.NET WinForms ToolStrip alternatives

Question

I'm looking for a replacement to standard WinForms ToolStrip control, because this standard toolbar control looks outdated.

For example, DevExpress has a ribbon control, but that's not an exact equivalent.

I'm sure there must be many custom-written toolbars for WinForms, but having difficulties finding any. Although I can create my own control, it's not always the best solution.

Answer 1

The .Net ToolStrip controls can be custom rendered using a class that derives from ToolStripRenderer.

This CodeProject article shows an example of this. A custom ToolStripRenderer is provided which renders the ToolStrip controls to look as though they are part of Office 2007. The source code is available.

You can also use the old MainMenu, ContextMenu and Toolbar classes instead of the Toolstrip controls. These controls are rendered in the current operating system style.

NOTE: These are not direct replacements as they have different API's to the strip controls so if your application is already fairly far into development this won't be the easiest solution.

Answer 2

Take a look at the KryptonToolkit. It comes with Office 2007, etc, built in colour palettes that ca be used with the standard ToolStrip control by setting the RenderMode property of the ToolStrip control to 'ManagerRenderMode'.

Answer 3

Try out .NET ToolStrip Customizer. It can automatically generate color themes for ToolStrips and save them to C# files. It has presets for some common themes like Office 2077, Office XP, etc.