docs-desktop/dotnet-desktop-guide/framework/winforms/controls/how-to-change-the-appearance-of-the-windows-forms-linklabel-control.md

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Change the Appearance of LinkLabel Control	03/30/2017	csharp vb cpp	LinkLabel properties LinkLabel control [Windows Forms], changing appearance of links links [Windows Forms], changing appearance examples [Windows Forms], LinkLabel control LinkLabel control [Windows Forms], examples	fdc5854f-5162-4457-8cbe-1042feb2d132

How to: Change the Appearance of the Windows Forms LinkLabel Control

You can change the text displayed by the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel control to suit a variety of purposes. For example, it is common practice to indicate to the user that text can be clicked by setting the text to appear in a specific color with an underline. After the user clicks the text, the color changes to a different color. To control this behavior, you can set five different properties: the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkBehavior%2A, xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkArea%2A, xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkColor%2A, xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.VisitedLinkColor%2A, and xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkVisited%2A properties.

To change the appearance of a LinkLabel control

1. Set the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkColor%2A and xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.VisitedLinkColor%2A properties to the colors you want.

   This can be done either programmatically or at design time in the Properties window.

   ' You can set the color using decimal values for red, green, and blue  
   LinkLabel1.LinkColor = Color.FromArgb(0, 0, 255)  
   ' Or you can set the color using defined constants  
   LinkLabel1.VisitedLinkColor = Color.Purple  
   

   // You can set the color using decimal values for red, green, and blue  
   linkLabel1.LinkColor = Color.FromArgb(0, 0, 255);  
   // Or you can set the color using defined constants  
   linkLabel1.VisitedLinkColor = Color.Purple;  
   

   // You can set the color using decimal values for red, green, and blue  
   linkLabel1->LinkColor = Color::FromArgb(0, 0, 255);  
   // Or you can set the color using defined constants  
   linkLabel1->VisitedLinkColor = Color::Purple;  
   

2. Set the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.Text%2A property to an appropriate caption.

   This can be done either programmatically or at design time in the Properties window.

   LinkLabel1.Text = "Click here to see more."  
   

   linkLabel1.Text = "Click here to see more.";  
   

   linkLabel1->Text = "Click here to see more.";  
   

3. Set the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkArea%2A property to determine which part of the caption will be indicated as a link.

   The xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkArea%2A value is represented with a xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkArea containing two numbers, the starting character position and the number of characters. This can be done either programmatically or at design time in the Properties window.

   LinkLabel1.LinkArea = new LinkArea(6,4)  
   

   linkLabel1.LinkArea = new LinkArea(6,4);  
   

   linkLabel1->LinkArea = LinkArea(6,4);  
   

4. Set the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkBehavior%2A property to xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkBehavior.AlwaysUnderline, xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkBehavior.HoverUnderline, or xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkBehavior.NeverUnderline.

   If it is set to xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkBehavior.HoverUnderline, the part of the caption determined by xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkArea%2A will only be underlined when the pointer rests on it.

5. In the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkClicked event handler, set the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkVisited%2A property to true.

   When a link has been visited, it is common practice to change its appearance in some way, usually by color. The text will change to the color specified by the xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.VisitedLinkColor%2A property.

   Protected Sub LinkLabel1_LinkClicked (ByVal sender As Object, _  
      ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles LinkLabel1.LinkClicked  
      ' Change the color of the link text  
      ' by setting LinkVisited to True.  
      LinkLabel1.LinkVisited = True  
      ' Then do whatever other action is appropriate  
   End Sub  
   

   protected void LinkLabel1_LinkClicked(object sender, System.EventArgs e)  
   {  
      // Change the color of the link text by setting LinkVisited
      // to True.  
      linkLabel1.LinkVisited = true;  
      // Then do whatever other action is appropriate  
   }  
   

   private:  
      System::Void linkLabel1_LinkClicked(System::Object ^  sender,  
         System::Windows::Forms::LinkLabelLinkClickedEventArgs ^  e)  
      {  
         // Change the color of the link text by setting LinkVisited
         // to True.  
         linkLabel1->LinkVisited = true;  
         // Then do whatever other action is appropriate  
      }  
   

See also

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkArea%2A
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkColor%2A
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.VisitedLinkColor%2A
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel.LinkVisited%2A
• LinkLabel Control Overview
• How to: Link to an Object or Web Page with the Windows Forms LinkLabel Control
• LinkLabel Control