Controls to Use on Windows Forms

The following is an alphabetic list of controls and components that can be used on Windows Forms. In addition to the Windows Forms controls covered in this section, you can add ActiveX and custom controls to Windows Forms. If you do not find the control you need listed here, you can also create your own. For details, see Developing Windows Forms Controls at Design Time. For more information about choosing the control you need, see Windows Forms Controls by Function.

Note
Visual Basic controls are based on classes provided by the .NET Framework.

In This Section

• Windows Forms Controls by Function
  Lists and describes Windows Forms controls based on the .NET Framework.

• Controls with Built-In Owner-Drawing Support
  Describes how to alter aspects of a control's appearance that are not available through properties.

• BackgroundWorker Component
  Enables a form or control to run an operation asynchronously.

• BindingNavigator Control (Windows Forms)
  Provides the navigation and manipulation user interface (UI) for controls that are bound to data.

• BindingSource Component
  Encapsulates a data source for binding to controls.

• Button Control (Windows Forms)
  Presents a standard button that the user can click to perform actions.

• CheckBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Indicates whether a condition is on or off.

• CheckedListBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays a list of items with a check box next to each item.

• ColorDialog Component (Windows Forms)
  Allows the user to select a color from a palette in a pre-configured dialog box and to add custom colors to that palette.

• ComboBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays data in a drop-down combo box.

• ContextMenu Component (Windows Forms)
  Provides users with an easily accessible menu of frequently used commands that are associated with the selected object. Although ContextMenuStrip replaces and adds functionality to the ContextMenu control of previous versions, ContextMenu is retained for both backward compatibility and future use if so desired.

• ContextMenuStrip Control
  Represents a shortcut menu. Although ContextMenuStrip replaces and adds functionality to the ContextMenu control of previous versions, ContextMenu is retained for both backward compatibility and future use if so desired.

• DataGrid Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays tabular data from a dataset and allows for updates to the data source.

• DataGridView Control (Windows Forms)
  Provides a flexible, extensible system for displaying and editing tabular data.

• DateTimePicker Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows the user to select a single item from a list of dates or times.

• Dialog-Box Controls and Components (Windows Forms)
  Describes a set of controls that allow users to perform standard interactions with the application or system.

• DomainUpDown Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays text strings that a user can browse through and select from.

• ErrorProvider Component (Windows Forms)
  Displays error information to the user in a non-intrusive way.

• FlowLayoutPanel Control (Windows Forms)
  Represents a panel that dynamically lays out its contents horizontally or vertically.

• FolderBrowserDialog Component (Windows Forms)
  Displays an interface with which users can browse and select a directory or create a new one.

• FontDialog Component (Windows Forms)
  Exposes the fonts that are currently installed on the system.

• GroupBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Provides an identifiable grouping for other controls.

• HelpProvider Component (Windows Forms)
  Associates an HTML Help file with a Windows-based application.

• HScrollBar and VScrollBar Controls (Windows Forms)
  Provide navigation through a list of items or a large amount of information by scrolling either horizontally or vertically within an application or control.

• ImageList Component (Windows Forms)
  Displays images on other controls.

• Label Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays text that cannot be edited by the user.

• LinkLabel Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows you to add Web-style links to Windows Forms applications.

• ListBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows the user to select one or more items from a predefined list.

• ListView Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays a list of items with icons, in the manner of Windows Explorer.

• MainMenu Component (Windows Forms)
  Displays a menu at run time. Although MenuStrip replaces and adds functionality to the MainMenu control of previous versions, MainMenu is retained for both backward compatibility and future use if you choose.

• MaskedTextBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Constrains the format of user input in a form.

• MenuStrip Control (Windows Forms)
  Provides a menu system for a form. Although MenuStrip replaces and adds functionality to the MainMenu control of previous versions, MainMenu is retained for both backward compatibility and future use if you choose.

• MonthCalendar Control (Windows Forms)
  Presents an intuitive graphical interface for users to view and set date information.

• NotifyIcon Component (Windows Forms)
  Displays icons for processes that run in the background and would not otherwise have user interfaces.

• NumericUpDown Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays numerals that a user can browse through and select from.

• OpenFileDialog Component (Windows Forms)
  Allows users to open files by using a pre-configured dialog box.

• PageSetupDialog Component (Windows Forms)
  Sets page details for printing through a pre-configured dialog box.

• Panel Control (Windows Forms)
  Provide an identifiable grouping for other controls, and allows for scrolling.

• PictureBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays graphics in bitmap, GIF, JPEG, metafile, or icon format.

• PrintDialog Component (Windows Forms)
  Selects a printer, chooses the pages to print, and determines other print-related settings.

• PrintDocument Component (Windows Forms)
  Sets the properties that describe what to print, and prints the document in Windows-based applications.

• PrintPreviewControl Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows you to create your own PrintPreview component or dialog box instead of using the pre-configured version.

• PrintPreviewDialog Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays a document as it will appear when it is printed.

• ProgressBar Control (Windows Forms)
  Graphically indicates the progress of an action towards completion.

• RadioButton Control (Windows Forms)
  Presents a set of two or more mutually exclusive options to the user.

• RichTextBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows users to enter, display, and manipulate text with formatting.

• SaveFileDialog Component (Windows Forms)
  Selects files to save and where to save them.

• SoundPlayer Class
  Enables you to easily include sounds in your applications.

• SplitContainer Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows the user to resize a docked control.

• Splitter Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows the user to resize a docked control (.NET Framework version 1.x).

• StatusBar Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays status information related to the control that has focus. Although StatusStrip replaces and extends the StatusBar control of previous versions, StatusBar is retained for both backward compatibility and future use if you choose.

• StatusStrip Control
  Represents a Windows status bar control. Although StatusStrip replaces and extends the StatusBar control of previous versions, StatusBar is retained for both backward compatibility and future use if you choose.

• TabControl Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays multiple tabs that can contain pictures or other controls.

• TableLayoutPanel Control (Windows Forms)
  Represents a panel that dynamically lays out its contents in a grid composed of rows and columns.

• TextBox Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows editable, multiline input from the user.

• Timer Component (Windows Forms)
  Raises an event at regular intervals.

• ToolBar Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays menus and bitmapped buttons that activate commands. You can extend the functionality of the control and modify its appearance and behavior. Although ToolStrip replaces and adds functionality to the ToolBar control of previous versions, ToolBar is retained for both backward compatibility and future use if you choose.

• ToolStrip Control (Windows Forms)
  Creates custom toolbars and menus in your Windows Forms applications. Although ToolStrip replaces and adds functionality to the ToolBar control of previous versions, ToolBar is retained for both backward compatibility and future use if you choose.

• ToolStripContainer Control
  Provides panels on each side of a form for docking, rafting, and arranging ToolStrip controls, and a central ToolStripContentPanel for traditional controls.

• ToolStripPanel Control
  Provides one panel for docking, rafting and arranging ToolStrip controls.

• ToolStripProgressBar Control Overview
  Graphically indicates the progress of an action towards completion. The ToolStripProgressBar is typically contained in a StatusStrip.

• ToolStripStatusLabel Control
  Represents a panel in a StatusStrip control.

• ToolTip Component (Windows Forms)
  Displays text when the user points at other controls.

• TrackBar Control (Windows Forms)
  Allows navigation through a large amount of information or visually adjusting a numeric setting.

• TreeView Control (Windows Forms)
  Displays a hierarchy of nodes that can be expanded or collapsed.

• WebBrowser Control (Windows Forms)
  Hosts Web pages and provides Internet Web browsing capabilities to your application.

• Windows Forms Controls Used to List Options
  Describes a set of controls used to provide users with a list of options to choose from.

Related Sections

• Windows Forms Controls
  Explains the use of Windows Forms controls, and describes important concepts for working with them.

• Developing Windows Forms Controls at Design Time
  Provides links to step-by-step topics, recommendations for which kind of control to create, and other information about creating your own control.

• Controls and Programmable Objects Compared in Different Languages and Libraries
  Provides a table that maps controls in Visual Basic 6.0 to the corresponding control in Visual Basic 2005. Note that controls are now classes in the .NET Framework.

• How to: Add ActiveX Controls to Windows Forms
  Describes how to use ActiveX controls on Windows Forms.