MDI Form with a ToolStripContainer

"I was not able to get tool bars to dock without the use of the ToolStripContainer so how can I get all of this to work?"

A ToolStripContainer is designed to take up the ENTIRE container area which is why your MdiChildren are not visible.

Remove the ToolStripContainer and a standard Toolstrip should Dock across the Top of your MdiParent.

If that doesn't help then please elaborate on what you're attempting to build.  A picture might be helpful in showing what does or does not work...

You need to add the MDI children to the ContentPanel, not the Parent form...

    ToolStripContainer1.ContentPanel.Controls.Add(ChildForm)

Wayne

If you're going to do as Wayne suggests, you must first set the TopLevel() property of your children to False:

    Private Sub ToolStripButton1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ToolStripButton1.Click
        Dim child As New frmChild
        child.TopLevel = False
        ToolStripContainer1.ContentPanel.Controls.Add(child)
        child.Show()
    End Sub

Select allOpen in new window

Thanks, but thoise suggestions did not seem to help. I applied them to my code (below) without any luck.

Private Sub MenuTools_Options_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
                    Handles MenuTools_Options.Click
Try
            Dim LoadIt As Boolean = True

            For Each frm As Form In Me.MdiChildren
                       If frm.Name.ToLower = "frmoptions" Then
                               LoadIt = False
                               Exit For
                      End If
            Next

             If LoadIt Then
                        Dim frm As New frmOptions
                                     ' Me.ToolStripContainer1.Visible = False      (IF I TURN THIS OFF THE FORM IS VISIBLE BEFORE THE SUGGESTION)
                        If My.Settings.MenuView_ToolBars_Visible Then
                                   frm.TopLevel = False
                                   Me.ToolStripContainer1.ContentPanel.Controls.Add(frm)     '  (DOING THIS NOW STILL DOES NOT SHOW THE FORM)
                        Else
                                   frm.MdiParent = Me
                       End If

                       frm.Show()
             Else
                       For Each childForm As Form In Me.MdiChildren
                                   If TypeName(childForm).ToLower = "frmoptions" Then
                                              childForm.Activate()
                                               Exit For
                                  End If
                       Next
            End If
Catch ex As Exception
                MsgBox("Unable to open the requested form. The problem was:" & vbCr & vbCr & ex.Message)
End Try

End Sub

Please post a screen shot of your form...

Better yet, zip up the project and change the extension to .txt so you can upload it here.

Okay. Here is the image. This is VB.Net 2010.
OptionFormNotVisiblewithToolStri.JPG

Part two with the form seen and the ToolStripContainer not Visible.
OptionFormVisiblewithToolStripCo.JPG

So the shown child tool bars need to be docked individually? How would this be done so that the user can move them to a different location? Also, when docking at the bottom, and I have a status bar, would the tool bar be above the status bar? Also, would this allow floating tools bar somehow?
 
Can you provide an example in VB>Net?
 
Thank

Thanks, I found my question on the net.