WinForms: Is there a concept of associating a label with a textbox?

Question

I\'m using Visual Studio 2010 with C#. Is there a concept in Windows Forms development of somehow linking a label with is text box? Something so that they move together as

Answer 1

This is my solution, using a TableLayoutPanel to place label and input control,

Presetted some useful properties:

• Auto size label by content
• Label margin top for vertical-align:middle like style
• Fill remain space by input control

Preview

The code may need further wrap

internal class TextBoxField : TableLayoutPanel
{
    private readonly TextBox _textBox;

    public string Text
    {
        get => _textBox.Text;
        set => _textBox.Text = value;
    }

    public TextBoxField(string labelText)
    {
        var label = new Label { Text = labelText, AutoSize = true };
        var labelMargin = label.Margin;
        labelMargin.Top = 8;
        label.Margin = labelMargin;
        _textBox = new TextBox { Dock = DockStyle.Fill };

        AutoSize = true;

        ColumnCount = 2;
        RowCount = 1;
        ColumnStyles.Add(new ColumnStyle());
        ColumnStyles.Add(new ColumnStyle(SizeType.Percent, 100F));
        RowStyles.Add(new RowStyle());
        Controls.Add(label, 0, 0);
        Controls.Add(_textBox, 1, 0);
    }
}

internal class DateTimePickerField : TableLayoutPanel
{
    private readonly DateTimePicker _dateTimePicker;

    public DateTime Value
    {
        get => _dateTimePicker.Value;
        set => _dateTimePicker.Value = value;
    }

    public DateTimePickerField(string labelText)
    {
        var label = new Label { Text = labelText, AutoSize = true };
        var labelMargin = label.Margin;
        labelMargin.Top = 8;
        label.Margin = labelMargin;
        _dateTimePicker = new DateTimePicker { Dock = DockStyle.Fill };

        AutoSize = true;

        ColumnCount = 2;
        RowCount = 1;
        ColumnStyles.Add(new ColumnStyle());
        ColumnStyles.Add(new ColumnStyle(SizeType.Percent, 100F));
        RowStyles.Add(new RowStyle());
        Controls.Add(label, 0, 0);
        Controls.Add(_dateTimePicker, 1, 0);
    }
}

Useage:

var frm = new Form
{
    AutoSize = true,
    StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterParent,
    Text = "Assoc Device",
};

var txtGpsCode = new TextBoxField("GpsCode") { Dock = DockStyle.Bottom, TabIndex = 1 };
var dtp = new DateTimePickerField("Expire date") { Dock = DockStyle.Bottom, TabIndex = 2 };
var button = new Button { Text = "OK", DialogResult = DialogResult.OK, Dock = DockStyle.Bottom };

frm.Controls.Add(txtGpsCode);
frm.Controls.Add(dtp);
frm.Controls.Add(button);

frm.AcceptButton = button;

frm.Height = 0;

frm.ShowDialog();