Get access to parent control from user control - C#

Question

How do I get access to the parent controls of user control in C# (winform). I am using the following code but it is not applicable on all types controls such as ListBox.

Answer 1

According to Ruskins answer and the comments here I came up with the following (recursive) solution:

public static T GetParentOfType<T>(this Control control) where T : class
{
    if (control?.Parent == null)
        return null;

    if (control.Parent is T parent)
        return parent;

    return GetParentOfType<T>(control.Parent);
}

Answer 2

You can use Control.Parent to get the parent of the control or Control.FindForm to get the first parent Form the control is on. There is a difference between the two in terms of finding forms, so one may be more suitable to use than the other.:

The control's Parent property value might not be the same as the Form returned by FindForm method. For example, if a RadioButton control is contained within a GroupBox control, and the GroupBox is on a Form, the RadioButton control's Parent is the GroupBox and the GroupBox control's Parent is the Form.

Answer 3

You can get the Parent of a control via

myControl.Parent

See MSDN: Control.Parent

Answer 4

Control has a property called Parent, which will give the parent control. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.forms.control.parent.aspx

eg Control p = this.Parent;

Answer 5

Description

You can get the parent control using Control.Parent.

Sample

So if you have a Control placed on a form this.Parent would be your Form.

Within your Control you can do

Form parentForm = (this.Parent as Form);

More Information

• MSDN: Control.Parent Property

Update after a comment by Farid-ur-Rahman (He was asking the question)

My Control and a listbox (listBox1) both are place on a Form (Form1). I have to add item in a listBox1 when user press a button placed in my Control.

You have two possible ways to get this done.

1. Use `Control.Parent

Sample

MyUserControl

    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (this.Parent == null || this.Parent.GetType() != typeof(MyForm))
            return;

        ListBox listBox = (this.Parent as MyForm).Controls["listBox1"] as ListBox;
        listBox.Items.Add("Test");
    }

or

2.

• put a property public MyForm ParentForm { get; set; } to your UserControl
• set the property in your Form
• assuming your ListBox is named listBox1 otherwise change the name

Sample

MyForm

public partial class MyForm : Form
{
    public MyForm()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        this.myUserControl1.ParentForm = this;
    }
}

MyUserControl

public partial class MyUserControl : UserControl
{
    public MyForm ParentForm { get; set; }

    public MyUserControl()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (ParentForm == null)
            return;

        ListBox listBox = (ParentForm.Controls["listBox1"] as ListBox);
        listBox.Items.Add("Test");

    }
}

Answer 6

If you want to get any parent by any child control you can use this code, and when you find the UserControl/Form/Panel or others you can call funnctions or set/get values:

Control myControl= this;
while (myControl.Parent != null)
{

    if (myControl.Parent!=null)
    {
        myControl = myControl.Parent;
        if  (myControl.Name== "MyCustomUserControl")
        {
            ((MyCustomUserControl)myControl).lblTitle.Text = "FOUND IT";
        }
    }

}