docs-desktop/dotnet-desktop-guide/framework/winforms/controls/how-to-implement-a-custom-toolstriprenderer.md

title, ms.date, dev_langs, helpviewer_keywords, ms.assetid

title	ms.date	dev_langs	helpviewer_keywords	ms.assetid
How to: Implement a Custom ToolStripRenderer	03/30/2017	csharp vb	toolbars [Windows Forms] ToolStrip control [Windows Forms]	c66fd3f7-2377-4553-8f1b-006527f08f32

How to: Implement a Custom ToolStripRenderer

You can customize the appearance of a xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip control by implementing a class that derives from xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderer. This gives you the flexibility to create an appearance that differs from the appearance provided the xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripProfessionalRenderer and xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSystemRenderer classes.

Example

The following code example demonstrates how to implement a custom xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderer class. In this example, the GridStrip control implements a sliding-tile puzzle, which allows the user to move tiles in a table layout to form an image. A custom xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip control arranges its xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripButton controls in a grid layout. The layout contains one empty cell, into which the user can slide an adjacent tile by using a drag-and-drop operation. Tiles that the user can move are highlighted.

The GridStripRenderer class customizes three aspects of the GridStrip control's appearance:

• GridStrip border

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripButton border

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripButton image

[!code-csharpSystem.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.GridStrip#1] [!code-vbSystem.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.GridStrip#1]

Compiling the Code

This example requires:

• References to the System.Drawing and System.Windows.Forms assemblies.

See also

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.MenuStrip
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderer
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripProfessionalRenderer
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSystemRenderer
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.StatusStrip
• ToolStrip Control