# Sidebar and Panels > Dock Windows Forms sidebars, connect them to ribbon buttons, show them as dialogs, hide panel elements with FindItem and show your own control as Content. - **Product:** TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms - **Section:** Documentation - **Kind:** Topic - **Path:** TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms > Document Editor > Ribbon and UI > Sidebar and Panels - **4941 words** - **Web URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/ribbon-ui/sidebar/ - **LLMs URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/ribbon-ui/sidebar/llms.txt - **LLMs-Full URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/ribbon-ui/sidebar/llms-full.txt --- How should a sidebar behave in your application: always docked beside the document, opened by a ribbon button, floating as a dialog, or showing a panel of your own? The `Sidebar` control of TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms does all four. Its layout follows the docking, ribbon buttons open it with the right panel, single elements of a predefined panel can be hidden, and your code can react when the panel changes. What a sidebar is and which panels it offers is described in [Sidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/overview/components/sidebar/llms-full.txt), and [Create a Ribbon Application with Sidebar Support](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/getting-started/document-editor/ribbon-sidebar/llms-full.txt) adds one to a form step by step. ### Set Up a Sidebar in the Designer The smart tag of a `TextControl` adds a bottom, a left or a right sidebar. The smart tag of the sidebar then sets its most used properties: the panel in **ContentLayout**, the **Dock** position, the connected **TextControl**, the title **Text**, and the check boxes **ShowTitle**, **ShowPinButton**, **ShowCloseButton**, **IsPinned** and **IsShown**. ![The Sidebar Tasks smart tag with the ContentLayout drop-down open, listing None, Custom, Goto, FieldNavigator, TrackedChanges, Styles, Find, Replace, ConditionalInstructions, DocumentSettings, Comments and About, next to a Styles sidebar in the designer.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/sidebar-content-layout.0e176eb7.webp) The TX Words sample shows its **About** panel in the left sidebar at startup and clears **ShowPinButton**, so that users cannot turn the sidebar into a dialog: ![The smart tag of the left sidebar of TX Words with ContentLayout About, Dock Left, TextControl m_txTextControl, and ShowPinButton cleared.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/sidebar-smart-tag-about.ed517874.webp) ### Layout Follows the Docking The panels **Find**, **Replace**, **Goto**, **ConditionalInstructions**, **DocumentSettings** and **FieldNavigator** have two layouts. The [ContentLayout](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/contentlayout-property/llms-full.txt) and the `Dock` property of the sidebar decide which one is shown: | `Dock` | Layout | |---|---| | `Left` or `Right` | Vertical, for a sidebar beside the document | | `Top` or `Bottom` | Horizontal, for a strip above or below the document | | `Fill` or `None` | Dialog style | This is why the ribbon tabs connect two sidebars to some buttons, a vertical one and a horizontal one. ### Open Sidebars With Ribbon Buttons Most sidebar buttons of a ribbon tab have two connection properties, one for a vertical and one for a horizontal sidebar, for example [FindSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/findsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) and [FindHorizontalSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/findhorizontalsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) of the Home tab. These are the connection properties of all tabs: | Tab | Properties | Button | |---|---|---| | [RibbonFormattingTab](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/llms-full.txt) | [FindSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/findsidebar-property/llms-full.txt), [FindHorizontalSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/findhorizontalsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) | Find | | | [ReplaceSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/replacesidebar-property/llms-full.txt), [ReplaceHorizontalSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/replacehorizontalsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) | Replace | | | [GotoSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/gotosidebar-property/llms-full.txt), [GotoHorizontalSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/gotohorizontalsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) | Go To | | | [StylesSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/stylessidebar-property/llms-full.txt) | The dialog box launcher of the Styles group | | [RibbonProofingTab](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonproofingtab/llms-full.txt) | [TrackedChangesSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonproofingtab/trackedchangessidebar-property/llms-full.txt), [TrackedChangesHorizontalSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonproofingtab/trackedchangeshorizontalsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) | Tracked Changes | | | [CommentsSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonproofingtab/commentssidebar-property/llms-full.txt), [CommentsHorizontalSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonproofingtab/commentshorizontalsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) | Comments | | [RibbonFormFieldsTab](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformfieldstab/llms-full.txt) | [ConditionalInstructionsSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformfieldstab/conditionalinstructionssidebar-property/llms-full.txt), [ConditionalInstructionsHorizontalSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformfieldstab/conditionalinstructionshorizontalsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) | Manage Conditional Instructions | | [RibbonReportingTab](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonreportingtab/llms-full.txt) | [FieldNavigatorSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonreportingtab/fieldnavigatorsidebar-property/llms-full.txt) | Field Navigation | You set these properties in the **Properties** window of the tab, in the **Connected Sidebars** section of the tab's smart tag shown below, or in code. When a sidebar is connected, the button gets a drop-down with a toggle for each connected sidebar, and a click on the button works as follows: - **Toggle on.** The connected sidebar opens pinned into the form. - **Toggle off.** The sidebar opens as a dialog: one that cannot be resized for the Find, Replace and Go To buttons, a resizable one for the Comments, Tracked Changes and Conditional Instructions buttons. - **In both cases** the sidebar switches to the panel of the button, and the other connected sidebar of the same button is hidden. The **Styles** dialog box launcher and the **Field Navigation** button are the exceptions: [StylesSidebar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbonformattingtab/stylessidebar-property/llms-full.txt) and `FieldNavigatorSidebar` connect one sidebar only. The **Connected Sidebars** section of the smart tag of a predefined tab sets the properties in the designer: ![The RibbonFormattingTab Tasks smart tag with its Connected Sidebars section: the Find, Go To and Replace buttons each have a horizontal and a vertical sidebar, and the Styles dialog box launcher one sidebar.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/connected-sidebars.aaebf93b.webp) One sidebar can serve several buttons, because each button sets the panel it needs. TX Words connects the vertical properties, except `GotoSidebar`, to a right sidebar and the horizontal properties to a bottom sidebar. The following code, in the constructor of the form after `InitializeComponent`, connects a sidebar docked at the right to three buttons and hides it until one of them is clicked: ```csharp // Connect the sidebar to the editor and to three ribbon buttons sidebarRight.TextControl = textControl1; ribbonFormattingTab1.StylesSidebar = sidebarRight; ribbonProofingTab1.TrackedChangesSidebar = sidebarRight; ribbonProofingTab1.CommentsSidebar = sidebarRight; // Show the sidebar only when a button opens it sidebarRight.IsShown = false; ``` ### Show a Sidebar as a Dialog A sidebar is either pinned into the form, when [IsPinned](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/ispinned-property/llms-full.txt) is `true`, the default, or opens as a dialog when it is `false`. Users switch between the two with the pin button in its title bar. The following code, in the constructor of the form after `InitializeComponent`, opens the **Find** panel in a resizable dialog of a fixed size: ```csharp using TXTextControl.Windows.Forms; // Show the Find panel in a sizable dialog sidebarRight.TextControl = textControl1; sidebarRight.ContentLayout = Sidebar.SidebarContentLayout.Find; sidebarRight.IsPinned = false; sidebarRight.DialogStyle = Sidebar.SidebarDialogStyle.StandardSizable; sidebarRight.DialogSize = new Size(320, 480); sidebarRight.IsShown = true; ``` The code works as follows: - [DialogStyle](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/dialogstyle-property/llms-full.txt) takes a [SidebarDialogStyle](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/sidebardialogstyle-enumeration/llms-full.txt): `Standard`, the default, is a fixed dialog with a title bar; `StandardSizable` can be resized; `Sidebar` and `SidebarSizable` show the sidebar without the border and title bar of a dialog. - [DialogSize](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/dialogsize-property/llms-full.txt) and [DialogLocation](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/dialoglocation-property/llms-full.txt) set size and position. Left at their defaults, `Size.Empty` and `Point.Empty`, the dialog is sized to its content and centered on the topmost control. - [IsShown](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/isshown-property/llms-full.txt) shows the sidebar. Use it rather than the inherited `Visible` property, which the sidebar uses internally. A pinned sidebar can be resized with the mouse while [IsSizable](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/issizable-property/llms-full.txt) is `true`, its default, provided `AutoSize` is `false` and `Dock` is not `Fill`. ### Hide Elements of a Panel Every element of a predefined panel has an identifier, and [FindItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/finditem-method/llms-full.txt) returns it as a Windows Forms control. There is one enumeration per panel, nested in `Sidebar`: | Enumeration | Panel | Examples | |---|---|---| | [FindAndReplaceItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/findandreplaceitem-enumeration/llms-full.txt) | Find, Replace | `TXITEM_MatchCase`, `TXITEM_SearchUp`, `TXITEM_SearchInFootnotes`, `TXITEM_ReplaceAll` | | [StylesItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/stylesitem-enumeration/llms-full.txt) | Styles | `TXITEM_ShowPreview`, `TXITEM_SortAlphabetical`, `TXITEM_ManageStyles` | | [GotoItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/gotoitem-enumeration/llms-full.txt) | Goto | `TXITEM_GotoList`, `TXITEM_GotoNext` | | [TrackedChangesItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/trackedchangesitem-enumeration/llms-full.txt) | TrackedChanges | `TXITEM_TrackedChangesCount`, `TXITEM_TrackedChangesRefresh` | | [ConditionalInstructionsItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/conditionalinstructionsitem-enumeration/llms-full.txt) | ConditionalInstructions | `TXITEM_New`, `TXITEM_Edit`, `TXITEM_Delete` | | [DocumentSettingsItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/documentsettingsitem-enumeration/llms-full.txt) | DocumentSettings | `TXITEM_CustomPropertiesPanel`, `TXITEM_EmbeddedFilesPanel` | | [FieldNavigatorItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/fieldnavigatoritem-enumeration/llms-full.txt) | FieldNavigator | `TXITEM_SearchTextBox`, `TXITEM_MergeFieldDelete` | The following code hides the **Search up** option of the find panel: ```csharp // Hide an element of the predefined Find panel Control searchUp = sidebarRight.FindItem(Sidebar.FindAndReplaceItem.TXITEM_SearchUp); if (searchUp != null) { searchUp.Visible = false; } ``` ### React to Changes of the Panel `Sidebar` implements `System.ComponentModel.INotifyPropertyChanged`, so its `PropertyChanged` event tells you when a ribbon button or the user changed `ContentLayout` or `IsShown`. TX Words uses it for its left sidebar, which shows three panels: tracked changes, opened by the Proofing tab, and the document settings and About panels, opened by two toggle buttons of its application menu. The handler allows a dialog only for the tracked changes panel and keeps the two toggle buttons checked while their panel is visible: ```csharp using System.ComponentModel; using TXTextControl.Windows.Forms; // In the constructor, after InitializeComponent sidebarLeft.PropertyChanged += SidebarLeft_PropertyChanged; private void SidebarLeft_PropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e) { switch (e.PropertyName) { case "ContentLayout": switch (sidebarLeft.ContentLayout) { case Sidebar.SidebarContentLayout.TrackedChanges: // The user may turn this panel into a dialog sidebarLeft.ShowPinButton = true; documentSettingsButton.Checked = false; aboutButton.Checked = false; break; case Sidebar.SidebarContentLayout.DocumentSettings: // Always docked, no pin button sidebarLeft.ShowPinButton = false; sidebarLeft.IsPinned = true; documentSettingsButton.Checked = true; aboutButton.Checked = false; break; case Sidebar.SidebarContentLayout.About: sidebarLeft.ShowPinButton = false; sidebarLeft.IsPinned = true; documentSettingsButton.Checked = false; aboutButton.Checked = true; break; } break; case "IsShown": // A button is checked only while its panel is visible documentSettingsButton.Checked = sidebarLeft.IsShown && sidebarLeft.ContentLayout == Sidebar.SidebarContentLayout.DocumentSettings; aboutButton.Checked = sidebarLeft.IsShown && sidebarLeft.ContentLayout == Sidebar.SidebarContentLayout.About; break; } } ``` The code works as follows: - `e.PropertyName` names the property that changed, as a string: `"ContentLayout"` when another panel is shown, `"IsShown"` when the sidebar is opened or closed. - `documentSettingsButton` and `aboutButton` are [RibbonToggleButton](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbontogglebutton/llms-full.txt) controls whose click handlers set `ContentLayout` and `IsShown` of the sidebar. [Checked](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms-ribbon/ribbontogglebutton/checked-property/llms-full.txt) shows them pressed. - Setting `IsPinned` to `true` together with hiding the pin button docks a panel that was open as a dialog back into the form, and users cannot undock it again. [ShowPinButton](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/showpinbutton-property/llms-full.txt), [ShowCloseButton](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/showclosebutton-property/llms-full.txt) and [ShowTitle](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/showtitle-property/llms-full.txt) switch the parts of the title bar. [TitleFont](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/titlefont-property/llms-full.txt), by default Calibri Light at 18 points, and [TitleForeColor](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/titleforecolor-property/llms-full.txt) set the look of the title. ### Show a Panel of Your Own With `ContentLayout` set to `Custom`, the sidebar shows any Windows Forms control assigned to its [Content](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-windows-forms/sidebar/content-property/llms-full.txt) property, with the same title bar, docking and dialog mode as a predefined panel. `Content` can be set only with this layout. The following code shows a user control of your application, here named `CustomerPanel`, in a sidebar: ```csharp using TXTextControl.Windows.Forms; // Show a control of your own in the sidebar sidebarLeft.ContentLayout = Sidebar.SidebarContentLayout.Custom; sidebarLeft.Content = new CustomerPanel(); sidebarLeft.Text = "Customer"; sidebarLeft.ShowPinButton = false; ``` ### Next Steps - [Track Changes](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/track-changes/llms-full.txt) and [Comments](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/comments/llms-full.txt): the features behind two of the panels. - [Form Fields and Conditional Instructions](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/form-fields/llms-full.txt): the conditional instructions panel. - [Built-in Ribbon Tabs](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/ribbon-ui/ribbon/llms-full.txt): the tabs whose buttons open the sidebars. - The blog article [Getting Started: Creating a .NET 8 Windows Forms Ribbon Application with Sidebar Support](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2024/02/28/getting-started-creating-a-net-8-windows-forms-ribbon-application-with-sidebar-support/): a ribbon application with sidebars, with screenshots. --- ## Nearby - **Previous:** [Rulers and Status Bar](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/ribbon-ui/rulers-status-bar/llms-full.txt) - **Next:** [Context Menus](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/document-editor/ribbon-ui/context-menus/llms-full.txt)