how to link/set the ENTER to a function in winforms without relation to a Textbox control?

Question

I'm using Winforms.

I've a screen approx. 10 fields. and a Update button. But I don't want to use neither show on screen a button (btnUpdate).

I just want to show the the fields, they can change some values and by pressing the enter it should execute a function in code behind.

I googled and find some solutions like KeyPress on TextBox or whatever, but I don't want to link this to a TextBox. Then I found form.Acceptbutton = btnUpdate... but then I have to use a button on my designer.

so how can I make a situtation by not USING a Button control to do an update (in other words executing function in code-behind by pressing the Enter Key).

Take a look in here http://stackoverflow.com/questions/400113/best-way-to-implement-keyboard-shortcuts-in-a-windows-forms-application — Agustin Meriles, Mar 26 '13 at 14:21
Do you have an adversion to making the button not visible and using it in that sense? If not, you would have to create a button programmatically, but never add it to then controls of the form and then link to the acceptbutton property. I have never done this my self, so I could be wrong... — Justin, Mar 26 '13 at 14:22
Well, you know that you are supposed to press Enter. Exactly how would a regular user discover this? He'll just click the Close button in despair. Create usable UI, an OK button is boilerplate. — Hans Passant, Mar 26 '13 at 17:16

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 26 '13 at 14:25

Try overriding the ProcessCmdKey

protected override bool ProcessCmdKey(ref Message msg, Keys keyData)
{
    if (keyData == Keys.Return)
    {
        //Raise Update Event
        return true;
    }
    else if (keyData == Keys.Escape)
    {
        //Raise Cancel Event
        return true;
    }
    return base.ProcessCmdKey(ref msg, keyData);
}

how to link/set the ENTER to a function in winforms without relation to a Textbox control?

1 Answers1