ARTICLE

Creating an MDI Child Form in VB.Net

Posted by Manish Tewatia Articles | Visual Basic Language July 13, 2010
This article demonstrates how to create a child Form in a Windows Forms application using VB.Net.
Download Files:
 
Reader Level:

Introduction

An MDI (Multiple Document Interface) application is an application in which we can view and work with several documents at once like Microsoft Excel or Visual Studio 2010. MDI applications having a feature of MDI child forms and its very essential element of it.
 

Get to Work

With the help of below given example, you can learn how to create an MDI Form and a MDI Child Form and by using default MDI Form control you can generate the new MDI child form. Here are the step required to build an MDI child Form support.

Step to Create and Implement MDI Child Form

  1. Create a MDI parent form with a MenuStrip which containing the values New and Windows and Close in the sub menu of New.

    1.gif         
      
  2. Now go to Properties Window, select the all menu items and set the the MdiList property to true.
  3.  
  4. Now add MDI child forms by going in Solution Explorer, right-click the project, select Add New Item from Add Menu.

     2.gif     

  5. A Dialog box appear, now select Windows Form give the name as Form2 and click on open button. A New Form Name as Form2 added.

    3.gif    

              

  6. Add a RichTextBox Control to the Form from Toolbox.

    4.gif           
     

  7. Now go on Property Window and Set Properties for the RichTextbox. Set Anchor property to Top, Left and the Dock property to Fill.

    5.gif          
     

  8. Click on New Menu Item and generate a Click Event Handler on it. 

     6.gif         
     

  9. Now Double click on New Menu Item and Write down the following Code. 

     7.gif         
     

            Dim
    newMDIChild As New Form2()
            ' Set the Parent Form of the Child window.
            newMDIChild.MdiParent =
    Me
            ' Display the new form.
            newMDIChild.Show()

  10. Now Run the application, And from output window you can create a new MDI child form by clicking on New Menu Item.   

     8.gif           
     9.gif         

Summary

In this article, we discussed how to build Windows Forms application with an MDI Child form support using Visual Studio 2010 and VB.NET.

Login to add your contents and source code to this article
share this article :
post comment
 

Hi Anupam,
As you said about the problem regarding MDI child forms. Just Download and study the source code of my this Article Click here for Article. It will help you definitely.

Posted by Manish Tewatia Aug 04, 2010

I am dev. an application for office automation. I have created an MDI form with a menu strip. but when the other forms open but not in MDI container as it should. all the forms need to be closed individually, logically all forms should automatically close when MDI form is closed.

Please suggest what should i do?
I would be very much thankful

Posted by anupam sharma Aug 01, 2010
Team Foundation Server Hosting
Become a Sponsor
PREMIUM SPONSORS
  • ceTE software specializes in components for dynamic PDF generation and manipulation. The DynamicPDF™ product line allows you to dynamically generate PDF documents, merge PDF documents and new content to existing PDF documents from within your applications.
    The leading .NET charting control now features PDF, Flash and Silverlight export, visualization of large datasets and more. Deliver true charting functionality to your BI, Scorecard, Presentation or Scientific apps. Download evaluation now.
Team Foundation Server Hosting
Become a Sponsor