Specify a region for a ToolStripItem

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

I want to create a Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem 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.Control 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

==================================================
Get notification to my posts through email? Please refer to
http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscripti...ult.aspx#notif
ications.

Note: The MSDN Managed Newsgroup support offering is for non-urgent issues
where an initial response from the community or a Microsoft Support
Engineer within 1 business day is acceptable. Please note that each follow
up response may take approximately 2 business days as the support
professional working with you may need further investigation to reach the
most efficient resolution. The offering is not appropriate for situations
that require urgent, real-time or phone-based interactions or complex
project analysis and dump analysis issues. Issues of this nature are best
handled working with a dedicated Microsoft Support Engineer by contacting
Microsoft Customer Support Services (CSS) at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscripti...t/default.aspx.
==================================================

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

[=?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 ContextMenuStrip and call the Show method of the ContextMenuStrip in
the Button's Click event handler.

The following is a sample.

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Me.ContextMenuStrip1.Show(Me.Button1, 0, Me.Button1.Height)
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