Provides focus-management functionality for controls that can function as a container for other controls.
Namespace: System.Windows.Forms
Assembly: System.Windows.Forms (in system.windows.forms.dll)

Syntax
Visual Basic (Declaration)
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
<ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType.AutoDispatch)> _
Public Class ContainerControl
Inherits ScrollableControl
Implements IContainerControl
Dim instance As ContainerControl
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
[ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType.AutoDispatch)]
public class ContainerControl : ScrollableControl, IContainerControl
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
[ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType::AutoDispatch)]
public ref class ContainerControl : public ScrollableControl, IContainerControl
/** @attribute ComVisibleAttribute(true) */
/** @attribute ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType.AutoDispatch) */
public class ContainerControl extends ScrollableControl implements IContainerControl
ComVisibleAttribute(true)
ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType.AutoDispatch)
public class ContainerControl extends ScrollableControl implements IContainerControl

Remarks
A ContainerControl represents a control that can function as a container for other controls and provides focus management. Controls that inherit from this class can track the active control they contain, even when the focus moves somewhere within a different container.
ContainerControl objects provide a logical boundary for contained controls. The container control can capture the TAB key press and move focus to the next control in the collection.
Note |
|---|
| The container control does not receive focus; the focus is always set to the first child control in the collection of contained controls. |
You do not typically inherit directly from the ContainerControl class. Form, UserControl, and UpDownBase classes inherit from ContainerControl.

Example
The following code example inherits from the ScrollableControl class and implements the IContainerControl interface. Implementation is added to the ActiveControl property and the ActivateControl method.
Imports System
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Drawing
Public Class MyContainerControl
Inherits ScrollableControl
Implements IContainerControl
Private myActiveControl As Control
Public Sub New()
' Make the container control Blue so it can be distinguished on the form.
Me.BackColor = Color.Blue
' Make the container scrollable.
Me.AutoScroll = True
End Sub
' Add implementation to the IContainerControl.ActiveControl property.
Public Property ActiveControl() As Control Implements IContainerControl.ActiveControl
Get
Return Me.myActiveControl
End Get
Set
' Make sure the control is a member of the ControlCollection.
If Me.Controls.Contains(value) Then
Me.myActiveControl = value
End If
End Set
End Property
' Add implementation to the IContainerControl.ActivateControl(Control) method.
public Function ActivateControl(active As Control) As Boolean Implements IContainerControl.ActivateControl
If Me.Controls.Contains(active) Then
' Select the control and scroll the control into view if needed.
active.Select()
Me.ScrollControlIntoView(active)
Me.myActiveControl = active
Return True
End If
Return False
End Function
End Class
using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Drawing;
public class MyContainer : ScrollableControl, IContainerControl
{
private Control activeControl;
public MyContainer()
{
// Make the container control Blue so it can be distinguished on the form.
this.BackColor = Color.Blue;
// Make the container scrollable.
this.AutoScroll = true;
}
// Add implementation to the IContainerControl.ActiveControl property.
public Control ActiveControl
{
get
{
return activeControl;
}
set
{
// Make sure the control is a member of the ControlCollection.
if(this.Controls.Contains(value))
{
activeControl = value;
}
}
}
// Add implementations to the IContainerControl.ActivateControl(Control) method.
public bool ActivateControl(Control active)
{
if(this.Controls.Contains(active))
{
// Select the control and scroll the control into view if needed.
active.Select();
this.ScrollControlIntoView(active);
this.activeControl = active;
return true;
}
return false;
}
}
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Windows::Forms;
using namespace System::Drawing;
public ref class MyContainer: public ScrollableControl, public IContainerControl
{
private:
Control^ activeControl;
public:
MyContainer()
{
// Make the container control Blue so it can be distinguished on the form.
this->BackColor = Color::Blue;
// Make the container scrollable.
this->AutoScroll = true;
}
property Control^ ActiveControl
{
// Add implementation to the IContainerControl.ActiveControl property.
virtual Control^ get()
{
return activeControl;
}
virtual void set( Control^ value )
{
// Make sure the control is a member of the ControlCollection.
if ( this->Controls->Contains( value ) )
{
activeControl = value;
}
}
}
// Add implementations to the IContainerControl.ActivateControl(Control) method.
virtual bool ActivateControl( Control^ active )
{
if ( this->Controls->Contains( active ) )
{
// Select the control and scroll the control into view if needed.
active->Select( );
this->ScrollControlIntoView( active );
this->activeControl = active;
return true;
}
return false;
}
};
import System.*;
import System.Windows.Forms.*;
import System.Drawing.*;
public class MyContainer extends ScrollableControl implements IContainerControl
{
private Control activeControl;
public MyContainer()
{
// Make the container control Blue so it can be
// distinguished on the form.
this.set_BackColor(Color.get_Blue());
// Make the container scrollable.
this.set_AutoScroll(true);
} //MyContainer
// Add implementation to the IContainerControl.ActiveControl property.
/** @property
*/
public Control get_ActiveControl()
{
return activeControl;
} //get_ActiveControl
/** @property
*/
public void set_ActiveControl(Control value)
{
// Make sure the control is a member of the ControlCollection.
if (this.get_Controls().Contains(value)) {
activeControl = value;
}
} //set_ActiveControl
// Add implementations to the IContainerControl.
// ActivateControl(Control) method.
public boolean ActivateControl(Control active)
{
if (this.get_Controls().Contains(active)) {
// Select the control and scroll the control into view if needed.
active.Select();
this.ScrollControlIntoView(active);
this.activeControl = active;
return true;
}
return false;
} //ActivateControl
} //MyContainer

Inheritance Hierarchy

Thread Safety
Any public static (
Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Platforms
Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows CE, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition
The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see System Requirements.

Version Information
.NET Framework
Supported in: 2.0, 1.1, 1.0
.NET Compact Framework
Supported in: 2.0, 1.0

See Also