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.NET Development
.NET Framework 3.5
Application Class
 EnableVisualStyles Method
This page is specific to
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008/.NET Framework 3.5

Other versions are also available for the following:
.NET Framework Class Library
Application..::.EnableVisualStyles Method

Updated: November 2007

Enables visual styles for the application.

Namespace:  System.Windows.Forms
Assembly:  System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)

Visual Basic (Declaration)
Public Shared Sub EnableVisualStyles
Visual Basic (Usage)
Application.EnableVisualStyles()
C#
public static void EnableVisualStyles()
Visual C++
public:
static void EnableVisualStyles()
J#
public static void EnableVisualStyles()
JScript
public static function EnableVisualStyles()

This method enables visual styles for the application. Controls will draw with visual styles if the control and the operating system support it. To have an effect, EnableVisualStyles()()() must be called before creating any controls in the application; typically, EnableVisualStyles()()() is the first line in the Main function. A separate manifest is not required to enable visual styles when calling EnableVisualStyles()()().

Note:

Prior to the .NET Framework 2.0, the FlatStyle property of some controls, such as controls that derive from ButtonBase, had to be set to FlatStyle..::.System in order for the controls to be drawn with visual styles. In applications written with the .NET Framework 2.0, this is no longer necessary.

Note:

This method will have no effect for controls hosted in Internet Explorer.

Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows Server 2003 Platform Note:

Visual styles are only supported on these platforms.

The following code example demonstrates calling EnableVisualStyles in the Main function to enable visual styles for the application.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Windows.Forms

Namespace VStyles

    ' Summary description for Form1.
    Public Class Form1
        Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

        Private button1 As System.Windows.Forms.Button

        <System.STAThread()> _
        Public Shared Sub Main()

            System.Windows.Forms.Application.EnableVisualStyles()
            System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run(New Form1)
        End Sub 'Main

        Public Sub New()

            Me.button1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
            Me.button1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(24, 16)
            Me.button1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(120, 100)
            Me.button1.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.System
            Me.button1.Text = "I am themed."

            ' Sets up how the form should be displayed and adds the controls to the form.
            Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(300, 286)
            Me.Controls.Add(Me.button1)

            Me.Text = "Application.EnableVisualStyles Example"
        End Sub 'New 

    End Class 'Form1
End Namespace 'VStyles

C#
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace VStyles
{
    public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form
    {

        private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;

        [STAThread]
        static void Main() 
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.Run(new Form1());
        }

        public Form1()
        {
            this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
            this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(24, 16);
            this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(120, 100);
            this.button1.FlatStyle = FlatStyle.System;
            this.button1.Text = "I am themed.";

            // Sets up how the form should be displayed and adds the controls to the form.
            this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(300, 286);
            this.Controls.Add(this.button1);

            this.Text = "Application.EnableVisualStyles Example";

        }
    }
}

Visual C++
#using <System.dll>
#using <System.Windows.Forms.dll>
#using <System.Drawing.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Drawing;
using namespace System::Windows::Forms;

namespace VStyles
{
   public ref class Form1: public System::Windows::Forms::Form
   {
   private:
      System::Windows::Forms::Button^ button1;

   public:
      Form1()
      {
         this->button1 = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button;
         this->button1->Location = System::Drawing::Point( 24, 16 );
         this->button1->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 120, 100 );
         this->button1->FlatStyle = FlatStyle::System;
         this->button1->Text = "I am themed.";

         // Sets up how the form should be displayed and adds the controls to the form.
         this->ClientSize = System::Drawing::Size( 300, 286 );
         this->Controls->Add( this->button1 );
         this->Text = "Application::EnableVisualStyles Example";
      }

   };

}


[STAThread]
int main()
{
   Application::EnableVisualStyles();
   Application::Run( gcnew VStyles::Form1 );
}


J#
package VStyles;

import System.*;
import System.Drawing.*;
import System.Windows.Forms.*;

public class Form1 extends System.Windows.Forms.Form
{
    private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;

    /** @attribute STAThread()
     */
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.Run(new Form1());
    } //main

    public Form1()
    {
        this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
        this.button1.set_Location(new System.Drawing.Point(24, 16));
        this.button1.set_Size(new System.Drawing.Size(120, 100));
        this.button1.set_FlatStyle(FlatStyle.System);
        this.button1.set_Text("I am themed.");
        // Sets up how the form should be displayed and adds the controls 
        // to the form.
        this.set_ClientSize(new System.Drawing.Size(300, 286));
        this.get_Controls().Add(this.button1);

        this.set_Text("Application.EnableVisualStyles Example");
    } //Form1 
} //Form1

Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1
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