Control.TabIndex Property

Definition

Namespace:

System.Windows.Forms

Assembly:

System.Windows.Forms.dll

Gets or sets the tab order of the control within its container.

public:
 property int TabIndex { int get(); void set(int value); };

public int TabIndex { get; set; }

member this.TabIndex : int with get, set

Public Property TabIndex As Integer

Property Value

Int32

The index value of the control within the set of controls within its container. The controls in the container are included in the tab order.

Examples

The following code example adds a Button to a form and sets some of its common properties. The example anchors the button to the bottom-right corner of the form so it keeps its relative position as the form is resized. Next it sets the BackgroundImage and resizes the button to the same size as the Image. The example then sets the TabStop to true and sets the TabIndex property. Lastly, it adds an event handler to handle the Click event of the button. This example requires that you have an ImageList named imageList1.

   // Add a button to a form and set some of its common properties.
private:
   void AddMyButton()
   {
      // Create a button and add it to the form.
      Button^ button1 = gcnew Button;

      // Anchor the button to the bottom right corner of the form
      button1->Anchor = static_cast<AnchorStyles>(AnchorStyles::Bottom | AnchorStyles::Right);

      // Assign a background image.
      button1->BackgroundImage = imageList1->Images[ 0 ];

      // Specify the layout style of the background image. Tile is the default.
      button1->BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout::Center;

      // Make the button the same size as the image.
      button1->Size = button1->BackgroundImage->Size;

      // Set the button's TabIndex and TabStop properties.
      button1->TabIndex = 1;
      button1->TabStop = true;

      // Add a delegate to handle the Click event.
      button1->Click += gcnew System::EventHandler( this, &Form1::button1_Click );

      // Add the button to the form.
      this->Controls->Add( button1 );
   }

// Add a button to a form and set some of its common properties.
private void AddMyButton()
{
   // Create a button and add it to the form.
   Button button1 = new Button();

   // Anchor the button to the bottom right corner of the form
   button1.Anchor = (AnchorStyles.Bottom | AnchorStyles.Right);

   // Assign a background image.
   button1.BackgroundImage = imageList1.Images[0];

   // Specify the layout style of the background image. Tile is the default.
   button1.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Center;
   
   // Make the button the same size as the image.
   button1.Size = button1.BackgroundImage.Size;

   // Set the button's TabIndex and TabStop properties.
   button1.TabIndex = 1;
   button1.TabStop = true;

   // Add a delegate to handle the Click event.
   button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);

   // Add the button to the form.
   this.Controls.Add(button1);
}

' Add a button to a form and set some of its common properties.
Private Sub AddMyButton()
   ' Create a button and add it to the form.
   Dim button1 As New Button()
   
   ' Anchor the button to the bottom right corner of the form
   button1.Anchor = AnchorStyles.Bottom Or AnchorStyles.Right
   
   ' Assign a background image.
   button1.BackgroundImage = imageList1.Images(0)

   ' Specify the layout style of the background image. Tile is the default.
   button1.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Center
   
   ' Make the button the same size as the image.
   button1.Size = button1.BackgroundImage.Size
   
   ' Set the button's TabIndex and TabStop properties.
   button1.TabIndex = 1
   button1.TabStop = True

   ' Add a delegate to handle the Click event.
   AddHandler button1.Click, AddressOf Me.button1_Click
   
   ' Add the button to the form.
   Me.Controls.Add(button1)
End Sub

Remarks

A tab index can consist of any valid integer greater than or equal to zero, lower numbers being earlier in the tab order. If more than one control on the same parent control has the same tab index, the z-order of the controls determines the order to cycle through the controls.

For a control to be included in the tab order, its TabStop property must be set to true.

See also

• UpdateZOrder()
• TabStop