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.NET Framework Class Library
MessageBox Class

Displays a message box that can contain text, buttons, and symbols that inform and instruct the user.

Inheritance Hierarchy
System..::.Object
  System.Windows.Forms..::.MessageBox

Namespace: System.Windows.Forms
Assembly: System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)
Syntax
Public Class MessageBox
public class MessageBox
public ref class MessageBox
type MessageBox =  class end

The MessageBox type exposes the following members.

Methods
 NameDescription
Public methodEquals(Object)Determines whether the specified Object is equal to the current Object. (Inherited from Object.)
Protected methodFinalizeAllows an object to try to free resources and perform other cleanup operations before it is reclaimed by garbage collection. (Inherited from Object.)
Public methodGetHashCodeServes as a hash function for a particular type. (Inherited from Object.)
Public methodGetTypeGets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object.)
Protected methodMemberwiseCloneCreates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object.)
Public methodStatic memberShow(String)Displays a message box with specified text.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String)Displays a message box in front of the specified object and with the specified text.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String)Displays a message box with specified text and caption.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String)Displays a message box in front of the specified object and with the specified text and caption.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons)Displays a message box with specified text, caption, and buttons.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String, MessageBoxButtons)Displays a message box in front of the specified object and with the specified text, caption, and buttons.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon)Displays a message box with specified text, caption, buttons, and icon.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon)Displays a message box in front of the specified object and with the specified text, caption, buttons, and icon.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, and default button.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton)Displays a message box in front of the specified object and with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, and default button.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, and options.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions)Displays a message box in front of the specified object and with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, and options.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, Boolean)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, String)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button, using the specified Help file.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, String)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button, using the specified Help file.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, String, String)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button, using the specified Help file and Help keyword.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, String, HelpNavigator)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button, using the specified Help file and HelpNavigator.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, String, String)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button, using the specified Help file and Help keyword.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, String, HelpNavigator)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button, using the specified Help file and HelpNavigator.
Public methodStatic memberShow(String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, String, HelpNavigator, Object)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button, using the specified Help file, HelpNavigator, and Help topic.
Public methodStatic memberShow(IWin32Window, String, String, MessageBoxButtons, MessageBoxIcon, MessageBoxDefaultButton, MessageBoxOptions, String, HelpNavigator, Object)Displays a message box with the specified text, caption, buttons, icon, default button, options, and Help button, using the specified Help file, HelpNavigator, and Help topic.
Public methodToStringReturns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object.)
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Remarks

You cannot create a new instance of the MessageBox class. To display a message box, call the static method MessageBox..::.Show. The title, message, buttons, and icons displayed in the message box are determined by parameters that you pass to this method.

Examples

The following code example shows how to use a MessageBox to inform the user of a missing entry in a TextBox. This example requires that the method is called from an existing form with a Button and a TextBox on it.


Private Sub Form1_FormClosing( _
    ByVal sender As System.Object, _
    ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) _
    Handles MyBase.FormClosing

    Dim message As String = _
            "Are you sure that you would like to close the form?"
    Dim caption As String = "Form Closing"
    Dim result = MessageBox.Show(message, caption, _
                                 MessageBoxButtons.YesNo, _
                                 MessageBoxIcon.Question)

    ' If the no button was pressed ...
    If (result = DialogResult.No) Then
        ' cancel the closure of the form.
        e.Cancel = True
    End If
End Sub


private void Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
{
    const string message =
        "Are you sure that you would like to close the form?";
    const string caption = "Form Closing";
    var result = MessageBox.Show(message, caption,
                                 MessageBoxButtons.YesNo,
                                 MessageBoxIcon.Question);

    // If the no button was pressed ...
    if (result == DialogResult.No)
    {
        // cancel the closure of the form.
        e.Cancel = true;
    }
}


private:
   void Form1_FormClosing(Object^ sender, FormClosingEventArgs^ e)
   {
	  // If the no button was pressed ...
      if ((MessageBox::Show(
         "Are you sure that you would like to close the form?", 
         "Form Closing", MessageBoxButtons::YesNo, 
         MessageBoxIcon::Question) == DialogResult::No))
      {
		 // cancel the closure of the form.
         e->Cancel = true;
      }
   }


The following code example shows how to ask the user a yes or no question and make a decision based on the response.


Private Sub ValidateUserEntry()

    ' Checks the value of the text.

    If ServerName.Text.Length = 0 Then

        ' Initializes variables to pass to the MessageBox.Show method.

        Dim Message As String = "You did not enter a server name. Cancel this operation?"
        Dim Caption As String = "Error Detected in Input"
        Dim Buttons As MessageBoxButtons = MessageBoxButtons.YesNo

        Dim Result As DialogResult

        'Displays the MessageBox

        Result = MessageBox.Show(Message, Caption, Buttons)

        ' Gets the result of the MessageBox display.

        If Result = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.Yes Then

            ' Closes the parent form.

            Me.Close()

        End If

    End If

End Sub



	private void validateUserEntry()
	{

		// Checks the value of the text.

		if(serverName.Text.Length == 0)
		{

			// Initializes the variables to pass to the MessageBox.Show method.

			string message = "You did not enter a server name. Cancel this operation?";
                        string caption = "Error Detected in Input";
			MessageBoxButtons buttons = MessageBoxButtons.YesNo;
			DialogResult result;

			// Displays the MessageBox.

			result = MessageBox.Show(message, caption, buttons);

			if (result == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.Yes)
			{

				// Closes the parent form.

				this.Close();

			}

		}

	}



private:
   void validateUserEntry()
   {
      // Checks the value of the text.
      if ( serverName->Text->Length == 0 )
      {
         // Initializes the variables to pass to the MessageBox::Show method.
         String^ message = "You did not enter a server name. Cancel this operation?";
         String^ caption = "No Server Name Specified";
         MessageBoxButtons buttons = MessageBoxButtons::YesNo;
         System::Windows::Forms::DialogResult result;

         // Displays the MessageBox.
         result = MessageBox::Show( this, message, caption, buttons );
         if ( result == ::DialogResult::Yes )
         {
            // Closes the parent form.
            this->Close();
         }
      }
   }

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1
Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.
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.