Class VisualStyler

The VisualStyler component enables developers to completely skin windows forms applications using any Microsoft Visual Style. Your application forms and controls are automatically skinned on both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms from Windows 2000 to Windows Vista. The component has comprehensive Visual Studio design-time integration and the built-in smart tag designers enable you to browse, preview and import any number of visual styles without having writing a single of code.

In order to skin your application you only need to drop this component onto the main form or first visible form of your application. Using the properties available on the VisualStyler component, you can determine which Visual Style to use, what forms and controls should be skinned and whether to apply translucent shadows to your forms.

At design-time the VisualStyle property selects the visual style, this is automatically imported and then embedded into your application as a resource. Use the TargetControls property to determine what forms or controls you wish to have the skin applied.

The default SkinMode automatically skins all application forms and controls, you can further customize this behavior by setting the form or controls System.Windows.Forms.Control.Tag property to either the GlobalExcludeTag to unskin the control or the GlobalIncludeTag to always skin the form or control.

Use the ShadowStyle property to set the visibility and appearance of all form shadows. Use the ToolStripStyle property to select the appearance of all application System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip controls.

System.Object
  System.MarshalByRefObject
    System.ComponentModel.Component
      SkinSoft.VisualStyler.VisualStyler

public sealed class VisualStyler : Component, IComponent,
   ISupportInitialize

Class Members

Member		Description
	Constructor	Initializes a new instance of the VisualStyler component with the default arguments
	VisualStyleChanged	Occurs when the current visual style has changed
	ApplyExcludeTag	Helper method, manually applies the GlobalExcludeTag to the specified form and all child controls. public static void ApplyExcludeTag( Form form ); public static void ApplyExcludeTag( Control control, bool childControls );
	ApplyIncludeTag	Helper method, manually applies the GlobalIncludeTag to the specified form and all child controls. public static void ApplyIncludeTag( Form form ); public static void ApplyIncludeTag( Control control, bool childControls );
	ApplySkin	This method is now obsolete, please use RestoreApplicationSkin instead. public static void ApplySkin(); public static void ApplySkin( Form form ); public static void ApplySkin( Control control, bool childControls );
	BeginInit	Begins the designer initialize action public sealed void BeginInit();
	BeginUpdate	Maintains render performance whilst setting the VisualStyler properties, and prevents any unnecessary skin painting until the EndUpdate method is called. public void BeginUpdate();
	EnableCustomBackgroundPaint	Enables custom background painting for the specified control. public static void EnableCustomBackgroundPaint( Control control, bool enabled );
	EndInit	Ends the designer initialize action public sealed void EndInit();
	EndUpdate	Resumes skin rendering after painting is suspended by the BeginUpdate method. public void EndUpdate();
	LoadVisualStyle	Loads a new visual style from the specified System.Reflection.Assembly with the specified resource name. public void LoadVisualStyle( Assembly assembly, string resourceName ); public void LoadVisualStyle( string fileName ); public void LoadVisualStyle( Stream stream );
	Refresh	Refreshes the application skin using the current settings. public void Refresh();
	RemoveApplicationSkin	Manually removes the entire application skin including form shadows, restoring the application GUI to a non-skinned appearance. public static void RemoveApplicationSkin();
	RemoveSkin	This method is now obsolete, please use RemoveApplicationSkin instead. public static void RemoveSkin(); public static void RemoveSkin( Form form ); public static void RemoveSkin( Control control, bool childControls );
	RestoreApplicationSkin	Manually restores the entire application skin including all form shadows. public static void RestoreApplicationSkin();
	ShowStyleBrowserDialog	Shows the visual style browser dialog, this dialog enables clients to browse, preview and select new visual styles at runtime. public DialogResult ShowStyleBrowserDialog(string dialogTitle,string filePath,out string selectedFileName );
	ShowStyleImportDialog	Shows the visual style import dialog, this dialog enables clients to import, preview and select new visual styles at runtime. public DialogResult ShowStyleImportDialog(string dialogTitle,string filePath,out string selectedFileName);
	Shutdown	Manually shuts down the skin engine and disposes all resources. public void Shutdown();
	DefaultExcludeSkinTag	Specifies the default exclusion tag,
	DefaultIncludeSkinTag	Specifies a default include tag,
	GlobalExcludeTag	Specifies a global exclude tag, any
	GlobalIncludeTag	Specifies a global include tag, any
	HookSystemColors	Specifies whether to override system colors and replace them with the skin palette.
	HookSystemDrawing	Specifies whether to skin parts that are directly drawn by the OS platform.
	HookVisualStyles	Specifies whether to override system visual styles and replace them with skinned styles.
	License	Gets or sets the component license, this method is not intended to be used by client code.
	SaveAsResource	Determines whether the selected skin is saved as a
	ShadowStyle	Specifies the shadow style to apply to all forms.
	ShowFocusCues	Determines whether to display focus cues on applicable controls such as the System.Windows.Forms.Button and System.Windows.Forms.CheckBox
	ShowMdiMenu	Determines whether to display the MDI menu in an MDI application.
	Site	Overridden, see System.ComponentModel.Component.Site
	SkinCommonDialogs	Specifies whether to skin the common dialog components, such as the .OpenFileDialog, .SaveFileDialog, .FontDialog etc.
	SkinFlatStyles	Specifies whether to skin flat styles on controls that support the FlatStyle property.
	SkinMode	Specifies how application forms and controls will be skinned.
	SkinSystemControls	Specifies whether to skin all native system controls and dialogs.
	SkinToggleButtons	Specifies whether to skin button style CheckBox and RadioButton controls.
	StyleName	Gets the current style name
	TargetControls	Specifies which application controls will have the skin applied.
	TextShadowVisible	Specifies whether to display any visual style text shadow.
	ToolStripStyle	Specifies what ToolStrip render style to use. Use SkinSoft.VisualStyler.ToolStripRenderStyle.System to render toolstrips with skinned elements.
	UseSystemFonts	Specifies whether to use system fonts in place of the skin fonts.
	VisualStyle	Gets or sets the visual style skin file, this is a design-time property and is not intended to be used by client code.

Requirements

Namespace: SkinSoft.VisualStyler
Assembly: skinsoft.visualstyler.dll