Menustrip vs contextmenustrip vb.net windows 7#
Menustrip vs contextmenustrip vb.net windows#

This means that whenever Microsoft updates the menu API in Windows you will get all the usability improvements without lifting a finger. The MainMenu and ContextMenu, however, are simple wrappers around the Windows API. The Menu Strip and ContextMenu Strip controls are written entirely in C# and will forever look as tacky as they do now. That is, with each new version of Windows Microsoft subtly tweaks the menu to be more usable. Your program will look like it fits in with all the other programs on your users computers.If all the discussion of aesthetics was lost on you, then you should always use MainMenu for two simple reasons: You can add MainMenu & ContextMenu to Visual Studio by right clicking the toolbox, clicking Choose Items and checking the MainMenu and ContextMenu check boxes.

Menustrip vs contextmenustrip vb.net windows 7#

But, as you can see below, the MainMenu and ContextMenu controls do match the Windows 7 theme. However, the theme of the MenuStrip and ContextMenuStrip controls don't automatically adjust to match the Windows 7 theme. They are entirely custom-draw menus created by Microsoft and included in. If youve been programming with Windows Forms for any length of time, its very likely you already use MenuStrips and ContextMenuStrips. The excessive gradients and bad backgrounds distracts from the purpose of the menus:ĭifference between MenuStrip and MainMenu The following menus are tacky for the simple reason that the styling adds no extras usability. Here are a couple of examples of bad menus. Or, put more simply, if the style detracts from usability it is bad style. Luckily programs arent art they have utility first and style second. How do you judge art? Its damn near impossible to get 100% consensus. Aesthetics ask 1000 people, get 1000 opinions I find Windows Vista and Windows 7 menus to be aesthetically pleasing. Its less about being visually appealing than it is about being usable. Its the context menu when you right click the desktop in Windows 7. Normally I would just show a menu from Windows 7 and say this is how you do it. Its about the control I created a couple of years ago: VistaMenu. Those of you who follow this blog regularly already know the tip Im sharing today.