Customization in Windows Forms SplitContainer (SplitContainerAdv)

4 Feb 202511 minutes to read

The below image illustrates the components of a Windows Forms SplitContainer (SplitContainerAdv) control. It has two panels separated by a splitter, which has arrows and a grip for the splitter.

A sample which demonstrates the Windows Forms SplitContainer (SplitContainerAdv) control is available in the below sample installation location.

..\My Documents\Syncfusion\EssentialStudio\Version Number\Windows\Tools.Windows\Samples\2.0\Editors Package\Container controls\SplitContainerAdv

Panel settings

This section discusses about various properties available for the SplitContainerAdv to control the behavior of the panels. The panels has properties and events similar to Window’s Panel control, to change its appearance.

Panel orientation

The SplitContainerAdv Panels can be oriented horizontally or vertically using the Orientation property. Default value is horizontal.

C#

this.splitContainerAdv1.Orientation = System.Windows.Forms.Orientation.Vertical;

VB.NET

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Orientation = System.Windows.Forms.Orientation.Vertical

Resizing the panels

While resizing the control at design time or at run time, we can make one panel as fixed and resize the other panel alone. Select the panel which needs to be fixed, in FixedPanel property.

C#

this.SplitContainerAdv1.FixedPanel = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.FixedPanel.Panel1

VB.NET

Me.SplitContainerAdv1.FixedPanel = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.FixedPanel.Panel1

Collapsing a panel

We can make any of the panels to be collapsed at run time. The below properties helps you to do that.

• Panel1
• Panel1Collapsed
• Panel2
• Panel2Collapsed
• PanelToBeCollapsed
• TogglePanelOn

C#

this.splitContainerAdv1.Panel1Collapsed = true;

this.splitContainerAdv1.Panel2Collapsed = false;

this.splitContainerAdv1.PanelToBeCollapsed = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.CollapsedPanel.Panel1;

this.splitContainerAdv1.TogglePanelOn = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.TogglePanelOn.DoubleClick;

VB.NET

Me.SplitContainerAdv1.Panel1Collapsed = True

Me.SplitContainerAdv1.Panel2Collapsed = False

Me.splitContainerAdv1.PanelToBeCollapsed = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.CollapsedPanel.Panel1

Me.splitContainerAdv1.TogglePanelOn = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.TogglePanelOn.DoubleClick

Panel size

We can specify the minimum size for the Panel1 and Panel2 in Panel1MinSize and Panel2MinSize properties. Default value for both the properties is 25.

C#

this.splitContainerAdv1.Panel1MinSize = 50;

this.splitContainerAdv1.Panel2MinSize = 50;

VB.NET

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Panel1MinSize = 50

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Panel2MinSize = 50

Splitter settings

The properties which changes the behavior of the Splitter in a SplitContainerAdv control are discussed in this section.

Splitter settings

The below table describes the properties to control the behavior of the splitter.

• IsSplitterFixed
• SplitterDistance
• SplitterIncrement
• SplitterWidth

C#

this.SplitContainerAdv1.IsSplitterFixed = true;

this.splitContainerAdv1.SplitterDistance = 25

this.splitContainerAdv1.SplitterIncrement = 5

this.splitContainerAdv1.SplitterWidth = 20

VB.NET

Me.SplitContainerAdv1.IsSplitterFixed = True

Me.splitContainerAdv1.SplitterDistance = 25

Me.splitContainerAdv1.SplitterIncrement = 5

Me.splitContainerAdv1.SplitterWidth = 20

Thumbnail arrow and grip settings

SplitContainerAdv control supports various appearance settings for the ThumbnailArrow in the control which are discussed in detail below. The properties which control the appearance of the splitter components are as follows.

• ExpandFill
• ExpandLine
• GripDark
• GridLight

C#

this.splitContainerAdv2.ExpandFill = new Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.AliceBlue);

this.splitContainerAdv2.ExpandLine = System.Drawing.Color.Red;

this.splitContainerAdv2.GripDark = new Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.Wheat);

this.splitContainerAdv2.GripLight = new Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.Crimson);

VB.NET

Me.splitContainerAdv2.ExpandFill = New Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.AliceBlue)

Me.splitContainerAdv2.ExpandLine = System.Drawing.Color.Red

Me.splitContainerAdv2.GripDark = New Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.Wheat)

Me.splitContainerAdv2.GripLight = New Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.Crimson)

RunTime appearance

The properties to control the appearance of the thumbnail arrows, and grip, while mouse hovering at runtime, are as follows.

• BackgroundColor
• HotExpandFill
• HotExpandLine
• HotGripDark
• HotGridLight

C#

this.splitContainerAdv2.HotBackgroundColor = new Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(Syncfusion.Drawing.GradientStyle.Horizontal, System.Drawing.Color.SandyBrown, System.Drawing.Color.AntiqueWhite);

this.splitContainerAdv2.HotExpandFill = new Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.Red);

this.splitContainerAdv2.HotExpandLine = System.Drawing.Color.DeepPink;

this.splitContainerAdv2.HotGripDark = new Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.MistyRose);

this.splitContainerAdv2.HotGripLight = new Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.Purple);

VB.NET

Me.splitContainerAdv2.HotBackgroundColor = New Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(Syncfusion.Drawing.GradientStyle.Horizontal, System.Drawing.Color.SandyBrown, System.Drawing.Color.AntiqueWhite) 

Me.splitContainerAdv2.HotExpandFill = New Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.Red) 

Me.splitContainerAdv2.HotExpandLine = System.Drawing.Color.DeepPink 

Me.splitContainerAdv2.HotGripDark = New Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.MistyRose) 

Me.splitContainerAdv2.HotGripLight = New Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(System.Drawing.Color.Purple)

Appearance settings

This section discusses the properties which controls the appearance of the SplitContainerAdv control.

Background settings

The below properties describes the background settings.

• BackgroundImage
• BackgroundImageLayout
• BackColor
• BackgroundColor

Note: The above properties can be overridden by SplitContainerAdv.Panel properties.

C#

this.splitContainerAdv1.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.LightSteelBlue;

this.splitContainerAdv1.Panel1.BackgroundColor = new Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(Syncfusion.Drawing.GradientStyle.BackwardDiagonal, System.Drawing.Color.AliceBlue, System.Drawing.Color.LightSteelBlue);

this.splitContainerAdv1.Panel2.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.AliceBlue;

VB.NET

Me.splitContainerAdv1.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.LightSteelBlue 

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Panel1.BackgroundColor = New Syncfusion.Drawing.BrushInfo(Syncfusion.Drawing.GradientStyle.BackwardDiagonal, System.Drawing.Color.AliceBlue, System.Drawing.Color.LightSteelBlue) 

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Panel2.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.AliceBlue

Foreground settings

The below properties describes the foreground settings.

• Font
• ForeColor

C#

this.splitContainerAdv1.Panel2.Font = new System.Drawing.Font("Arial", 8.25F, System.Drawing.FontStyle.Bold);

this.splitContainerAdv1.Panel1.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Black;

VB.NET

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Panel2.Font = New System.Drawing.Font("Arial", 8.25F, System.Drawing.FontStyle.Bold) 

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Panel1.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Black

Border settings

BorderStyle property sets 2D or 3D border for the SplitContainerAdv control. The options are FixedSingle or Fixed3D.

C#

this.splitContainerAdv1.BorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.BorderStyle.FixedSingle;

VB.NET

Me.splitContainerAdv1.BorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.BorderStyle.FixedSingle

Styles

Visual Styles for the SplitContainerAdv control is set through Style property. The available styles are,

• Office2007Black
• Office2007Blue
• Office2007Silver
• OfficeXP
• Office2003
• VS2005
• Mozilla
• Default
• Metro
• Office2016Colorful
• Office2016White
• Office2016DarkGray
• Office2016Black

C#

//Sets Office2007 Black color scheme for the control.

this.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2007Black;

VB.NET

'Sets Office2007 Black color scheme for the control.

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2007Black

Office2016Colorful

This option helps to set the Office2016Colorful style.

C#

// Office2016Colorful

this.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2016Colorful;

VB.NET

'Office2016Colorful

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2016Colorful

Office2016White

This option helps to set the Office2016White style.

C#

// Office2016White

this.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2016White;

VB.NET

'Office2016White

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2016White

Office2016DarkGray

This option helps to set the Office2016DarkGray style.

C#

// Office2016DarkGray

this.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2016DarkGray;

VB.NET

'Office2016DarkGray

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2016DarkGray

Office2016Black

This option helps to set the Office2016Black style.

C#

// Office2016Black

this.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2016Black;

VB.NET

'Office2016Black

Me.splitContainerAdv1.Style = Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.Enums.Style.Office2016Black