Microsoft KB Archive/317479

= HOW TO: Draw a Rubber Band or Focus Rectangle in Visual Basic .NET =

Article ID: 317479

Article Last Modified on 4/21/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft .NET Framework Class Libraries 1.0
 * Microsoft .NET Framework Class Libraries 1.1
 * Microsoft Visual Basic .NET 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Visual Basic .NET 2003 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional for Itanium-based systems

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This article was previously published under Q317479



For a Microsoft Visual Studio .NET C# version of this article, see 314945.

IN THIS TASK

 * SUMMARY
 * Sample Code



SUMMARY
A rubber band or focus rectangle is a rectangle that tracks with the mouse pointer while you hold down the left mouse button. This technique is commonly used to delimit a selection in response to user mouse-pointer input. In the graphics device interface (GDI), these rectangles are commonly implemented by using raster operations (ROPs). However, the System.Drawing method is based on GDI+ (the successor to GDI), which has no support for ROPs. This article explains another approach for implementing focus rectangles in the .NET Framework.

In the GDI, focus rectangles are commonly drawn by using ROP codes. In particular, the ROP2 codes R2_XORPEN and R2_NOT are frequently used. When you use either of these ROP2 codes, you can erase a previous line by drawing the line again in the same position. This is sometimes known as an exclusive-OR (XOR) effect.

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Sample Code
Because ROPs are not available in GDI+ and System.Drawing, you must use another approach to draw reversible lines with these tools. For example, you can use Platform Invocation Services (PInvoke) to interoperate with the GDI. However, a solution that uses only managed code is available through the use of the static member ControlPaint::DrawReversibleFrame. The following code, written in Visual Basic .NET, and ready to be pasted into the form class in a default Visual Basic .NET application, demonstrates this approach: Public Class Form1 Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

Dim bHaveMouse As Boolean Dim ptOriginal As Point Dim ptLast As Point

+[Windows Form Designer generated code]

' Convert and Normalize the points and draw the reversible frame. Private Sub MyDrawReversibleRectangle(ByVal p1 As Point, ByVal p2 As Point) Dim rc As Rectangle ' Convert the points to screen coordinates. p1 = PointToScreen(p1) p2 = PointToScreen(p2) ' Normalize the rectangle. If (p1.X < p2.X) Then rc.X = p1.X           rc.Width = p2.X - p1.X        Else rc.X = p2.X           rc.Width = p1.X - p2.X        End If        If (p1.Y < p2.Y) Then rc.Y = p1.Y           rc.Height = p2.Y - p1.Y        Else rc.Y = p2.Y           rc.Height = p1.Y - p2.Y        End If        ' Draw the reversible frame. ControlPaint.DrawReversibleFrame(rc, Color.Red, FrameStyle.Dashed) End Sub

' Called when the left mouse button is pressed down. Public Sub MyMouseDown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles MyBase.MouseDown ' Make a note that we &quot;have the mouse&quot;. bHaveMouse = True ' Store the &quot;starting point&quot; for this rubber-band rectangle. ptOriginal.X = e.X       ptOriginal.Y = e.Y        ' Special value lets us know that no previous ' rectangle needs to be erased. ptLast.X = -1 ptLast.Y = -1 End Sub

' called when the left mouse button is released Public Sub MyMouseUp(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles MyBase.MouseUp ' Set internal flag to know we no longer &quot;have the mouse&quot;. bHaveMouse = False ' If we have drawn previously, draw again in that spot ' to remove the lines. If (ptLast.X <> -1) Then Dim ptCurrent As Point ptCurrent.X = e.X           ptCurrent.Y = e.Y            MyDrawReversibleRectangle(ptOriginal, ptLast) End If       ' Set flags to know that there is no &quot;previous&quot; line to reverse. ptLast.X = -1 ptLast.Y = -1 ptOriginal.X = -1 ptOriginal.Y = -1 End Sub

' Called when the mouse is moved. Public Sub MyMouseMove(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles MyBase.MouseMove Dim ptCurrent As Point ptCurrent.X = e.X       ptCurrent.Y = e.Y        ' If we &quot;have the mouse&quot;, then we draw our lines. If (bHaveMouse) Then ' If we have drawn previously, draw again in           ' that spot to remove the lines. If (ptLast.X <> -1) Then MyDrawReversibleRectangle(ptOriginal, ptLast) End If           ' Update last point. ptLast = ptCurrent ' Draw new lines. MyDrawReversibleRectangle(ptOriginal, ptCurrent) End If   End Sub

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load bHaveMouse = False End Sub End Class Note that this solution is available only for output on the screen. To draw reversible lines on a graphics object, you must either interoperate with GDI or call Bitmap::LockBits and manipulate the image bits directly.

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Additional query words: rubberband rubber-band rect DrawFocusRect XOR NOT invert pen SetROP2 focus rectangle VB

Keywords: kbhowtomaster kbgdiplus kbdswgdi2003swept KB317479

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