ProfessionalColors.SeparatorLight))
            {
                e.Graphics.FillEllipse(b, e.Item.ContentRectangle);
            }
        }
        else
        {
            using (Pen p = new Pen(ProfessionalColors.SeparatorLight))
            {
                e.Graphics.DrawEllipse(p, e.Item.ContentRectangle);
            }
        }
    }

    protected override void OnRenderButtonBackground(ToolStripItemRenderEventArgs e)
    {
        Rectangle r = Rectangle.Inflate(e.Item.ContentRectangle, -2, -2);

        if (e.Item.Selected)
        {
            using (Brush b = new SolidBrush(ProfessionalColors.SeparatorLight))
            {
                e.Graphics.FillRectangle(b, r);
            }
        }
        else
        {
            using (Pen p = new Pen(ProfessionalColors.SeparatorLight))
            {
                e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(p, r);
            }
        }
    }
}

' This example demonstrates how to apply a 
' custom professional renderer to an individual
' ToolStrip or to the application as a whole.
Class Form6
   Inherits Form
   Private targetComboBox As New ComboBox()
   
   
    Public Sub New()

        ' Alter the renderer at the top level.
        ' Create and populate a new ToolStrip control.
        Dim ts As New ToolStrip()
        ts.Name = "ToolStrip"
        ts.Items.Add("Apples")
        ts.Items.Add("Oranges")
        ts.Items.Add("Pears")

        ' Create a new menustrip with a new window.
        Dim ms As New MenuStrip()
        ms.Name = "MenuStrip"
        ms.Dock = DockStyle.Top

        ' add top level items
        Dim fileMenuItem As New ToolStripMenuItem("File")
        ms.Items.Add(fileMenuItem)
        ms.Items.Add("Edit")
        ms.Items.Add("View")
        ms.Items.Add("Window")

        ' Add subitems to the "File" menu.
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("Open")
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("Save")
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("Save As...")
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("-")
        fileMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add("Exit")

        ' Add a Button control to apply renderers.
        Dim applyButton As New Button()
        applyButton.Text = "Apply Custom Renderer"
        AddHandler applyButton.Click, AddressOf applyButton_Click

        ' Add the ComboBox control for choosing how
        ' to apply the renderers.
        targetComboBox.Items.Add("All")
        targetComboBox.Items.Add("MenuStrip")
        targetComboBox.Items.Add("ToolStrip")
        targetComboBox.Items.Add("Reset")

        ' Create and set up a TableLayoutPanel control.
        Dim tlp As New TableLayoutPanel()
        tlp.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
        tlp.RowCount = 1
        tlp.ColumnCount = 2
        tlp.ColumnStyles.Add(New ColumnStyle(SizeType.AutoSize))
        tlp.ColumnStyles.Add(New ColumnStyle(SizeType.Percent))
        tlp.Controls.Add(applyButton)
        tlp.Controls.Add(targetComboBox)

        ' Create a GroupBox for the TableLayoutPanel control.
        Dim gb As New GroupBox()
        gb.Text = "Apply Renderers"
        gb.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
        gb.Controls.Add(tlp)

        ' Add the GroupBox to the form.
        Me.Controls.Add(gb)

        ' Add the ToolStrip to the form's Controls collection.
        Me.Controls.Add(ts)

        ' Add the MenuStrip control last.
        ' This is important for correct placement in the z-order.
        Me.Controls.Add(ms)
    End Sub
   
    ' This event handler is invoked when 
    ' the "Apply Renderers" button is clicked.
    ' Depending on the value selected in a ComboBox 
    ' control, it applies a custom renderer selectively
    ' to individual MenuStrip or ToolStrip controls,
    ' or it applies a custom renderer to the 
    ' application as a whole.
    Sub applyButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
        Dim ms As ToolStrip = ToolStripManager.FindToolStrip("MenuStrip")
        Dim ts As ToolStrip = ToolStripManager.FindToolStrip("ToolStrip")

        If targetComboBox.SelectedItem IsNot Nothing Then

            Select Case targetComboBox.SelectedItem.ToString()
                Case "Reset"
                    ms.RenderMode = ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode
                    ts.RenderMode = ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode

                    ' Set the default RenderMode to Professional.
                    ToolStripManager.RenderMode = ToolStripManagerRenderMode.Professional

                    Exit Select

                Case "All"
                    ms.RenderMode = ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode
                    ts.RenderMode = ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode

                    ' Assign the custom renderer at the application level.
                    ToolStripManager.Renderer = New CustomProfessionalRenderer()

                    Exit Select

                Case "MenuStrip"
                    ' Assign the custom renderer to the MenuStrip control only.
                    ms.Renderer = New CustomProfessionalRenderer()

                    Exit Select

                Case "ToolStrip"
                    ' Assign the custom renderer to the ToolStrip control only.
                    ts.Renderer = New CustomProfessionalRenderer()

                    Exit Select
            End Select

        End If
    End Sub
End Class

' This type demonstrates a custom renderer. It overrides the
' OnRenderMenuItemBackground and OnRenderButtonBackground methods
' to customize the backgrounds of MenuStrip items and ToolStrip buttons.
Class CustomProfessionalRenderer
   Inherits ToolStripProfessionalRenderer
   
   Protected Overrides Sub OnRenderMenuItemBackground(e As ToolStripItemRenderEventArgs)
      If e.Item.Selected Then
         Dim b = New SolidBrush(ProfessionalColors.SeparatorLight)
         Try
            e.Graphics.FillEllipse(b, e.Item.ContentRectangle)
         Finally
            b.Dispose()
         End Try
      Else
         Dim p As New Pen(ProfessionalColors.SeparatorLight)
         Try
            e.Graphics.DrawEllipse(p, e.Item.ContentRectangle)
         Finally
            p.Dispose()
         End Try
      End If
    End Sub

   Protected Overrides Sub OnRenderButtonBackground(e As ToolStripItemRenderEventArgs)
      Dim r As Rectangle = Rectangle.Inflate(e.Item.ContentRectangle, - 2, - 2)
      
      If e.Item.Selected Then
         Dim b = New SolidBrush(ProfessionalColors.SeparatorLight)
         Try
            e.Graphics.FillRectangle(b, r)
         Finally
            b.Dispose()
         End Try
      Else
         Dim p As New Pen(ProfessionalColors.SeparatorLight)
         Try
            e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(p, r)
         Finally
            p.Dispose()
         End Try
      End If
    End Sub
End Class

Set the ToolStripManager.Renderer property to apply a custom renderer to all the ToolStrip controls in your application.

Set the ToolStrip.Renderer property to apply a custom renderer to an individual ToolStrip control.

Compiling the Code

This example requires:

  • References to the System.Design, System.Drawing, and System.Windows.Forms assemblies.

See also