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How do I place a label behind a label

I want to place one label behind the other so that I will get a shadowed effect. In Access, I was able to make the background of a two labels transparent and I would place the blue text label in on top of a white text label to get a shadowed effect for a label. I am having difficulty getting the desired effect.

Can this be done on a form in VB.NET in Visual Studio 2008? Is there a way to simply get a shadowed effect to text in another way?

Thanks,
Lenny Gray

Jaime Olivares

I think this requirement deserves a custom control, inherited from the regular Label control.
You have to override the OnPaint event.

Jorge Paulino

You can do this in the Paint event of the label:

Private Sub Label1_Paint(...) Handles Label1.Paint
   e.Graphics.DrawString(Label1.Text, Label1.Font, Brushes.Blue, 2, 2) ' you have to play with this values
End Sub

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LennyGray

ASKER

Can you give me sample code for the custom control?

I use this technique quite frequently in my Access applications and I'd like to start building a library of routines to call.

Your code would be both educational and functional.

Please assume nothing in your example because I am a VBA programmer with a lot of experience but I am very new to VB.NET. I will need a lot of "hand-holding" while I learn this language.

Thanks.

Lenny

Jaime Olivares

put the following code in a separated vb file, at your designer's toolbox a new custom control should appear, use it as a regular label

Imports System.Windows.Forms
 
Public Class ShadowLabel
    Inherits Label
 
    Private BackBrush As Brush
 
    Protected Overrides Sub OnCreateControl()
        MyBase.OnCreateControl()
        BackBrush = New SolidBrush(Me.BackColor)
    End Sub
 
    Protected Overrides Sub OnBackColorChanged(ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
        MyBase.OnBackColorChanged(e)
        BackBrush.Dispose()
        BackBrush = New SolidBrush(Me.BackColor)
    End Sub
 
    Protected Overrides Sub OnPaint(ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs)
        Dim r As RectangleF = e.ClipRectangle
        Dim sf As New StringFormat
 
        Select Case Me.TextAlign
            Case ContentAlignment.BottomCenter
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Far
            Case ContentAlignment.BottomLeft
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Near
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Far
            Case ContentAlignment.BottomRight
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Far
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Far
            Case ContentAlignment.MiddleCenter
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
            Case ContentAlignment.MiddleLeft
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Near
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
            Case ContentAlignment.MiddleRight
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Far
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
            Case ContentAlignment.TopCenter
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
            Case ContentAlignment.TopLeft
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Near
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
            Case ContentAlignment.TopRight
                sf.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Far
                sf.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
        End Select
 
        e.Graphics.FillRectangle(Me.BackBrush, e.ClipRectangle)
        e.Graphics.DrawString(Me.Text, Me.Font, Brushes.White, r, sf)
        r.Offset(-1, -1)
        e.Graphics.DrawString(Me.Text, Me.Font, Brushes.Blue, r, sf)
    End Sub
End Class

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LennyGray

ASKER

What do you mean by "put the following code in a separated vb file, at your designer's toolbox a new custom control should appear, use it as a regular label".

I put this into a class in my application but it did not show up in the toolbox, so I am doing something dumb.

Sorry for my lack of experience with this.

Lenny

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Jaime Olivares

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LennyGray

ASKER

Thanks...It worked!!

I did not know to add it to the project.

I have a long way to go.

Thanks again!

Lenny Gray