Mdi - Multiple Document Interface.
Mdi - Multiple Document Interface applications allow you to have multiple documents
open within the same application. This is a very popular application interface and
can be seen in many modern day applications like, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer
7.0, Microsoft Word and VisualStudio.
Creating MDI applications is made really easy using VisualStudio 2005 and the Microsoft
.net Framework.
Creating a basic MDI application.
Start VisualStudio and create a new Windows c# project. On the Solutions Explorer
Tab, right click the project and click add new Form.
Your project should now consist of 2 forms. Form1 and Form2.
On Form1 Properties Window, ensure IsMdiContainer is set to true. Writing this in
code is simple.
this.IsMdiContainer = true;
Create a Form1_Load event. In the load event add the following code.
Form2 note = new Form2();
note.MdiParent = this;
note.Show();
Now if you run the project (press F5) Form1 the mdiparent or container form is hosting
Form2.
These are the basic principles of MDI applications. Of course the above example
is of no use to anyone but you should have an idea of how the MDI applications work.
Sending information between MDI and SDI Forms
MDI Notepad.
Let's do another project with more detail and some interaction between the MDI forms.
Download the complete source
project for the MDI Notepad. In this project we are going to do some basic commands
that will open multiple forms each having some NotePad functionality. We will show
you how to call new forms from the MDI Container as well as from a MDI child. We
will also show you how to do some Menu merging.
Creating new Mdi Children.
Creating Mdi children is easy and there are several ways to do this.
From the MdiParent.
NotePad note = new NotePad(); note.MdiParent = this; note.Show();
From a MdiChild.
NotePad note = new NotePad(); note.MdiParent = this.MdiParent; note.Show();
From the Mdi Child via a method or function on the Mdi Parent.
On the Mdi Parent you will create a function that is accessible from the
Mdi Child.
public void NewNote() { NotePad note = new NotePad(); note.MdiParent = this; note.Show();
}
From the Mdi Child you will reference the Mdi Parent and Execute that function.
Form1 mainForm = (Form1)this.MdiParent; mainForm.NewNote();
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