Question

i have a pretty simple rectangluar WinForm that uses timers to check the end content of a number of files. Works fine.

Now, the list of files to check is dynamic. Could be 3. could be 30. It dependant upon some value in the database, which i check regularly. That’s also fine.

What I wish to do is visual this, on my winform. For each file, have a red circle. when the file is being ‘checked’, show that circle as green. once finished, red again.

1. How can i programatically display a row (or rows) of this circle? I know the width of the form, if that helps. Remember, i have no idea how many to display if i drag/drop them onto the designer. I need to be able to do this dynamically 🙂
2. How can i switch/flip this circle from red to green and later green to red?
3. What is the circle? a custom image (eg. png) i make in MSPaint and add it to the project as an embedded resource?

Cheers!

Answer 1

1. Create each control object, set its properties, then add it to the Controls collection of the parent container (e.g. the form). You could either (a) manually work out the coordinates of each new control based on the last one added, or (b) put them inside a FlowLayoutPanel.
2. You should be able to just change the relevant property value of the control as and when required (depending on how you choose to implement the circle).
3. You could either use an image resource as you suggest, or draw it yourself using the Graphics object.