I am trying to create a fairly extensive UserControl that incorporates square controls in the design and allows resizing. Since the design requires squares, I need all the columns in the TableLayoutPanels to be the same width, so the contained, docked controls are also square.
Unfortunately, the behavior of TableLayoutPanel does not give me this result. Using a TableLayoutPanel with all columns set to use the same percentage of the control gives (in a set of 7 columns) 6 columns of equal width and 7th column with variable width.
I understand that this behavior occurs because for 6 out of every 7 sizes, there are no equal number of pixel columns to share around 7 columns, and the 7th column is an overflow for this inequality.
I think what I want is something like an 8th column that overflows the remaining 7 columns, allowing all 7 “real” columns to have real equal width, but so that the 8th column is allowed to be 0. Width so far that I can’t find a parameter that allows this behavior.
Can someone tell me how to get TableLayoutPanel to do what I want, or will I have to start writing a lot of workaround?
EDIT:
In response to Yacoder's answer, I added code that demonstrates the problem, and another that shows a failed, naive attempt to solve it, using the standard functions of the TableLayoutPanel and Dock properties
Demonstration of features:
Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
Public Sub New()
Me.InitializeComponent()
End Sub
'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCode()> _
Protected Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
Try
If disposing AndAlso components IsNot Nothing Then
components.Dispose()
End If
Finally
MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
End Try
End Sub
'Required by the Windows Form Designer
Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer
'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.
'Do not modify it using the code editor.
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> _
Private Sub InitializeComponent()
Me.TableLayoutPanel1 = New System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel
Me.SuspendLayout()
'
'TableLayoutPanel1
'
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.CellBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanelCellBorderStyle.[Single]
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount = 7
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(0, 0)
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Name = "TableLayoutPanel1"
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowCount = 7
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(261, 264)
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.TabIndex = 0
'
'Form1
'
Me.AutoScaleDimensions = New System.Drawing.SizeF(6.0!, 13.0!)
Me.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(261, 264)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.TableLayoutPanel1)
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.ResumeLayout(False)
End Sub
Friend WithEvents TableLayoutPanel1 As System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel
Private labelList As List(Of Label)
Protected Overrides Sub OnLoad(ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
MyBase.OnLoad(e)
labelList = New List(Of Label)
For JJ As Integer = 0 To Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount - 1
For II As Integer = 0 To Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowCount - 1
Dim addLabel As New Label
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Controls.Add(addLabel, JJ, II)
addLabel.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
Me.labelList.Add(addLabel)
Next
Next
End Sub
Private Sub TableLayoutPanel1_Resize(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles TableLayoutPanel1.Resize
If Me.labelList IsNot Nothing Then
For Each labelIn As Label In Me.labelList
labelIn.Text = labelIn.Width.ToString & ", " & labelIn.Height.ToString
Next
End If
End Sub
End Class
Naive solution:
Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
Public Sub New()
Me.InitializeComponent()
End Sub
'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCode()> _
Protected Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
Try
If disposing AndAlso components IsNot Nothing Then
components.Dispose()
End If
Finally
MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
End Try
End Sub
'Required by the Windows Form Designer
Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer
'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.
'Do not modify it using the code editor.
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> _
Private Sub InitializeComponent()
Me.TableLayoutPanel1 = New System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel
Me.SuspendLayout()
'
'TableLayoutPanel1
'
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.CellBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanelCellBorderStyle.[Single]
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount = 8
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28572!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.ColumnStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 0.0!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(0, 0)
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Name = "TableLayoutPanel1"
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowCount = 8
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 14.28571!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New System.Windows.Forms.RowStyle(System.Windows.Forms.SizeType.Percent, 0.0!))
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(261, 264)
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.TabIndex = 0
'
'Form1
'
Me.AutoScaleDimensions = New System.Drawing.SizeF(6.0!, 13.0!)
Me.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(261, 264)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.TableLayoutPanel1)
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.ResumeLayout(False)
End Sub
Friend WithEvents TableLayoutPanel1 As System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel
Private labelList As List(Of Label)
Protected Overrides Sub OnLoad(ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
MyBase.OnLoad(e)
labelList = New List(Of Label)
For JJ As Integer = 0 To Me.TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount - 1
For II As Integer = 0 To Me.TableLayoutPanel1.RowCount - 1
Dim addLabel As New Label
Me.TableLayoutPanel1.Controls.Add(addLabel, JJ, II)
addLabel.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
Me.labelList.Add(addLabel)
Next
Next
End Sub
Private Sub TableLayoutPanel1_Resize(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles TableLayoutPanel1.Resize
If Me.labelList IsNot Nothing Then
For Each labelIn As Label In Me.labelList
labelIn.Text = labelIn.Width.ToString & ", " & labelIn.Height.ToString
Next
End If
End Sub
End Class
I apologize for the terrible performance of this code when redrawing.