Feature request: a better RichTextBox

In the past two days, I've run up against several major limitations with the
Framework RichTextBox (I'm sure there are others):

1. There's no Framework way to assign custom borders, and the FlatStyle
border doesn't work properly (it draws a flat border around a 3D border --
go figure.) Your only option is the 3D border, which looks very dated and
clashes with the Win XP styles. You can't even draw a custom border by
handling the OnPaint event, because doing so prevents the text from
displaying. The only alternatives are various API hacks and complex
Framework workarounds.

2. The RichTextBox doesn't allow for embedding "helper" URL's, in which a
friendly name or phrase is underlined instead of a URL. (Something that
both the LinkLabel control and the underlying CRichEditCtrl20 control can
do.)

3. There's no Framework method to prevent the RichTextBox from receiving
the focus and displaying a caret. There are only clunky workarounds, none
of which really works. (Disabling the RTF box, which changes its background
color and (AFAIK) prevents the user from interacting with the scrollbars,
using the NoCaret API, which must be resent frequently because it won't
"stick", or programmatically changing the focus whenever the RTF box
receives the focus.)

This inflexibility makes using the RichTextBox a bit like buying a Model T
Ford -- "you can have any color, as long as it's black." It seems very
unlike the other Framework controls, which tend to be much more flexible and
robust.

Does Microsoft have any plans to improve the RichTextBox with Whidbey? If
not, could the Whidbey team please consider this?

Many thanks,
Robert Jacobson

Thomas
Wed Sep 10 07:08:59 CDT 2003

The RichTextBox has been slightly improved by each new OS release, but don't
expect a full featured word processor from it.
If you need advanced features, a 3rd party control is needed. Take a look at
TX Text Control: http://www.textcontrol.com/


"Robert Jacobson" <rjacobson_at_oddpost_com@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:uJ0fI90dDHA.1532@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> In the past two days, I've run up against several major limitations with
the
> Framework RichTextBox (I'm sure there are others):
>
> 1. There's no Framework way to assign custom borders, and the FlatStyle
> border doesn't work properly (it draws a flat border around a 3D border --
> go figure.) Your only option is the 3D border, which looks very dated and
> clashes with the Win XP styles. You can't even draw a custom border by
> handling the OnPaint event, because doing so prevents the text from
> displaying. The only alternatives are various API hacks and complex
> Framework workarounds.
>
> 2. The RichTextBox doesn't allow for embedding "helper" URL's, in which a
> friendly name or phrase is underlined instead of a URL. (Something that
> both the LinkLabel control and the underlying CRichEditCtrl20 control can
> do.)
>
> 3. There's no Framework method to prevent the RichTextBox from receiving
> the focus and displaying a caret. There are only clunky workarounds, none
> of which really works. (Disabling the RTF box, which changes its
background
> color and (AFAIK) prevents the user from interacting with the scrollbars,
> using the NoCaret API, which must be resent frequently because it won't
> "stick", or programmatically changing the focus whenever the RTF box
> receives the focus.)
>
> This inflexibility makes using the RichTextBox a bit like buying a Model T
> Ford -- "you can have any color, as long as it's black." It seems very
> unlike the other Framework controls, which tend to be much more flexible
and
> robust.
>
> Does Microsoft have any plans to improve the RichTextBox with Whidbey? If
> not, could the Whidbey team please consider this?
>
> Many thanks,
> Robert Jacobson
>
>

Robert
Wed Sep 10 12:20:24 CDT 2003

Good suggestion, However, I don't want or need full-featured word
processor -- I just need a lightweight component to display read-only
RichText. What I'm asking for isn't a Microsoft Word-caliber replacement,
but just fixes to the numerous quirks of the RichTextBox that make it
difficult to use.


"Thomas" <nospam@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:%23BP%23SR5dDHA.2312@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> The RichTextBox has been slightly improved by each new OS release, but
don't
> expect a full featured word processor from it.
> If you need advanced features, a 3rd party control is needed. Take a look
at
> TX Text Control: http://www.textcontrol.com/
>
>
> "Robert Jacobson" <rjacobson_at_oddpost_com@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:uJ0fI90dDHA.1532@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> > In the past two days, I've run up against several major limitations with
> the
> > Framework RichTextBox (I'm sure there are others):
> >
> > 1. There's no Framework way to assign custom borders, and the FlatStyle
> > border doesn't work properly (it draws a flat border around a 3D
border --
> > go figure.) Your only option is the 3D border, which looks very dated
and
> > clashes with the Win XP styles. You can't even draw a custom border by
> > handling the OnPaint event, because doing so prevents the text from
> > displaying. The only alternatives are various API hacks and complex
> > Framework workarounds.
> >
> > 2. The RichTextBox doesn't allow for embedding "helper" URL's, in which
a
> > friendly name or phrase is underlined instead of a URL. (Something that
> > both the LinkLabel control and the underlying CRichEditCtrl20 control
can
> > do.)
> >
> > 3. There's no Framework method to prevent the RichTextBox from
receiving
> > the focus and displaying a caret. There are only clunky workarounds,
none
> > of which really works. (Disabling the RTF box, which changes its
> background
> > color and (AFAIK) prevents the user from interacting with the
scrollbars,
> > using the NoCaret API, which must be resent frequently because it won't
> > "stick", or programmatically changing the focus whenever the RTF box
> > receives the focus.)
> >
> > This inflexibility makes using the RichTextBox a bit like buying a Model
T
> > Ford -- "you can have any color, as long as it's black." It seems very
> > unlike the other Framework controls, which tend to be much more flexible
> and
> > robust.
> >
> > Does Microsoft have any plans to improve the RichTextBox with Whidbey?
If
> > not, could the Whidbey team please consider this?
> >
> > Many thanks,
> > Robert Jacobson
> >
> >
>
>