Question

How do I focus a TextBox element on the main form after closing a second form which is opened by calling ShowDialog()?

I have tried to call MainForm.TextBox.Focus() in the closing and closed event of the second form, but this won’t focus the textbox.

I am using System.Windows.Forms on the compact framework.

Thanks.

Answer 1

From your second form, make a button (or another control) return a DialogResult by going into Properties. When you want the second form to close (ie after you press a button) make it return a specific DialogResult. In your main form you can do this:

if(secondform.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
{
    textBox.Focus();
    ...
}

Calling ShowDialog() will block until it is closed so you could simply do:

secondform.ShowDialog();
textbox.Focus()

However the first example is for when you only want to make the textbox have focus after you press a certain button or do an action on the second form.