How to double buffer .NET controls on a form?

Question

How can I set the protected DoubleBuffered property of the controls on a form that are suffering from flicker?

Answer 1

You can also inherit the controls into your own classes, and set the property in there. This method is also nice if you tend to be doing a lot of set up that is the same on all of the controls.

Answer 2

I have found that simply setting the DoubleBuffered setting on the form automatically sets all the properties listed here.

Answer 3

vb.net version of this fine solution....:

Protected Overrides ReadOnly Property CreateParams() As CreateParams
    Get
        Dim cp As CreateParams = MyBase.CreateParams
        cp.ExStyle = cp.ExStyle Or &H2000000
        Return cp
    End Get
End Property

Answer 4

This caused me a lot of grief for two days with a third party control until I tracked it down.

protected override CreateParams CreateParams
{
    get
    {
        CreateParams cp = base.CreateParams;
        cp.ExStyle |= 0x02000000;
        return cp;
    }
}

I recently had a lot of holes (droppings) when re-sizing / redrawing a control containing several other controls.

I tried WS_EX_COMPOSITED and WM_SETREDRAW but nothing worked until I used this:

private void myPanel_SizeChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
     Application.DoEvents();
}

Just wanted to pass it on.

Answer 5

System.Reflection.PropertyInfo aProp = typeof(System.Windows.Forms.Control)
    .GetProperty("DoubleBuffered", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic |
    System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance);
aProp.SetValue(ListView1, true, null);

Ian has some more information about using this on a terminal server.

Answer 6

Extension method to turn double buffering on or off for controls

public static class ControlExtentions
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Turn on or off control double buffering (Dirty hack!)
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="control">Control to operate</param>
    /// <param name="setting">true to turn on double buffering</param>
    public static void MakeDoubleBuffered(this Control control, bool setting)
    {
        Type controlType = control.GetType();
        PropertyInfo pi = controlType.GetProperty("DoubleBuffered", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic);
        pi.SetValue(control, setting, null);
    }
}

Usage (for example how to make DataGridView DoubleBuffered):

DataGridView _grid = new DataGridView();
//  ...
_grid.MakeDoubleBuffered(true);