---
title: "How to: Enable Visual Styles in a Hybrid Application"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "hybrid applications [WPF interoperability]"
  - "visual styles [Windows Forms]"
ms.assetid: 95de9b9c-d804-405c-b2d1-49a88c1e0fe1
---
# How to: Enable Visual Styles in a Hybrid Application

This topic shows how to enable visual styles on a Windows Forms control hosted in a [!INCLUDE[TLA2#tla_winclient](../../../includes/tla2sharptla-winclient-md.md)]-based application.  
  
 If your application calls the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Application.EnableVisualStyles%2A> method, most of your Windows Forms controls will automatically use visual styles. For more information, see [Rendering Controls with Visual Styles](/dotnet/framework/winforms/controls/rendering-controls-with-visual-styles).  
  
 For a complete code listing of the tasks illustrated in this topic, see [Enabling Visual Styles in a Hybrid Application Sample](https://github.com/microsoft/WPF-Samples/tree/master/Migration%20and%20Interoperability/HostingWfWithVisualStyles).  
  
## Enabling Windows Forms Visual Styles  
  
#### To enable Windows Forms visual styles  
  
1. Create a [!INCLUDE[TLA2#tla_winclient](../../../includes/tla2sharptla-winclient-md.md)] Application project named `HostingWfWithVisualStyles`.  
  
2. In Solution Explorer, add references to the following assemblies.  
  
    - WindowsFormsIntegration  
  
    - System.Windows.Forms  
  
3. In the Toolbox, double-click the <xref:System.Windows.Controls.Grid> icon to place a <xref:System.Windows.Controls.Grid> element on the design surface.  
  
4. In the Properties window, set the values of the <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.Height%2A> and <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.Width%2A> properties to **Auto**.  
  
5. In Design view or XAML view, select the <xref:System.Windows.Window>.  
  
6. In the Properties window, click the **Events** tab.  
  
7. Double-click the <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.Loaded> event.
  
8. In MainWindow.xaml.vb or MainWindow.xaml.cs, insert the following code to handle the <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.Loaded> event.  
  
     [!code-csharp[HostingWfWithVisualStyles#11](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/HostingWfWithVisualStyles/CSharp/HostingWfWithVisualStyles/Window1.xaml.cs#11)]
     [!code-vb[HostingWfWithVisualStyles#11](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Wpf/HostingWfWithVisualStyles/VisualBasic/HostingWfWithVisualStyles/Window1.xaml.vb#11)]  
  
9. Press F5 to build and run the application.  
  
     The Windows Forms control is painted with visual styles.  
  
## Disabling Windows Forms Visual Styles  

 To disable visual styles, simply remove the call to the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Application.EnableVisualStyles%2A> method.  
  
#### To disable Windows Forms visual styles  
  
1. Open MainWindow.xaml.vb or MainWindow.xaml.cs in the Code Editor.  
  
2. Comment out the call to the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Application.EnableVisualStyles%2A> method.  
  
3. Press F5 to build and run the application.  
  
     The Windows Forms control is painted with the default system style.  
  
## See also

- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Application.EnableVisualStyles%2A>
- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.VisualStyles>
- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Integration.WindowsFormsHost>
- [Rendering Controls with Visual Styles](/dotnet/framework/winforms/controls/rendering-controls-with-visual-styles)
- [Walkthrough: Hosting a Windows Forms Control in WPF](walkthrough-hosting-a-windows-forms-control-in-wpf.md)