---
title: "How to: Attach a ShortCut Menu to a TreeView Node"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
  - "cpp"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "shortcut menus [Windows Forms], adding to TreeView controls"
  - "TreeView control [Windows Forms], adding shortcut menus"
  - "tree nodes in TreeView control [Windows Forms], shortcut menus"
ms.assetid: a23c6752-fd8f-44ad-b781-bab37962fc7c
---
# How to: Attach a ShortCut Menu to a TreeView Node
The Windows Forms <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView> control displays a hierarchy of nodes, similar to the files and folders displayed in the left pane of Windows Explorer. By setting the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.ContextMenuStrip%2A> property, you can provide context-sensitive operations to the user when they right-click the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView> control. By associating a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ContextMenuStrip> component with individual <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode> items, you can add a customized level of shortcut menu functionality to your <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView> controls.  
  
### To associate a shortcut menu with a TreeNode programmatically  
  
1. Instantiate a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView> control with the appropriate property settings, create a root <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode>, and then add subnodes.  
  
2. Instantiate a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ContextMenuStrip> component, and then add a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem> for each operation you want to make available at run time.  
  
3. Set the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode.ContextMenuStrip%2A> property of the appropriate <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode> to the shortcut menu you create.  
  
4. When this property is set, the shortcut menu will be displayed when you right-click the node.  
  
 The following code example creates a basic <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView> and <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ContextMenuStrip> associated with the root <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeNode> of the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView>. You will need to customize the menu choices to those that fit the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TreeView> you are developing. Additionally, you will want to write code to handle the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.Click> events for these menu items.  
  
 [!code-cpp[System.Windows.Forms.TreeNodeContextMenuStrip#1](~/samples/snippets/cpp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/system.windows.forms.TreeNodeContextMenuStrip/cpp/Form1.cpp#1)]
 [!code-csharp[System.Windows.Forms.TreeNodeContextMenuStrip#1](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/system.windows.forms.TreeNodeContextMenuStrip/CS/Form1.cs#1)]
 [!code-vb[System.Windows.Forms.TreeNodeContextMenuStrip#1](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/system.windows.forms.TreeNodeContextMenuStrip/VB/Form1.vb#1)]  
  
## See also

- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.ContextMenuStrip>
- [TreeView Control](treeview-control-windows-forms.md)