docs-desktop/dotnet-desktop-guide/framework/winforms/how-to-create-event-handlers-at-run-time-for-windows-forms.md

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title	description	ms.date	dev_langs	helpviewer_keywords	ms.assetid
How to: Create Event Handlers at Run Time	Learn how to create an event handler at run time with the Windows Forms Designer in Visual Studio. This action allows you to connect event handlers at run time.	03/30/2017	csharp vb cpp	Windows Forms, event handling event handlers [Windows Forms], creating run time [Windows Forms], creating event handlers at examples [Windows Forms], event handling Button control [Windows Forms], event handlers	2e7c9e1a-61fe-444d-8113-3c5bacf1c8cb

How to: Create Event Handlers at Run Time for Windows Forms

In addition to creating events using the Windows Forms Designer in Visual Studio, you can also create an event handler at run time. This action allows you to connect event handlers based on conditions in code at run time as opposed to having them connected when the program initially starts.

Create an event handler at run time

1. Open the form that you want to add an event handler to.

2. Add a method to your form with the method signature for the event that you want to handle.

   For example, if you were handling the xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Click event of a xref:System.Windows.Forms.Button control, you would create a method such as the following:

   Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
      ' Add event handler code here.
   End Sub
   

   private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
   {
   // Add event handler code here.
   }
   

   private:
      void button1_Click(System::Object ^ sender,
         System::EventArgs ^ e)
      {
         // Add event handler code here.
      }
   

3. Add code to the event handler as appropriate to your application.

4. Determine which form or control you want to create an event handler for.

5. In a method within your form's class, add code that specifies the event handler to handle the event. For example, the following code specifies the event handler button1_Click handles the xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Click event of a xref:System.Windows.Forms.Button control:

   AddHandler Button1.Click, AddressOf Button1_Click
   

   button1.Click += new EventHandler(button1_Click);
   

   button1->Click += gcnew System::EventHandler(this, &Form1::button1_Click);
   

See also

• Creating Event Handlers in Windows Forms
• Event Handlers Overview
• Troubleshooting Inherited Event Handlers in Visual Basic