Question

I have datagridviews on windows form, i am adding records to datagridview using small add dialogs, i want them to animate in, when the user presses the button on which they are loaded. I am using

 [DllImport("user32")]
        static extern bool AnimateWindow(IntPtr hwnd, int time, int flags);

Source: http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/kirtan007/761/

The Dialogs are animating in but at the top left of the screen. I am using belowcode on the Load event of the add dialog:

//Set the Location  negative values are being returned when my dialog appears
                this.Location = new Point(LocationMainX + WidthOfMain, locationMainy + 10);

                //Animate form
                AnimateWindow(this.Handle, 750, AW_SLIDE | AW_HOR_POSITIVE);

In the Parent form i am passing its location to child add form

AddForm form = new AddForm (this.DesktopLocation)
form.ShowDialog(); //I have also noticed doing form.Show(); messes with the position of dialog

My Main Form loads within another form so I am guessing it is returning relative location. But i tried:

AddForm form = new AddForm (this.Parent.DesktopLocation)
    form.ShowDialog();

this doesnt return negative values but returns (0,24) which is also incorrect. as dialog is animating about 150 pixels above parent form.

when i set the form relative too this.Parent.Parent.Location then it appears right, so i guess is there any formal way of accessing the root parent of an application rather than doing this.parent.parent…..

Answer 1

Per your edit, you can just use this.ParentForm instead of this.Parent. Check for null, just in case, etc.

Update:

Not really sure where you want this form to show up. Maybe just use some pinvoke:

using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
static extern bool GetWindowRect(HandleRef hWnd, out RECT lpRect);

[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
public struct RECT
{
  public int Left;
  public int Top;
  public int Right;
  public int Bottom;
}

And then to show the form:

RECT fromRECT;
GetWindowRect(new HandleRef(this, button1.Handle), out fromRECT);
form.Location = new Point(fromRECT.Left + (fromRECT.Right - fromRECT.Left), fromRECT.Top);
form.Show();

The form will show up to the right of the button.