> Hi,
>
> I have an application where multiple TabPages (within the same
> TabControl) need to contain the same components; switching tabs
> changes the data source feeding into the components.  I guess this is
> a problem a lot of people have solved in the past, but I can't seem to
> get it to work elegantly.
>
> In my current implementation, each time I receive a "Selected" event
> from the TabControl I switch over my data source, then add my data
> panel to the newly-selected tab (which automatically removes it from
> the previous tab).  This works reasonably well, but the data grid
> "flickers" irritatingly - I suspect because of the reparenting.
>
> I have tried making the TabControl and the data panel children of the
> same parent Panel, laid out so that the tabs abut the data panel, and
> simply changing the data source when the tabs change.  This avoids the
> flickering problem - but unfortunately the 3D border of the TabPanel
> is very visible, so it's obvious that the data panel is not on the
> TabControl. If I could switch off the 3D border, this could look OK,
> but I can't find any way to do that.
>
> My final attempt was again to put the TabControl and the data panel on
> the same parent Panel, but this time making sure that the data panel
> was on top of the TabControl in the Z-order, and then listening for
> Resize events from the TabControl and handling them by resizing the
> data panel so that it precisely obscures the TabPanel.  This *almost*
> works, but (a) the resizing happens a bit too slowly, and is very
> visible to the user, and (b) it feels really really hacky :-)
>
> There *must* be a better way of doing this, can anyone help me out?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Giles
>

> Hello giles,
>
> You seem really stuck on the TabControl.  Any particular reason?  If the
> actual display elements are not changing.. but rather just the data in the
> elements, then a TabControl may not be your best option.  You might instead
> consider toolbar buttons which would corrospond to your current tabs.. each
> button could then stay depressed while that source was active.. You might
> also consider a menu control similar to Outlook's (the one where you can
> drop down your folder list when its hidden).  A simple listbox or listview
> would serve well also (add a little custom drawing to make em pretty).
>
> If you are bound and determined to use a tab control in this manner (which
> will always be hacky) you may want to stick with your current attempt (reparenting)
> and look at the Win32 API function LockWindowUpdate().
>
> -Boo
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have an application where multiple TabPages (within the same
> > TabControl) need to contain the same components; switching tabs
> > changes the data source feeding into the components.  I guess this is
> > a problem a lot of people have solved in the past, but I can't seem to
> > get it to work elegantly.
> >
> > In my current implementation, each time I receive a "Selected" event
> > from the TabControl I switch over my data source, then add my data
> > panel to the newly-selected tab (which automatically removes it from
> > the previous tab).  This works reasonably well, but the data grid
> > "flickers" irritatingly - I suspect because of the reparenting.
> >
> > I have tried making the TabControl and the data panel children of the
> > same parent Panel, laid out so that the tabs abut the data panel, and
> > simply changing the data source when the tabs change.  This avoids the
> > flickering problem - but unfortunately the 3D border of the TabPanel
> > is very visible, so it's obvious that the data panel is not on the
> > TabControl. If I could switch off the 3D border, this could look OK,
> > but I can't find any way to do that.
> >
> > My final attempt was again to put the TabControl and the data panel on
> > the same parent Panel, but this time making sure that the data panel
> > was on top of the TabControl in the Z-order, and then listening for
> > Resize events from the TabControl and handling them by resizing the
> > data panel so that it precisely obscures the TabPanel.  This *almost*
> > works, but (a) the resizing happens a bit too slowly, and is very
> > visible to the user, and (b) it feels really really hacky :-)
> >
> > There *must* be a better way of doing this, can anyone help me out?
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Giles
> >

> Hi there, thanks for the reply!
>
> Sadly, I have to use the TabControl - our users expect it as a result
> of the UI choices in older applications.
>
> I tried using the LockWindowUpdate call as you suggest, and it
> certainly did reduce the flicker - indeed, I think it might have
> eliminated that amount of it that was due to reparenting the data
> panel.  However, there was still enough to be annoying.
>
> I'm beginning to suspect I'm going to have to override the
> TabControl's drawing functionality, so that I can just put a
> TabControl next to the data panel, but make it look as if it is the
> parent.  Are there any good resources out there that I could use to
> learn how to override .NET component's redraw methods?
>
> Regards,
>
> Giles
>
> GhostInAK wrote:
>
>> Hello giles,
>>
>> You seem really stuck on the TabControl.  Any particular reason?  If
>> the actual display elements are not changing.. but rather just the
>> data in the elements, then a TabControl may not be your best option.
>> You might instead consider toolbar buttons which would corrospond to
>> your current tabs.. each button could then stay depressed while that
>> source was active.. You might also consider a menu control similar to
>> Outlook's (the one where you can drop down your folder list when its
>> hidden).  A simple listbox or listview would serve well also (add a
>> little custom drawing to make em pretty).
>>
>> If you are bound and determined to use a tab control in this manner
>> (which
>> will always be hacky) you may want to stick with your current attempt
>> (reparenting)
>> and look at the Win32 API function LockWindowUpdate().
>> -Boo
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have an application where multiple TabPages (within the same
>>> TabControl) need to contain the same components; switching tabs
>>> changes the data source feeding into the components.  I guess this
>>> is a problem a lot of people have solved in the past, but I can't
>>> seem to get it to work elegantly.
>>>
>>> In my current implementation, each time I receive a "Selected" event
>>> from the TabControl I switch over my data source, then add my data
>>> panel to the newly-selected tab (which automatically removes it from
>>> the previous tab).  This works reasonably well, but the data grid
>>> "flickers" irritatingly - I suspect because of the reparenting.
>>>
>>> I have tried making the TabControl and the data panel children of
>>> the same parent Panel, laid out so that the tabs abut the data
>>> panel, and simply changing the data source when the tabs change.
>>> This avoids the flickering problem - but unfortunately the 3D border
>>> of the TabPanel is very visible, so it's obvious that the data panel
>>> is not on the TabControl. If I could switch off the 3D border, this
>>> could look OK, but I can't find any way to do that.
>>>
>>> My final attempt was again to put the TabControl and the data panel
>>> on the same parent Panel, but this time making sure that the data
>>> panel was on top of the TabControl in the Z-order, and then
>>> listening for Resize events from the TabControl and handling them by
>>> resizing the data panel so that it precisely obscures the TabPanel.
>>> This *almost* works, but (a) the resizing happens a bit too slowly,
>>> and is very visible to the user, and (b) it feels really really
>>> hacky :-)
>>>
>>> There *must* be a better way of doing this, can anyone help me out?
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Giles
>>>

> Hello giles,
>
> how about making a tab control that is only as tall (.Height) as the tabs
> themselves.. then place your input control below it.. You might have to fixup
> the borders a little bit.. but you wouldnt have any flickering.
>
> -Boo
>
> > Hi there, thanks for the reply!
> >
> > Sadly, I have to use the TabControl - our users expect it as a result
> > of the UI choices in older applications.
> >
> > I tried using the LockWindowUpdate call as you suggest, and it
> > certainly did reduce the flicker - indeed, I think it might have
> > eliminated that amount of it that was due to reparenting the data
> > panel.  However, there was still enough to be annoying.
> >
> > I'm beginning to suspect I'm going to have to override the
> > TabControl's drawing functionality, so that I can just put a
> > TabControl next to the data panel, but make it look as if it is the
> > parent.  Are there any good resources out there that I could use to
> > learn how to override .NET component's redraw methods?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Giles
> >
> > GhostInAK wrote:
> >
> >> Hello giles,
> >>
> >> You seem really stuck on the TabControl.  Any particular reason?  If
> >> the actual display elements are not changing.. but rather just the
> >> data in the elements, then a TabControl may not be your best option.
> >> You might instead consider toolbar buttons which would corrospond to
> >> your current tabs.. each button could then stay depressed while that
> >> source was active.. You might also consider a menu control similar to
> >> Outlook's (the one where you can drop down your folder list when its
> >> hidden).  A simple listbox or listview would serve well also (add a
> >> little custom drawing to make em pretty).
> >>
> >> If you are bound and determined to use a tab control in this manner
> >> (which
> >> will always be hacky) you may want to stick with your current attempt
> >> (reparenting)
> >> and look at the Win32 API function LockWindowUpdate().
> >> -Boo
> >>
> >>> Hi,
> >>>
> >>> I have an application where multiple TabPages (within the same
> >>> TabControl) need to contain the same components; switching tabs
> >>> changes the data source feeding into the components.  I guess this
> >>> is a problem a lot of people have solved in the past, but I can't
> >>> seem to get it to work elegantly.
> >>>
> >>> In my current implementation, each time I receive a "Selected" event
> >>> from the TabControl I switch over my data source, then add my data
> >>> panel to the newly-selected tab (which automatically removes it from
> >>> the previous tab).  This works reasonably well, but the data grid
> >>> "flickers" irritatingly - I suspect because of the reparenting.
> >>>
> >>> I have tried making the TabControl and the data panel children of
> >>> the same parent Panel, laid out so that the tabs abut the data
> >>> panel, and simply changing the data source when the tabs change.
> >>> This avoids the flickering problem - but unfortunately the 3D border
> >>> of the TabPanel is very visible, so it's obvious that the data panel
> >>> is not on the TabControl. If I could switch off the 3D border, this
> >>> could look OK, but I can't find any way to do that.
> >>>
> >>> My final attempt was again to put the TabControl and the data panel
> >>> on the same parent Panel, but this time making sure that the data
> >>> panel was on top of the TabControl in the Z-order, and then
> >>> listening for Resize events from the TabControl and handling them by
> >>> resizing the data panel so that it precisely obscures the TabPanel.
> >>> This *almost* works, but (a) the resizing happens a bit too slowly,
> >>> and is very visible to the user, and (b) it feels really really
> >>> hacky :-)
> >>>
> >>> There *must* be a better way of doing this, can anyone help me out?
> >>>
> >>> Cheers,
> >>>
> >>> Giles
> >>>