Specify a region for a ToolStripItem

[=?Utf-8?B?bGpsZXZlbmQy?=]

I want to create a Windows.Forms.T oolStripItem that behaves as if it is an
ellipse (e.g., similar to the round Office Button in Office 2007). Drawing
the item is no problem, but I also want to prevent the item from reponding to
the mouse unless the mouse is within the elliptical bounds of the item. For
a Windows.Forms.C ontrol this can be done by setting the Region property, but
as far as I can tell there no such property for a ToolStripItem.

Thanks for any help!
Lance

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi Lance,

Yes, you're right. Only Control class has the Region property.
ToolStripItem is derived from Component class, so it doesn't have a Region
property.

I have spent several hours researching on this problem, but unfortunately I
haven't found a solution yet.

I suggest that you use a Button instead of ToolStripItem. You may paint the
button by handling its Paint event and then set the button's Region
property.

FYI, you may visit the following link to get a sample code.

'Control.Region Property'
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...control.region
.aspx

Hope this helps.
If you have any concerns, please feel free to let me know.
Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[=?Utf-8?B?bGpsZXZlbmQy?=]

Hi Linda,

Thank you so much for your time and your suggestion. Using a Button is a
good idea, but I would prefer to use a class that inherits from ToolStripItem
if at all possible in order to maintain internal consistency. Also, it might
be difficult to have a Button behave exactly like a ToolStripItem (with
DropDown items, etc.).

If it is not possible to associate a region with a ToolStripItem, then is
there some way to prevent the ToolStripItem from thinking that the mouse is
has entered it? I would guess that there is some method (probably either in
ToolStrip or ToolStripItem) where the hit test logic is being performed. If
it is possible to override that method then I could include custom logic for
handling elliptical ToolStripItems.

Thanks again,
Lance

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi Lance,

In fact, I have spent some time researching on how to prevent the
ToolStripItem from being focused when the mouse is not located in the
'region'. But unfortunately, I haven't worked it out yet.

I will go on research and will get the result back to you ASAP.

I appreciate your patience.
Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

[=?Utf-8?B?bGpsZXZlbmQy?=]

Sounds good. Thanks!
Lance

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi Lance,

We could subscribe the MouseMove event of a ToolStripItem and write our hit
test logic in the event handler. However, the problem is that it may not
easy to implement hit test logic since the 'region' is just a graph we draw.

What's more, it is may not easy to get the area only within the 'region'
focused when the mouse is located in the 'region', either.

I still suggest that you use a Button. As for the drop down items, you may
use ContextMenuStri p and call the Show method of the ContextMenuStri p in
the Button's Click event handler.

The following is a sample.

Private Sub Button1_Click(B yVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles Button1.Click
Me.ContextMenuS trip1.Show(Me.B utton1, 0, Me.Button1.Heig ht)
End Sub

Hope this helps.
If you have any concerns, please feel free to let me know.
Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

[=?Utf-8?B?bGpsZXZlbmQy?=]

Hi Linda,

Ok, I suspect that I will be able to implement some kind of workaround.
Thanks for your help and for the suggestion of using a Button.

Lance