Calling method from a form with a different form as the argument?

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I have a color dialog, one which is used to set the BackColor of the forms, however the global method I made to set it will not accept MainForm -- my other form than the settings form -- as the Form argument for the method.

Below is my code for the button:

C#

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            AppBackgroundColorDialog.ShowDialog();
            globalvariables.DefaultBackgroundColor = AppBackgroundColorDialog.Color;
            globalvariables.SetBackColor(this);

            //Below is what's in question
            globalvariables.SetBackColor(MainForm);

            /*I also tried what is beneath this comment, which works and makes more
            sense, but results in two MainForm(s). I must also note that it does not
            appear as well as simply changing the color of the already open form 
            would.*/
            Form newmainform = new MainForm();
            globalvariables.SetBackColor(newmainform);
            newmainform.Show();
        }

Below is the code for my global variables class and the method for setting form background color (as you can undoubtedly infer):

C#

public class globalvariables
    {
        public static Color DefaultBackgroundColor = Color.FromArgb(255, 255, 255);

        public static void SetBackColor(Form form)
        {
            form.BackColor = globalvariables.DefaultBackgroundColor;
        }
    }

I realize MainForm is a type, not a variable, but I'm not sure what to do about that or how to set the background color without using closing MainForm, then reopening it with the newly set background color. Do I have to call the method from within MainForm, or is there a way to do so from SettingsForm?

Thank you in advance!

Posted 20-Nov-14 13:27pm

Logan Apple

Updated 20-Nov-14 13:29pm

v2

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Comments

Wastedtalent 25-Nov-14 7:24am

It might be that you need the using to prevent the dialog being disposed as soon as it's closed. This seems to work for me:

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}

private void btChange_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
using(ColorDialog dialog = new ColorDialog())
{
if(dialog.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
{
globalvariables.DefaultBackgroundColor = dialog.Color;
globalvariables.SetBackColor(this);

Form2 form2 = new Form2();
globalvariables.SetBackColor(form2);
form2.Show();
}
}
}
}

public class globalvariables
{
public static Color DefaultBackgroundColor = Color.FromArgb(255, 255, 255);

public static void SetBackColor(Form form)
{
form.BackColor = globalvariables.DefaultBackgroundColor;
}
}

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OriginalGriff · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-25T01:37:00

If you want to affect the current instance of the form, you just pass the current instance:

C#

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            AppBackgroundColorDialog.ShowDialog();
            globalvariables.DefaultBackgroundColor = AppBackgroundColorDialog.Color;
            globalvariables.SetBackColor(this);
        }

If what you are trying to do is alter the form that called the settings form from within the settings form, then it's more complex - and what you should do is have the settings form raise an event which the main form handles - and that changes it's own colour (or passes it's own instance to your SetBackColor method).
That sounds complicated, but it really isn't: Transferring information between two forms, Part 2: Child to Parent[^] explains how.