Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

[Derek Hart]

I can set focus to my property grid by using propgrid.Focus - but how can I
set the default property that is always first? Or just set focus to the
default property? Can this be done?

[kimiraikkonen]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

On Sep 27, 11:40 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:

I can set focus to my property grid by using propgrid.Focus - but how canI
set the default property that is always first? Or just set focus to the
default property? Can this be done?

Hi Derek,

To select(or focus) a pre-defined property in a PropertyGrid control
programmaticall y, you can use loop through GridItems and check "label"
to determine which item to be selected:

'------Begin-----
Dim GridItem As GridItem = PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label = "property_label _here" Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next
'------End-------


Hope this helps,

Onur Güzel

[Derek Hart]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

Thank you for the answer. Just need to add one thing to it. I am running
this code on the keydown event for a textbox control. It sets focus to the
grid properly now. But I need to trap the keystroke that was hit and fill it
in as the first character in the property, just like how Visual Studio works
when you are on a control and hit the first keyboard character and it starts
typing in the default property for that control. Is this possible?


"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkonen8 5@gmail.comwrot e in message
news:d0081a3d-c555-4854-a226-dfdfaa56b500@2g 2000hsn.googleg roups.com...
On Sep 27, 11:40 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:

I can set focus to my property grid by using propgrid.Focus - but how can
I
set the default property that is always first? Or just set focus to the
default property? Can this be done?

Hi Derek,

To select(or focus) a pre-defined property in a PropertyGrid control
programmaticall y, you can use loop through GridItems and check "label"
to determine which item to be selected:

'------Begin-----
Dim GridItem As GridItem = PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label = "property_label _here" Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next
'------End-------


Hope this helps,

Onur Güzel

[kimiraikkonen]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

On Sep 28, 8:33 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:

Thank you for the answer. Just need to add one thing to it. I am running
this code on the keydown event for a textbox control. It sets focus to the
grid properly now. But I need to trap the keystroke that was hit and fillit
in as the first character in the property, just like how Visual Studio works
when you are on a control and hit the first keyboard character and it starts
typing in the default property for that control. Is this possible?
>
"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkone.. .@gmail.comwrot e in message
>
news:d0081a3d-c555-4854-a226-dfdfaa56b500@2g 2000hsn.googleg roups.com...
On Sep 27, 11:40 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:
>

I can set focus to my property grid by using propgrid.Focus - but how can
I
set the default property that is always first? Or just set focus to the
default property? Can this be done?

>
Hi Derek,
>
To select(or focus) a pre-defined property in a PropertyGrid control
programmaticall y, you can use loop through GridItems and check "label"
to determine which item to be selected:
>
'------Begin-----
Dim GridItem As GridItem = PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label = "property_label _here" Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next
'------End-------
>
Hope this helps,
>
Onur Güzel

As far as i understand (i couldn't guess well maybe), you're wanting
something like IntelliSense or setting the value of a property within
textbox, and setting PropertyGrid item's value outside PropertyGrid
control is not possible, because "Value" property is ReadOnly.

Or, my another guess that if you want to highlight a property grid
item which is inside PropertyGrid control while initial key matches
with the text in textbox you can use that:

'--------------Begin-------------
Private Sub TextBox1_KeyDow n(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.Windows. Forms.KeyEventA rgs) _
Handles TextBox1.KeyDow n

Dim GridItem As GridItem = _
PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = _
GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In _
pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label.Start sWith(e.KeyData .ToString) Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next

End Sub
'--------End----------

HTH,

Onur Güzel

[Derek Hart]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

Not quite. When I am in Visual Studio designing a form, and I highlight a
text box, when I then hit a letter, such as "T", it moves the cursor to the
property grid into the text property and enters "T" - then then user can
type the rest of the text in this property. Make sense?

"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkonen8 5@gmail.comwrot e in message
news:fe617152-5304-485f-86d6-7ec85323e170@y7 1g2000hsa.googl egroups.com...
On Sep 28, 8:33 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:

Thank you for the answer. Just need to add one thing to it. I am running
this code on the keydown event for a textbox control. It sets focus to the
grid properly now. But I need to trap the keystroke that was hit and fill
it
in as the first character in the property, just like how Visual Studio
works
when you are on a control and hit the first keyboard character and it
starts
typing in the default property for that control. Is this possible?
>
"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkone.. .@gmail.comwrot e in message
>
news:d0081a3d-c555-4854-a226-dfdfaa56b500@2g 2000hsn.googleg roups.com...
On Sep 27, 11:40 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:
>

I can set focus to my property grid by using propgrid.Focus - but how
can
I
set the default property that is always first? Or just set focus to the
default property? Can this be done?

>
Hi Derek,
>
To select(or focus) a pre-defined property in a PropertyGrid control
programmaticall y, you can use loop through GridItems and check "label"
to determine which item to be selected:
>
'------Begin-----
Dim GridItem As GridItem = PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label = "property_label _here" Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next
'------End-------
>
Hope this helps,
>
Onur Güzel

As far as i understand (i couldn't guess well maybe), you're wanting
something like IntelliSense or setting the value of a property within
textbox, and setting PropertyGrid item's value outside PropertyGrid
control is not possible, because "Value" property is ReadOnly.

Or, my another guess that if you want to highlight a property grid
item which is inside PropertyGrid control while initial key matches
with the text in textbox you can use that:

'--------------Begin-------------
Private Sub TextBox1_KeyDow n(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.Windows. Forms.KeyEventA rgs) _
Handles TextBox1.KeyDow n

Dim GridItem As GridItem = _
PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = _
GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In _
pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label.Start sWith(e.KeyData .ToString) Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next

End Sub
'--------End----------

HTH,

Onur Güzel

[kimiraikkonen]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

On Sep 29, 1:17 am, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:

Not quite. When I am in Visual Studio designing a form, and I highlight a
text box, when I then hit a letter, such as "T", it moves the cursor to the
property grid into the text property and enters "T" - then then user can
type the rest of the text in this property.  Make sense?
>
"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkone.. .@gmail.comwrot e in message
>
news:fe617152-5304-485f-86d6-7ec85323e170@y7 1g2000hsa.googl egroups.com...
On Sep 28, 8:33 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:
>
>
>

Thank you for the answer. Just need to add one thing to it. I am running
this code on the keydown event for a textbox control. It sets focus to the
grid properly now. But I need to trap the keystroke that was hit and fill
it
in as the first character in the property, just like how Visual Studio
works
when you are on a control and hit the first keyboard character and it
starts
typing in the default property for that control. Is this possible?

>

"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkone.. .@gmail.comwrot e in message

>

news:d0081a3d-c555-4854-a226-dfdfaa56b500@2g 2000hsn.googleg roups.com...
On Sep 27, 11:40 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:

>

I can set focus to my property grid by using propgrid.Focus - but how
can
I
set the default property that is always first? Or just set focus to the
default property? Can this be done?

>

Hi Derek,

>

To select(or focus) a pre-defined property in a PropertyGrid control
programmaticall y, you can use loop through GridItems and check "label"
to determine which item to be selected:

>

'------Begin-----
Dim GridItem As GridItem = PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label = "property_label _here" Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next
'------End-------

>

Hope this helps,

>

Onur Güzel

>
As far as i understand (i couldn't guess well maybe), you're wanting
something like IntelliSense or setting the value of a property within
textbox, and setting PropertyGrid item's value outside PropertyGrid
control is not possible, because "Value" property is ReadOnly.
>
Or, my another guess that if you want to highlight a property grid
item which is inside PropertyGrid control while initial key matches
with the text in textbox you can use that:
>
'--------------Begin-------------
Private Sub TextBox1_KeyDow n(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.Windows. Forms.KeyEventA rgs) _
Handles TextBox1.KeyDow n
>
Dim GridItem As GridItem = _
PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = _
GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In _
pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label.Start sWith(e.KeyData .ToString) Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next
>
End Sub
'--------End----------
>
HTH,
>
Onur Güzel

Now got it what you desribe in VS. But couldn't associate your aim
with a textbox and typing in a defaul property of a propertygrid
control. For example, you can make a property default by using
"DefaultPropert yAttribute" in your class, for example you can design
your class whose default property is "Title" as follows:

<DefaultPropert yAttribute("Tit le")_
Public Class SampleProperty

Private _Title As String

<CategoryAttrib ute("Applicatio n"), _
Browsable(True) , _
[ReadOnly](False), _
BindableAttribu te(False), _
DefaultValueAtt ribute(""), _
DesignOnly(Fals e), _
DescriptionAttr ibute("Enter Title for the application")_
Public Property Title() As String
Get
Return _Title
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As String)
_Title = Value
End Set
End Property

Now, when you associate that class with PropertyGrid using:
"PropertyGrid1. SelectedObject = New SampleProperty" preferably in
form1_load event, "Title" property is pre-selected in gray and when
you type in a textbox using the code above, it gets focus in blue and
starts to type the value of that property.

Sorry, if i got wrong,

Hope this helps,

Onur Güzel

[Derek Hart]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

Not sure I understand how this will solve the problem. In Visual Studio, if
I design a text box, then highlight it and hit a keyboard character, it will
set focus to the property grid, and enter that character in the "text"
property waiting for more input. Can I recreate this somehow?


"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkonen8 5@gmail.comwrot e in message
news:1a2c3eeb-464a-4bb1-ba21-186ae472b3e0@f3 6g2000hsa.googl egroups.com...
On Sep 29, 1:17 am, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:

Not quite. When I am in Visual Studio designing a form, and I highlight a
text box, when I then hit a letter, such as "T", it moves the cursor to
the
property grid into the text property and enters "T" - then then user can
type the rest of the text in this property. Make sense?
>
"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkone.. .@gmail.comwrot e in message
>
news:fe617152-5304-485f-86d6-7ec85323e170@y7 1g2000hsa.googl egroups.com...
On Sep 28, 8:33 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:
>
>
>

Thank you for the answer. Just need to add one thing to it. I am running
this code on the keydown event for a textbox control. It sets focus to
the
grid properly now. But I need to trap the keystroke that was hit and
fill
it
in as the first character in the property, just like how Visual Studio
works
when you are on a control and hit the first keyboard character and it
starts
typing in the default property for that control. Is this possible?

>

"kimiraikko nen" <kimiraikkone.. .@gmail.comwrot e in message

>

news:d0081a3d-c555-4854-a226-dfdfaa56b500@2g 2000hsn.googleg roups.com...
On Sep 27, 11:40 pm, "Derek Hart" <derekmh...@yah oo.comwrote:

>

I can set focus to my property grid by using propgrid.Focus - but how
can
I
set the default property that is always first? Or just set focus to
the
default property? Can this be done?

>

Hi Derek,

>

To select(or focus) a pre-defined property in a PropertyGrid control
programmaticall y, you can use loop through GridItems and check "label"
to determine which item to be selected:

>

'------Begin-----
Dim GridItem As GridItem = PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label = "property_label _here" Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next
'------End-------

>

Hope this helps,

>

Onur Güzel

>
As far as i understand (i couldn't guess well maybe), you're wanting
something like IntelliSense or setting the value of a property within
textbox, and setting PropertyGrid item's value outside PropertyGrid
control is not possible, because "Value" property is ReadOnly.
>
Or, my another guess that if you want to highlight a property grid
item which is inside PropertyGrid control while initial key matches
with the text in textbox you can use that:
>
'--------------Begin-------------
Private Sub TextBox1_KeyDow n(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.Windows. Forms.KeyEventA rgs) _
Handles TextBox1.KeyDow n
>
Dim GridItem As GridItem = _
PropertyGrid1.S electedGridItem
Dim pGridItem As GridItem = _
GridItem.Parent
For Each egi As GridItem In _
pGridItem.GridI tems
If egi.Label.Start sWith(e.KeyData .ToString) Then
PropertyGrid1.F ocus()
egi.Select()
End If
Next
>
End Sub
'--------End----------
>
HTH,
>
Onur Güzel

Now got it what you desribe in VS. But couldn't associate your aim
with a textbox and typing in a defaul property of a propertygrid
control. For example, you can make a property default by using
"DefaultPropert yAttribute" in your class, for example you can design
your class whose default property is "Title" as follows:

<DefaultPropert yAttribute("Tit le")_
Public Class SampleProperty

Private _Title As String

<CategoryAttrib ute("Applicatio n"), _
Browsable(True) , _
[ReadOnly](False), _
BindableAttribu te(False), _
DefaultValueAtt ribute(""), _
DesignOnly(Fals e), _
DescriptionAttr ibute("Enter Title for the application")_
Public Property Title() As String
Get
Return _Title
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As String)
_Title = Value
End Set
End Property

Now, when you associate that class with PropertyGrid using:
"PropertyGrid1. SelectedObject = New SampleProperty" preferably in
form1_load event, "Title" property is pre-selected in gray and when
you type in a textbox using the code above, it gets focus in blue and
starts to type the value of that property.

Sorry, if i got wrong,

Hope this helps,

Onur Güzel

[Jeff Johnson]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

"Derek Hart" <derekmhart@yah oo.comwrote in message
news:eAzNqojIJH A.3932@TK2MSFTN GP03.phx.gbl...

Not sure I understand how this will solve the problem. In Visual Studio,
if I design a text box, then highlight it and hit a keyboard character, it
will set focus to the property grid, and enter that character in the
"text" property waiting for more input. Can I recreate this somehow?

Remember that the PropertyGrid has an object assigned to it that serves as
the source of the data it displays. I think what you need to do is alter
that object so that your desired property now contains the character that
was typed and then set your focus to the PropertyGrid and the property.

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

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

Sounds like you want to use a macro in VS.

"Derek Hart" wrote:

Not sure I understand how this will solve the problem. In Visual Studio, if
I design a text box, then highlight it and hit a keyboard character, it will
set focus to the property grid, and enter that character in the "text"
property waiting for more input. Can I recreate this somehow?

[Derek Hart]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

Thanks for the different information. Just can't get it working. If I have
a textbox highlighted (remember, I am in runtime mode with custom code that
draws a rectangle around the textbox), then I hit a keystroke, it does set
focus to the property grid, and sets focus to the property.

Now I tried this code:
CType(propGrid. SelectedObject, PropertiesLabel ).LabelName =
e.KeyData.ToStr ing
propGrid.Refres h

So now when I hit a keystroke, it does fill in the first character into the
grid. But here is the tricky part. It does not open the property up for
editing. It sets focus to the property. Now the user hits another keystroke
and it types over the first one. Is is possible after the Refresh is done,
to open up the property for editing, and be in the second character
position?



"atalanta" <atalanta@discu ssions.microsof t.comwrote in message
news:9C94AA0A-009D-4CEB-A7AC-B70CB67C8BC3@mi crosoft.com...

Sounds like you want to use a macro in VS.
>
"Derek Hart" wrote:
>

>Not sure I understand how this will solve the problem. In Visual Studio,
>if
>I design a text box, then highlight it and hit a keyboard character, it
>will
>set focus to the property grid, and enter that character in the "text"
>property waiting for more input. Can I recreate this somehow?

>

[Jeff Johnson]

Re: Set Focus To Specific Property In Property Grid

"Derek Hart" <derekmhart@yah oo.comwrote in message
news:O9cwS3jJJH A.2444@TK2MSFTN GP06.phx.gbl...

Thanks for the different information. Just can't get it working. If I
have a textbox highlighted (remember, I am in runtime mode with custom
code that draws a rectangle around the textbox), then I hit a keystroke,
it does set focus to the property grid, and sets focus to the property.
>
Now I tried this code:
CType(propGrid. SelectedObject, PropertiesLabel ).LabelName =
e.KeyData.ToStr ing
propGrid.Refres h
>
So now when I hit a keystroke, it does fill in the first character into
the grid. But here is the tricky part. It does not open the property up
for editing. It sets focus to the property. Now the user hits another
keystroke and it types over the first one. Is is possible after the
Refresh is done, to open up the property for editing, and be in the second
character position?

At this point you might have to dig into P/Invoke and just send a keystroke
to the property grid with the key_event() API function. If you look at the
PropertyGrid class in Reflector you find that there's a bunch of internal
and private stuff supporting its functionality, and I doubt you'll be able
to access them through the Framework. (Maybe if you derive from the grid?
But I doubt it....)