How to: Add a .NET Control at Runtime

Article
05/18/2015

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

This topic describes how to use X++ code to add a Windows Form or Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) control to a Microsoft Dynamics AX form. To add a .NET control at runtime, you add X++ to the methods of the form that configure the control, display the control on the form, and handle events from the control.

Using X++ to add a .NET control to a form

The first procedure shows how to programmatically add a ManagedHost and a .NET control.

The second procedure shows how to add the event handler method to the form that handles events that orginate in the .NET control. To help illustrate how you add a .NET control, each procedure includes code samples that show how to add a WPF button to a form.

To add the .NET control when the form opens

Before you add a control, verify that the AOT includes a reference to the .NET assembly that contains the .NET control. To verify a reference, click Reference in the AOT and search the list of assemblies for the assembly that includes the control.

Tip

If you do not find the specified assembly, you might have to add a Reference in the AOT to a .NET assembly. For information about how to add a Reference, see How to: Add a Reference to a .NET Assembly.

To view the properties of the Reference that appears in the AOT, right-click the assembly name, and then click Properties. The Properties window opens.

The following table specifies the property values that you need when you add a .NET control.

Property	Description
AssembyName	The name of the .NET assembly. For example, PresentationFramework is the name of the .NET assembly that includes many WPF controls.
Version	The version number of the .NET assembly. For example, 3.0.0.0 is the version number of the PresentationFramework.
Culture	The culture associated with the .NET assembly. If no value is provided, use neutral for the culture property.
PublicKeyToken	The public key token is a value that uniquely identifies a signed .NET assembly. For example, 31bf3856ad364e35 is the PublicKeyToken of the PresentationFramework assembly.

In the AOT, expand the Forms node, and then expand the form where you want to add the .NET control. Expand the Methods node, and then locate the init method. The init method runs every time that the form opens. If the form does not include a method named init, right-click Methods, click Override Method, and then click init.
To modify the init method, double-click the method in the AOT. The code editor opens. Add X++ code that specifies the .NET control you want to add to the form.

The following code sample shows how to add a WPF button control from the PresentationFramework assembly. Notice how the declaration of the button control uses the fully qualified name of that control. Also notice how the ManagedHost control is declared.

       public void init()
        {
           FormManagedHostControl managedHostControl;
           System.Windows.Controls.Button myButton;
        
           super();
        }

Get an instance of the ManagedHost control. To get the ManagedHost instance, add X++ code that runs after the call to super() in the init method.

The following code sample uses the design and addControl methods of the form to obtain an instance of the ManagedHost control. Notice how the parameters of the addControl method specify the type, and name properties of the ManagedHost control. In addition, the sample assigns the instance to the variable that was declared earlier.

       managedHostControl = this.design().addControl(FormControlType::ManagedHost, “ManagedButton”);

Use the instance of the ManagedHost to populate the required properties of that control. Use the assemblyName and typeName properties to associate the .NET control with the ManagedHost control. Use the sizing property to specify the size of the ManagedHost control.

The following code sample populates the assemblyName, sizing, and typeName properties. Notice how the values from the AOT Reference for the PresentationFramework assembly populate the assemblyName property of the ManagedHost control. Also, notice how the typeName property specifies the fully qualified typename of a WPF button control. Finally, the sizing property instructs the ManagedHost to match the display size of the WPF button control.

       managedHostControl.assemblyName(“PresentationFramework, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35”);
        managedHostControl.typeName(“System.Windows.Controls.Button”);
        managedHostControl.sizing(Sizing::SizeToContent);

Use the ManagedHost to obtain an instance of the .NET control. Use the instance of the .NET control to set property values of the .NET control.

The following code sample retrieves the WPF button control from the ManagedHost control and sets values for the Tooltip and Content properties of the button.

Important

While the code sample uses simple text messages, you should use labels to populate the text values of any properties that are displayed by the form. The use of labels lets you more easily localize the form.

        myButton = managedHostControl.control();
        myButton.set_ToolTip(“Press button to view the current time”);
        myButton.set_Content(“Time”);

If you have made changes that affect the size or content of the .NET control, update the control.

The following code sample uses the UpdateLayout method of the WPF button to reflect the changes that you made to the Tooltip and Content properties.

       myButton.UpdateLayout();

Add an event handler for each .NET control event that the form supports. Use the ManagedEventHandler class to register the .NET control event with a form method.

The following code sample shows how to register an event handler for a WPF button. Notice how the parameters of the ManagedEventHandler specify the form and the name of the X++ event handler method.

       myButton.add_Click(new ManagedEventHandler(this, “MyButton_Click”));

> [!TIP]
> <P>Make a note of the name that you provide for the event handler. You have to add a method to the form that matches the event handler name. In the procedure that follows in the next section, you will add a method named MyButton_Click.</P>

To validate and save your code, click the Compile button of the code editor window.

To add the event handler method

To create the event handler method, click the New button in the code editor. Change the method name to match the event handler name that you previously specified as a parameter for the ManagedEventHandler class. In addition, add the standard event parameters.

Warning

You must use System.Object sender and System.EventArgs args as parameters for the event handler method. If you do not include these parameters or add other parameters, the event handler will not run.

The following code sample adds a form method that runs when the WPF button is clicked. Notice how the method name MyButton_Click matches the event handler name that was used in the previous section of the documentation. Also, notice how the standard Object and EventArgs parameters are added to the method.

       public void MyButton_Click(System.Object sender, System.EventArgs args)
        {
        }

Add X++ code to the event handler method that responds to the specified .NET control event.

The following code displays a window that specifies the current system time.

       Box::info(“The current time: “ + time2Str(timeNow(), TimeSeparator::Colon, TimeFormat::AMPM), “Current Time”);

To validate and save your code, click the Compile button of the code editor window. When you open the form, the new control should be visible and should perform the specified actions.

How to: Add a .NET Control at Runtime

Using X++ to add a .NET control to a form

To add the .NET control when the form opens

To add the event handler method

See also

Additional resources