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AutoFormat Builder

  • Article

The AutoFormat builder of the Form designer applies a set of styles to selected controls of the same type. For example, you can select two or more text box controls on the form and use the AutoFormat builder to apply the same styles; or you can specify whether the styles apply to all or just some of the controls' borders, colors, fonts, layout, or 3D effect.

To use the AutoFormat builder

  • From the New menu, choose Form, and then click New file. At this point, you can manually build your form or you can immediately use the Autoformat Builder shortcut.

To start by manually building your form

  1. Using the Form Controls toolbar, place multiple controls of the same kind on the form.

  2. Select and right-click all the controls you want to format, and then choose Builder from the Form Designer shortcut menu.

    A dialog box appropriate to the selected control appears.

  3. Choose the options you want from the dialog box, and then choose OK.

    When you choose OK, the builder closes and applies the selected configuration.

To start with the Autoformat builder

  1. In the open Form designer, on the Form Designer toolbar, select the Autoformat icon.
  2. When the Autoformat builder opens, choose a style from the listed options, and clear any items you want to leave unformatted.
  3. Click OK.

You can specify whether to use Embossed, Standard, or Professional style. When you click a style, the display to the left is updated to show you how the style looks. You can apply Style to the following:

  • Borders
    Applies the selected style to the control borders. This option corresponds to the BorderStyle property.
  • Colors
    Applies the selected style to the control colors. This option corresponds to the BackColor and ForeColor properties, the BackStyle property, and the BorderColor property.
  • Fonts
    Applies the selected style to the control fonts.
  • Layout
    Applies the selected style to the control alignment.
  • 3D Effect
    Applies the selected style to the control 3D effect.
  • Apply Now
    Applies the style to the selected controls without leaving the AutoFormat Builder.

See Also

Builders | BackColor, ForeColor Properties | BackStyle Property | BorderColor Property | BorderStyle Property