MDI (Multiple Document Interface) Set Background Image

MDI (Multiple Document Interface) Set  Background Image

                To change the background color of a parent MDI form is to set the background color property. However, it seems to ignore it.  Also some of us hate the dark gray background.

In this tutorial I will help you to programmatically set the Background Image of the MDI parent. This includes vs2003 & vs2005 c# source file.

First we set the Form property ISMDICONTAINER = TRUE 

 

VS2003  C#

private System.Windows.Forms.MainMenu mainMenu1;
private System.Windows.Forms.MenuItem menuItem1;
private System.Windows.Forms.MenuItem menuItem2;

private string filepath = System.Environment.CurrentDirectory; 

private void Form1_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
			
filepath = System.IO.Path.Combine (filepath, "Desert.jpg");

 foreach(Control cntrl in this.Controls) 
 {
	if ((cntrl.GetType() == typeof(System.Windows.Forms.MdiClient ))){
					
	     cntrl.BackgroundImage = Image.FromFile(filepath);
				}
 }
}

private void menuItem2_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{	
	Form frmChild = new Form();

	frmChild.MdiParent = this;
	frmChild.Text = "Hello, im a child form";
	frmChild.Show ();

}

VS2005 C# - applicable to VS2008

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace MdiApplicationCS2005
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            foreach (Control cntrl in this.Controls)
            {
                if (cntrl is MdiClient)
                {
                    cntrl.BackgroundImage = Properties.Resources.Jellyfish;  
                }
            }
        }

        private void childToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Form frmChild = new Form();
            frmChild.MdiParent = this;
            frmChild.Text = "Hello i'm a child form";
            frmChild.Show();
        }
    }
}