[VB.Net] [Tutorial] Customizing MenuStrip to Display Buttons on Hover

[VB.Net] [Tutorial] Customizing MenuStrip to Display Buttons on Hover - Printable Version

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[VB.Net] [Tutorial] Customizing MenuStrip to Display Buttons on Hover - Coder-san - 03-21-2011

Customizing MenuStrip to Display Buttons on Hover

Hello there. It's been quite long since I made my last Tutorial. Smile

Today I'm going to show you how to customize a MenuStrip, and add awesome Button Image as Hover effect.

Credits to [link=http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/profile/rudedog2/?type=forum&referrer=http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/winforms/thread/2492c798-63ed-44f2-a9b7-39f197893210]Rudedog2[/link] at [link=http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/winforms/thread/2492c798-63ed-44f2-a9b7-39f197893210]this MSDN topic[/link] for changing BackColor of MenuItem.

What you need in your Form:

MenuStrip Control with some Menus.
Some patience and beginner knowledge to read and understand the Code.

When you have the Items ready we can begin.

The Code:

First we will make a new Class in your Form file:

Code:
Public Class Form1

End Class

Public Class MyRenderer
 'This
End Class

Now we will make it Inherit ToolStripProfessionalRenderer

Code:
Inherits ToolStripProfessionalRenderer

Now we will override the MenuItem Render in this Subroutine

Code:
Protected Overloads Overrides Sub OnRenderMenuItemBackground(ByVal e As ToolStripItemRenderEventArgs)
'This is our Main Sub
End Sub

Rest of the Code is explained by the comments:

Code:
Dim rc As New Rectangle(Point.Empty, e.Item.Size)  'Create a Rectangle for our Menu Item
        If e.Item.Selected Then                                 'If MenuItem is selected
            Dim btn As New Button                              'Creating a Button on Runtime
            btn.Size = New Size(e.Item.Size)               'Making Button Size equal to our MenuItem Size
            Dim bmp As New Bitmap(e.Item.Width - 1, e.Item.Height - 1)  'Creating a Bitmap to hold the Button Image
            btn.DrawToBitmap(bmp, rc)   'Drawing the Button to the Bitmap bmp with Rectangle rc
            bmp.SetPixel(1, 1, Color.Transparent)
            bmp.SetPixel(bmp.Width - 1, 1, Color.Transparent)
            e.Graphics.DrawImage(bmp, New Point(-1, -1))   'Finally Rendering bmp on the MenuItem
            e.Item.ForeColor = Color.Black
        Else
            If e.Item.IsOnDropDown = False Then e.Item.ForeColor = Color.White
        End If

Now in the end add this small code in Form_Load:

Code:
MenuStrip1.Renderer = New MyRenderer

That's it. I hope you like it. Smile