C# Windows Forms - Positioning

Positioning

Form.StartPosition

Enables you to set the start position of a form at run-time
This property should be set before the form is shown.
In 3.5 this property works with both .Show and .ShowDialog

FormStartPosition Enumeration

WindowsDefaultLocation (default)	Form is positioned at the windows default location and has the dimensions specified in the forms size

WindowsDefaultBounds	Form is positioned at the windows default location and has the bounds determined by windows default

CenterParent	Form is centered within the bounds of its parent form
	best for modal / ShowDialog
CenterScreen	Form is centered on the current display with dimensions specified in the forms size

Manual	Position is determined by the Location property
	Me.Location = Drawing.Point

Possible Scenarios

1) Modal, on top of all windows
.TopMost = True

2) Modal, on top of that application
.StartPosition = CenterParent
.ShowDialog

2) Modeless, on top of that application
.StartPosition = Manual
.Show(gFormNativeWindow)

System.Windows.Forms.Screen.PrimaryScreen
this gets the primary screen

WorkingArea.Height - gets the height of the display excluding the taskbar.

Load Event

This event will be generated for you by double clicking anywhere on the form.

Private Sub frmMain_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, _ 
                         ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _ 
                         Handles MyBase.Load 

   If App_RegSaveFormPositionRead() = True Then 

      Me.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(clsRegistry.App_RegFormPositionLeftRead(gsREGISTRY_APPNAME), _ 
                                             clsRegistry.App_RegFormPositionTopRead(gsREGISTRY_APPNAME)) 

      Me.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(clsRegistry.App_RegFormPositionWidthRead(gsREGISTRY_APPNAME, _ 
                                                                                 giDEFAULT_FORMWIDTH), _ 
                                        clsRegistry.App_RegFormPositionHeightRead(gsREGISTRY_APPNAME, _ 
                                                                                  giDEFAULT_FORMHEIGHT)) 
   End If 

End Sub

Unload Event

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "
Inside this region is a Dispose generated subroutine.
Add the call to the Form_Load subroutine at the top of this subroutine.

Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal bdisposing As Boolean) 
   Call frmMain_Close() 

   If bdisposing Then 
      If Not (components Is Nothing) Then 
         components.Dispose() 
      End If 
   End If 
   MyBase.Dispose(bdisposing) 
End Sub

Create the following private subroutine below the Form_Load event

Private Sub frmMain_Close() 
   If App_RegSaveFormPositionRead() = True Then 

      With gfrmMAINFORM.DesktopBounds 
         Call clsRegistry.App_RegFormPositionLeftSave(gsREGISTRY_APPNAME, .Left) 
         Call clsRegistry.App_RegFormPositionTopSave(gsREGISTRY_APPNAME, .Top) 
         Call clsRegistry.App_RegFormPositionWidthSave(gsREGISTRY_APPNAME, .Width) 
         Call clsRegistry.App_RegFormPositionHeightSave(gsREGISTRY_APPNAME, .Height) 
      End With 
   End If 
End Sub

AppRegistry

Public Function App_RegSaveFormPositionRead() As Boolean 
   App_RegSaveFormPositionRead = _ 
       CBool(App_RegistryRead("Options", "Save Form Position", CStr(False))) 
End Function 

Public Sub App_RegSaveFormPositionSave(ByVal bValue As Boolean) 
   Call App_RegistrySave("Options", "Save Form Position", CStr(bValue)) 
End Sub