Dynamically changing the text of items in a Winforms ComboBox

Question

I have a Winforms ComboBox that contains instances of a custom class. When the items are first added to the Items collection of the ComboBox , the ToString method is call on each of them.

However when the user changes the language the application is running in, the result of the ToString method changes.

Therefore how can I get the ComboBox to call the ToString method on all items again without having to remove all items from the ComboBox and adding them back in?

Answer 1

Thanks svick, RefreshItems() work, however as it is protected (so can only be called by a subclass) I had to do

public class RefreshingComboBox : ComboBox
{
    public new void RefreshItem(int index)
    {
        base.RefreshItem(index);
    }

    public new void RefreshItems()
    {
        base.RefreshItems();
    }
}

I have just had to do the same for a ToolStripComboBox, however it was a bit harder as you can not subclass the Combro box it contains, I did

public class RefreshingToolStripComboBox : ToolStripComboBox
{
    // We do not want "fake" selectedIndex change events etc, subclass that overide the OnIndexChanged etc
    // will have to check InOnCultureChanged them selfs
    private bool inRefresh = false;
    public bool InRefresh { get { return inRefresh; } }

    public void Refresh()
    {
        try
        {
            inRefresh = true;

            // This is harder then it shold be, as I can't get to the Refesh method that
            // is on the embebed combro box.
            //
            // I am trying to get ToString recalled on all the items
            int selectedIndex = SelectedIndex;
            object[] items = new object[Items.Count];
            Items.CopyTo(items, 0);

            Items.Clear();

            Items.AddRange(items);
            SelectedIndex = selectedIndex;
        }
        finally
        {
            inRefresh = false;
        }
    }

    protected override void OnSelectedIndexChanged(EventArgs e)
    {
        if (!inRefresh)
        {
            base.OnSelectedIndexChanged(e);
        }
    }
}

I had to do the same trip to stop unwanted events for the normal CombroBox, by overriding OnSelectedValueChanged, OnSelectedItemChanged and OnSelectedIndexChanged, as the code is the same as for the ToolStripComboBox I have not included it here.

Answer 2

I use this extension:

        /// <summary>
        /// Recreates the items
        /// </summary>
        public static void RefreshItems(this ComboBox cb)
        {
            var selectedIndex = cb.SelectedIndex;
            cb.SelectedIndex = -1;            
            MethodInfo dynMethod = cb.GetType().GetMethod("RefreshItems", BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance);
            dynMethod.Invoke(cb, null);
            cb.SelectedIndex = selectedIndex;

        }

Answer 3

您应该可以通过调用RefreshItems()方法来完成此操作。

Answer 4

svick is right. However, as Ian Ringrose mentions, a subclass is necessary. RefreshItems is a protected method for System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox.

A Forms application below provides an example of the behavior, and the RefreshItems method updating the ComboBox:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace WindowsApplication1
{
    public class Form1 : Form
    {
        private List<HelloWorld> helloWorlds;

        #region Form1.Designer.cs
        /// <summary>
        /// Required designer variable.
        /// </summary>
        private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;

        /// <summary>
        /// Clean up any resources being used.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="disposing">true if managed resources should be disposed; otherwise, false.</param>
        protected override void Dispose( bool disposing )
        {
            if ( disposing && (components != null) )
            {
                components.Dispose();
            }
            base.Dispose( disposing );
        }

        #region Windows Form Designer generated code

        /// <summary>
        /// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
        /// the contents of this method with the code editor.
        /// </summary>
        private void InitializeComponent()
        {
            this.comboBox1 = new RefreshingComboBox();
            this.comboBox2 = new RefreshingComboBox();
            this.label1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
            this.label2 = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
            this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
            this.button2 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
            this.button3 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
            this.SuspendLayout();
            // 
            // comboBox1
            // 
            this.comboBox1.FormattingEnabled = true;
            this.comboBox1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point( 76, 12 );
            this.comboBox1.Name = "comboBox1";
            this.comboBox1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size( 115, 21 );
            this.comboBox1.TabIndex = 0;
            // 
            // comboBox2
            // 
            this.comboBox2.FormattingEnabled = true;
            this.comboBox2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point( 250, 12 );
            this.comboBox2.Name = "comboBox2";
            this.comboBox2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size( 218, 21 );
            this.comboBox2.TabIndex = 1;
            // 
            // label1
            // 
            this.label1.AutoSize = true;
            this.label1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point( 12, 15 );
            this.label1.Name = "label1";
            this.label1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size( 58, 13 );
            this.label1.TabIndex = 2;
            this.label1.Text = "Language:";
            // 
            // label2
            // 
            this.label2.AutoSize = true;
            this.label2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point( 213, 15 );
            this.label2.Name = "label2";
            this.label2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size( 31, 13 );
            this.label2.TabIndex = 3;
            this.label2.Text = "Text:";
            // 
            // button1
            // 
            this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point( 34, 42 );
            this.button1.Name = "button1";
            this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size( 75, 23 );
            this.button1.TabIndex = 4;
            this.button1.Text = "Set All";
            this.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
            this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler( this.button1_Click );
            // 
            // button2
            // 
            this.button2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point( 116, 42 );
            this.button2.Name = "button2";
            this.button2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size( 75, 23 );
            this.button2.TabIndex = 5;
            this.button2.Text = "Set Random";
            this.button2.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
            this.button2.Click += new System.EventHandler( this.button2_Click );
            // 
            // button3
            // 
            this.button3.Location = new System.Drawing.Point( 393, 42 );
            this.button3.Name = "button3";
            this.button3.Size = new System.Drawing.Size( 75, 23 );
            this.button3.TabIndex = 6;
            this.button3.Text = "Refresh!";
            this.button3.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
            this.button3.Click += new System.EventHandler( this.button3_Click );
            // 
            // Form1
            // 
            this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF( 6F, 13F );
            this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
            this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size( 556, 77 );
            this.Controls.Add( this.button3 );
            this.Controls.Add( this.button2 );
            this.Controls.Add( this.button1 );
            this.Controls.Add( this.label2 );
            this.Controls.Add( this.label1 );
            this.Controls.Add( this.comboBox2 );
            this.Controls.Add( this.comboBox1 );
            this.Name = "Form1";
            this.Text = "Form1";
            this.ResumeLayout( false );
            this.PerformLayout();

        }

        #endregion

        private System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox comboBox1;
        private System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox comboBox2;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Label label1;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Label label2;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Button button2;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Button button3;

        #endregion

        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            comboBox1.DataSource = new HelloWorld().GetLanguages();

            helloWorlds = new List<HelloWorld>();
            while ( helloWorlds.Count < 10 )
            {
                helloWorlds.Add( new HelloWorld() );
            }

            comboBox2.DataSource = helloWorlds;
        }

        [STAThread]
        static void Main()
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault( false );
            Application.Run( new Form1() );
        }

        private void changeAllLanguages()
        {
            HelloWorld.LanguageValue newLang = (HelloWorld.LanguageValue) comboBox1.SelectedValue;

            helloWorlds.ForEach(
                delegate( HelloWorld hw )
                {
                    hw.Language = newLang;
                } );

        }

        private void changeRandomLanguage()
        {
            int index = new Random().Next( helloWorlds.Count );
            HelloWorld.LanguageValue newLang = (HelloWorld.LanguageValue) comboBox1.SelectedValue;

            helloWorlds[index].Language = newLang;
        }

        private void button1_Click( object sender, EventArgs e )
        {
            changeAllLanguages();
        }

        private void button2_Click( object sender, EventArgs e )
        {
            changeRandomLanguage();
        }

        private void button3_Click( object sender, EventArgs e )
        {
            (comboBox2 as RefreshingComboBox).RefreshItems();
        }
    }

    public class RefreshingComboBox : System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox
    {
        public new void RefreshItem(int index)
        {
            base.RefreshItem(index);
        }

        public new void RefreshItems()
        {
            base.RefreshItems();
        }
    }

    public class HelloWorld
    {
        public enum LanguageValue
        {
            English,
            日本語,
            Deutsch,
            Français,
            Český
        }

        private LanguageValue language;

        public LanguageValue Language
        {
            get
            {
                return language;
            }
            set
            {
                language = value;
            }
        }

        public Array GetLanguages()
        {
            return Enum.GetValues( typeof( LanguageValue ) );
        }

        Dictionary<LanguageValue, string> helloWorlds;

        public HelloWorld()
        {
            helloWorlds = new Dictionary<LanguageValue, string>();
            helloWorlds[LanguageValue.English] = "Hello, world!";
            helloWorlds[LanguageValue.日本語] = "こんにちは、世界！";
            helloWorlds[LanguageValue.Deutsch] = "Hallo, Welt!";
            helloWorlds[LanguageValue.Français] = "Sallut, monde!";
            helloWorlds[LanguageValue.Český] = "Ahoj svět!";
        }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            return helloWorlds[language];
        }
    }
}