How can I increase the time a tooltip is shown in a DataGridView (VS2005 SP1)

Hi,

I don't think that is possible but why don't you disable the auto tooltips from the datagridview and add a new tooltip handled by you. That way you can define the time that is showed.

Hi,

I tried it in tow ways:
1. I added the code in the CellFormatting event
2. in the CellMouseEnter event
but in none of the ways the tooltip was shown. (The code for both ways see below)

You wrote that "the auto tooltip can be disabled from the DataGridView". Perhaps this is a necessary precondition. How can I disable it?

.. or have I implemented something else in a wrong way?

Michael


------ in CellFormatting event ------

    Private Sub DataGridView2_CellFormatting( _
        ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewCellFormattingEventArgs) _
            Handles DataGridView2.CellFormatting

        Dim strValueL As String

        If Not (e.Value Is Nothing) Then
            With Me.DataGridView2
                Select Case e.ColumnIndex
                    Case .Columns("col2_townM").Index

                        With .Rows(e.RowIndex).Cells(e.ColumnIndex)

                            strValueL = CStr(e.Value).Trim

                            ' --- ToolTip of DataGridView
                            'If strValueL = "" Then
                            '    .ToolTipText = _
                            '            "H I N T: " & vbCrLf _
                            '            & "Town is not specified yet"
                            'Else
                            '    .ToolTipText = _
                            '            "Town is " & vbCrLf _
                            '            & strValueL
                            'End If

                            ' --- Separate ToolTip
                            If strValueL = "" Then
                                Me.ToolTip.SetToolTip( _
                                        Me.DataGridView2, _
                                        "H I N T: " & vbCrLf _
                                        & "Town is not specified yet")
                            Else
                                Me.ToolTip.SetToolTip( _
                                        Me.DataGridView2, _
                                        "Town is " & vbCrLf _
                                        & strValueL)
                            End If
                        End With
                End Select
            End With
        End If

    End Sub

------ in CellMouseEnter event ------

    Private Sub DataGridView2_CellMouseEnter( _
        ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewCellEventArgs) _
            Handles DataGridView2.CellMouseEnter

        Dim strValueL As String

        Debug.Print("Cell (col, row): " & e.ColumnIndex & ", " & e.RowIndex)

        With Me.DataGridView2
            If _
                    e.ColumnIndex >= 0 AndAlso e.ColumnIndex < .Columns.Count _
                    AndAlso _
                    e.RowIndex >= 0 AndAlso e.RowIndex < .Rows.Count _
                    Then

                Select Case e.ColumnIndex
                    Case .Columns("col2_townM").Index

                        With .Rows(e.RowIndex).Cells(e.ColumnIndex)

                            If .Value IsNot Nothing Then

                                strValueL = CStr(.Value).Trim

                                If strValueL = "" Then
                                    Me.ToolTip.SetToolTip( _
                                            Me.DataGridView2, _
                                            "H I N T: " & vbCrLf _
                                            & "Town is not specified yet")
                                Else
                                    Me.ToolTip.SetToolTip( _
                                            Me.DataGridView2, _
                                            "Town is " & vbCrLf _
                                            & strValueL)
                                End If
                            End If
                        End With
                End Select
            End If
        End With
    End Sub

Hi,

First in the datagridview you have to set the ShowCellToolTips = False. Then you have to do this (just the basics):

Private tt As Tooltip

Private Sub DataGridView2_CellMouseEnter(..) ...
  If e.ColumnIndex >= 0 And e.RowIndex >= 0 Then
      tt.RemoveAll()
      tt = New ToolTip
      tt.InitialDelay = 4000
      tt.AutoPopDelay = 4000
      tt.SetToolTip(Me.DataGridView2. Me.DataGridView2(e.ColumnIndex, e.RowIndex).Value.ToString)
  Else
      tt.RemoveAll()
  End If
End Sum

I just increased the "point value" for this question. :-)

Looking forward to a solution.

Michael

But what the problem with the code I have showed you ?

Thanks for the reply. (I haven't realised that there was a new answer when I increased the point value.)

I deactivated the ToolTip of the DataGridView by "ShowCellToolTips = False".
Then, the tooltip created by "my" CellMouseEnter event showed up.

Your example contains "tt.RemoveAll() : tt = New ToolTip". Why is it necessary? The MSDN lib tells: If a message for a control is set by ToolTip.SetToolTip, this method does not add a new entry in the ToolTip if  there already exists an entry for the control. It rather replaces the message in the already existing entry.
I wonder why is it necessary to call RemoveAll and even use a new ToolTip instance before SetToolTip is called?

Michael

When you move fom a cell to another and if you dont remove the other tooltips you will have 2,3,4, ... tootips over the datagridview. Also the columnheaders and rowsheaders bellong to the datagridview. This way you must clean it when the mouse are over them.

This code works fine for and if you can I can upload a sample.

If I add a ToolTip in the designer and then always use this one I do not understand why there should be 2, 3, etc. ToolTips over the DataGridView.

So I do neither see why myToolTip = New ToolTip is needed.

And as far as  I understand the hint in the MSDN lib, there should only be one entry for the DataGridView in the ToolTip instance, independend how often myToolTip.SetToolTip(Me.DataGridView2, <new message text>) is called.

So I do neither see why myToolTip.RemoveAll is needed.

I just like to understand the details. -- Thanks in advance.
Michael

Sorry I have made some wrong copy/pastes. Actualy you don't need to create a new one everytime. In my example I had that on the form load event and the copy wrong.

But you need the RemoveAll () because not all cells are the ones you want, like the column headers.

Please check the snippet that I have attached.

Public Class Form1
 
    Private tt As ToolTip
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
 
        ' Creates a DataTable
        Dim dt As New DataTable
        dt.Columns.Add(New DataColumn("id", GetType(Integer)))
        dt.Columns.Add(New DataColumn("description", GetType(String)))
 
        Dim dr As DataRow
        For x As Byte = 0 To 50
            dr = dt.NewRow()
            dr.Item("id") = x.ToString
            dr.Item("description") = "Item " + x.ToString
            dt.Rows.Add(dr)
        Next
 
        ' Bound the DataTable to the DataGridView
        Me.DataGridView1.DataSource = dt
        Me.DataGridView1.ShowCellToolTips = False
 
        ' Creates the tooltip and definitions
        tt = New ToolTip
        With tt
            .ReshowDelay = 2000
            .InitialDelay = 1000
            .AutoPopDelay = 50000
        End With
 
    End Sub
 
 
    Private Sub DataGridView1_CellMouseEnter(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewCellEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.CellMouseEnter
        If e.ColumnIndex >= 0 And e.RowIndex >= 0 Then
            tt.SetToolTip(Me.DataGridView1, Me.DataGridView1(e.ColumnIndex, e.RowIndex).Value.ToString)
        Else
            tt.RemoveAll()
        End If
    End Sub
 
End Class

Select allOpen in new window

Thanks for the code snippet.

I have two improvements:

1. If the ToolTIp is used by other controls in the form, e.g. a tooltip message is added for a button in the designer, this tooltip message will not be shown any more, after the mouse has entered a DataGridView cell, since "ToolTip.RemoveAll" does remove *all* entries in the ToolTip. -- Solution: To use >>Me.ToolTip.SetToolTip(Me.DataGridView1, "")<<  instead of >>ToolTip.RemoveAll<<.

2. If a cell contains Nothing (instead of an empty string), the event causes an exception. -- Solution: Addition of an extra if condition.

Michael

    Private Sub DataGridView1_CellMouseEnter( _
            ByVal sender As Object, _
            ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewCellEventArgs) _
                Handles DataGridView1.CellMouseEnter
 
        Dim toolTipText As String
 
        If e.ColumnIndex >= 0 AndAlso e.RowIndex >= 0 Then
            toolTipText = ""
            If Me.DataGridView1(e.ColumnIndex, e.RowIndex).Value _
                    IsNot Nothing Then
                toolTipText = Me.DataGridView1( _
                        e.ColumnIndex, e.RowIndex).Value.ToString
            End If
            Me.ToolTip.SetToolTip(Me.DataGridView1, toolTipText)
        End If
    End Sub

Select allOpen in new window

It works fine. -- Thanks.

Michael

Futher way to use an external tooltip:

In the above mentioned way to use an external tooltip the cell is formatted in the CellFormatting event and the tooltips texts as specified in the CellMouseEnter event. Thus the implementation is separated in two different event methods. However, the format and the tooltip message often belongs together such as a neg. value in a cell should be highlighted be a red cell background and the tooltip message should tell something about the neg. sign.

There is a chance to specify the cell format and its tooltip text together in only one methode and yet show the tooltip message by an external tooltip control. You just have to set the format as well as the tooltip text in the CellFormat event as you would do if you planed to use the internal tooltip of the DataGridView (i.e. set the tooltip message by: Me.DataGridView1.Rows(e.RowIndex).Cells(e.ColumnIndex).ToolTipText = "..."). Disable the internal ToolTip  (in the designer or in the load event of the DataGridView: "Me.DataGridView1.ShowCellToolTips = False"). And add the CellMouseEnter event and just get the tooltip message specified for the cell and show it in the external tooltip (see below).

Michael


    Private Sub DataGridView1_CellMouseEnter( _
            ByVal sender As Object, _
            ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewCellEventArgs) _
                Handles DataGridView1.CellMouseEnter

        Dim toolTipTextL As String

        If Not Me.DataGridView1.ShowCellToolTips Then
            If e.ColumnIndex >= 0 AndAlso e.RowIndex >= 0 Then

                toolTipTextL = ""

                With Me.DataGridView1.Rows(e.RowIndex).Cells(e.ColumnIndex)

                    ' Take tooltip message which has been specified by the
                    ' event 'DataGridView1.CellFormatting'
                    toolTipTextL = .ToolTipText.Trim

                    ' If no tooltip message is given, take the cell contents
                    ' (to make sure that cell contents which could not be shown
                    ' in the cell completely is shown in the tooltip. If the
                    ' contents is completely visible in the cell the contents
                    ' is shown in the tooltip as well)
                    If toolTipTextL = "" AndAlso .Value IsNot Nothing Then
                        toolTipTextL = .Value.ToString
                    End If
                End With

                ' Show the tooltip message in the external ToolTip control
                Me.ToolTip.SetToolTip( _
                        Me.DataGridView1, _
                        toolTipTextL)
            End If
        End If
    End Sub

Thanks Michael  for your contribute.

I never add implemented the tootip for a datagridview (I did it for you only) and that way I was unable to test it right. Ti describe your experience is always good for other people that read this topic.

jpaulino