How to add a context menu using the Visual Studio Integration tools

In this topic

• Adding a context menu using an ArcGIS item template
• Displaying the custom context menu

Adding a context menu using an ArcGIS item template

1. Add a context menu item to your project - You can define a custom context menu for an ArcGIS Engine application by selecting the Context Menu template on the Add New Item dialog box. For more information about accessing the Add New Item dialog box in Visual Studio, see Using item templates to extend ArcObjects. 
   
   The item template is located under the ArcGIS node on the Categories pane. Click Add to add a class to your project that has the context menu template code. The class name (EngineContextMenu1.cs) is the same as the file name defined on the Add New Item dialog box.
   
   The following screen shot shows the Add New Item dialog box with the current project in C#:
   
   

public class EngineContextMenu1
{
    ... public void SetHook(object hook)
    {
        m_toolbarMenu=new ToolbarMenuClass();
        m_toolbarMenu.SetHook(hook);
        //
        // TODO: Define context menu items here.
        //
        AddItem(new Guid("B100C679-76C5-410D-BC8D-AE9E7882A80F"),  - 1); 
            //Add data command.
        BeginGroup();
        AddItem("esriControls.ControlsMapZoomOutFixedCommand",  - 1);
        AddItem("esriControls.ControlsMapZoomInFixedCommand",  - 1);
    }
    ...
}

Public Class EngineContextMenu1
    ...

    Public Sub SetHook(ByVal hook As Object)
        m_toolbarMenu=New ToolbarMenuClass()
        m_toolbarMenu.SetHook(hook)
        '
        ' TODO: Define context menu items here.
        '
        AddItem(New Guid("B100C679-76C5-410D-BC8D-AE9E7882A80F"), -1) 'Add data command.
        BeginGroup()
        AddItem("esriControls.ControlsMapZoomOutFixedCommand", -1)
        AddItem("esriControls.ControlsMapZoomInFixedCommand", -1)
    End Sub

    ...
End Class

Displaying the custom context menu

1. Create and design a form - Create and design a form that houses the ArcGIS Engine control (the hook object) to be associated with the custom context menu. A context menu is typically associated with one of the following ArcGIS Engine controls:
   • MapControl
   • PageLayoutControl
   • TOCControl
   • ToolbarControl
   • GlobeControl
   • SceneControl
   • SymbologyControl

The following screen shot shows the available ArcGIS Engine controls in Visual Studio's toolbox. Drag and drop these controls onto your form from the ArcGIS Windows Forms list in the toolbox.

2. Declare and instantiate the custom context menu - This is typically done in the form class where the associated control is placed. See the following code example:

public partial class Form1: Form
{
    //Declare the menu class as a member variable.
    private EngineContextMenu1 m_contextMenu=new EngineContextMenu1();
    ...
}

Public Class Form1
    'Declare the menu class as a member variable.
    Private m_contextMenu As New EngineContextMenu1()
    ...
End Class

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //Pass MapControl as the hook. 
    m_contextMenu.SetHook(axMapControl1.Object);
}

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    'Pass MapControl as the hook.
    m_contextMenu.SetHook(axMapControl1.Object)
End Sub

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //Pass the ToolbarControl's buddy as the hook. 
    IToolbarControl toolbarControl=(IToolbarControl)axToolbarControl1.Object;
    m_contextMenu.SetHook(toolbarControl.Buddy);

    //Get the IToolbarMenu2 interface from the custom context menu.
    IToolbarMenu2 toolbarMenu=m_contextMenu.ContextMenu;
    toolbarMenu.CommandPool=toolbarControl.CommandPool;
}

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    'Pass the ToolbarControl's buddy as the hook.
    Dim toolbarControl As IToolbarControl=DirectCast(axToolbarControl1.Object, IToolbarControl)
    m_contextMenu.SetHook(toolbarControl.Buddy)
    
    'Get the IToolbarMenu2 interface from the custom context menu.
    Dim toolbarMenu As IToolbarMenu2=m_contextMenu.ContextMenu
    toolbarMenu.CommandPool=toolbarControl.CommandPool
End Sub

private void axMapControl1_OnMouseDown(object sender,
    IMapControlEvents2_OnMouseDownEvent e)
{
    //Show the context menu when the user right-clicks.
    if (e.button == 2)
        m_contextMenu.PopupMenu(e.x, e.y, axMapControl1.hWnd);
}

Private Sub AxMapControl1_OnMouseDown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As ESRI.ArcGIS.Controls.IMapControlEvents2_OnMouseDownEvent) Handles axMapControl1.OnMouseDown
    'Show the context menu when the user right-clicks.
    If e.button=2 Then
        m_contextMenu.PopupMenu(e.x, e.y, axMapControl1.hWnd)
    End If
End Sub

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