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How to Create a Custom Message Box in Windows Form Application

Creating a custom message box in a Windows Forms application involves designing a new form that will serve as your message box. This allows you to customize the appearance, behavior, and features of the message box beyond what is possible with the standard MessageBox class. Below is a step-by-step guide to creating a custom message box.

Step 1. Create a New Form

Add a New Form: In your Windows Forms project, add a new form to the project. You can do this by right-clicking on your project in the Solution Explorer, selecting "Add," and then "Windows Form." Name it something like CustomMessageBox.

Design the Form

  • Set the Form Properties: Set properties such as FormBorderStyle to FixedDialog, MaximizeBox to False, MinimizeBox to False, and StartPosition to CenterParent.
  • Add Controls: Add the necessary controls to your form. Typically, a custom message box might include:

A Label to display the message

  • One or more Button controls for user actions (e.g., "OK", "Cancel").
  • Optionally, add an Icon to represent the type of message (information, warning, error).

Step 2. Customize the Form Logic

  1. Add Properties: Add properties to the form to allow passing in the message text and button labels. 
    public partial class CustomMessageBox : Form
{
    public CustomMessageBox(string message, string title, string button1Text = "OK", string button2Text = "")
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        this.Text = title;
        lblMessage.Text = message;
        btnOK.Text = button1Text;

        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(button2Text))
        {
            btnCancel.Text = button2Text;
            btnCancel.Visible = true;
        }
        else
        {
            btnCancel.Visible = false;
        }
    }
}
  2. Button Click Events: Implement the click events for the buttons. 
    private void btnOK_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    this.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK;
    this.Close();
}

private void btnCancel_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    this.DialogResult = DialogResult.Cancel;
    this.Close();
}

Step 3. Add the Controls to the Form

  1. Label for Message: Add a Label control to display the message. Set its Name property to lblMessage and adjust the AutoSize property to True to accommodate different message lengths.
  2. Buttons for User Actions: Add two Button controls. Set their Name properties to btnOK and btnCancel, respectively. Position these buttons at the bottom of the form. Adjust their Text properties as needed.
  3. Optional Icon: If you want to display an icon (e.g., for information, warning, or error), add a PictureBox control and set its SizeMode to AutoSize. You can set the image property to a suitable icon image.

Step 4. Design the Layout

  1. Ensure that the Label for the message (lblMessage) is positioned at the top, with enough space for the message text.
  2. Place the OK and Cancel buttons at the bottom of the form, aligned to the right. If only one button is used, center it.
  3. If using an icon, place the PictureBox to the left of the Label, creating a typical dialog box layout.

Step 5. Set Up the Form's Code-Behind

Ensure your CustomMessageBox form code contains all necessary logic.

public partial class CustomMessageBox : Form
{
    public CustomMessageBox(string message, string title, string button1Text = "OK", string button2Text = "")
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        this.Text = title;
        lblMessage.Text = message;
        btnOK.Text = button1Text;

        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(button2Text))
        {
            btnCancel.Text = button2Text;
            btnCancel.Visible = true;
        }
        else
        {
            btnCancel.Visible = false;
        }
    }

    private void btnOK_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK;
        this.Close();
    }

    private void btnCancel_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.DialogResult = DialogResult.Cancel;
        this.Close();
    }
}

Step 6. Using the Custom Message Box

To use your custom message box, you can create a static method that will show the form and return the result.

public static DialogResult Show(
    string message, 
    string title, 
    string button1Text = "OK", 
    string button2Text = ""
)
{
    using (var messageBox = new CustomMessageBox(message, title, button1Text, button2Text))
    {
        return messageBox.ShowDialog();
    }
}

Step 7. Calling the Custom Message Box

Now, you can call the custom message box from any part of your application like so,

DialogResult result = CustomMessageBox.Show(
    "Do you want to continue?", 
    "Confirmation", 
    "Yes", 
    "No"
);

if (result == DialogResult.OK)
{
    // User clicked Yes
}
else
{
    // User clicked No or closed the message box
}

Additional Customizations

  1. Icon Customization: To set a specific icon based on the type of message (information, warning, error), add a parameter to the constructor for the icon type and set the PictureBox image accordingly.
  2. Form Sizing: Dynamically adjust the size of the CustomMessageBox form based on the length of the message and the presence of buttons or icons.
  3. Localization: To support multiple languages, consider setting up the text for buttons and labels using resource files.
  4. Theming: If your application supports multiple themes, apply these to the CustomMessageBox to ensure a consistent look and feel.

Conclusion

Creating a custom message box in a Windows Forms application provides greater flexibility and control over how messages and prompts are presented to the user. By designing your own message box form, you can customize the appearance, behavior, and features beyond the capabilities of the standard MessageBox class, resulting in a more polished and integrated user experience.


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