Implementing Office2007Form
The Syncfusion Office2007Form is an advanced Windows Forms control that provides Microsoft Office 2007/2010-inspired UI and appearance. It transforms standard forms into modern, visually appealing interfaces with built-in color schemes, caption customization, and Office-style theming.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Create Windows Forms with Microsoft Office 2007/2010 appearance
- Apply built-in color schemes (Blue, Silver, Black, Managed)
- Customize form caption bar (alignment, font, color, height)
- Add Office-style visual polish to desktop applications
- Implement modern form UI without custom drawing code
- Support theming and visual consistency across application
- Replace standard Windows Forms with enhanced appearance
- Add rounded corners support (Windows 11)
- Configure RTL (right-to-left) layout for internationalization
Component Overview
Office2007Form replaces the standard System.Windows.Forms.Form by inheritance, providing:
- Built-in Themes: Blue, Silver, Black, and Managed color schemes
- Caption Customization: Full control over caption bar appearance
- Modern Appearance: Office 2007 inspired visual design
- Easy Integration: Simple inheritance model, minimal code changes
- AeroTheme Support: Compatible with Windows Vista/7 Aero effects
- Advanced Features: RTL support, rounded corners (Windows 11), style toggling
Package Requirements
Required Package:
- Syncfusion.Shared.Base - Contains Office2007Form control and core functionality
Installation via NuGet:
Install-Package Syncfusion.Shared.BaseOr use Visual Studio's NuGet Package Manager to search for "Syncfusion.Shared.Base"
Required Assembly Reference:
Syncfusion.Shared.Base.dll
Required Namespace:
using Syncfusion.Windows.Forms;Documentation and Navigation Guide
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
- Assembly deployment and NuGet package installation
- Required dependencies and assembly references
- Namespace imports and basic setup
- Converting standard Form to Office2007Form
- Inheriting from Office2007Form class
- First render and initial configuration
Color Schemes and Theming
📄 Read: references/color-schemes.md
- Available color schemes (Blue, Silver, Black, Managed)
- Setting ColorScheme property
- Applying managed colors with custom color
- Background color synchronization with scheme
- AeroTheme support and configuration
- UseOffice2007SchemeBackColor property
- Theme compatibility across OS versions
Caption Customization
📄 Read: references/caption-customization.md
- Caption text alignment (left, center, right)
- Custom caption font configuration
- Caption text color customization
- Caption bar height adjustment
- Retaining height in maximized mode
- Help button support in caption bar
Advanced Features
📄 Read: references/advanced-features.md
- Right-to-left (RTL) layout support
- Rounded corners for Windows 11
- Disabling Office2007 style when needed
- OS compatibility and version requirements
- Edge cases and platform limitations
Quick Start Example
Prerequisites:
- Install
Syncfusion.Shared.BaseNuGet package - Reference
Syncfusion.Shared.Base.dllin your project - Add
using Syncfusion.Windows.Forms;namespace
Basic Office2007Form Setup
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using Syncfusion.Windows.Forms; // Required: Syncfusion.Shared.Base package
namespace MyApplication
{
// Inherit from Office2007Form instead of Form
public partial class MainForm : Office2007Form
{
public MainForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
// Set basic properties
this.Text = "My Office 2007 Application";
this.Size = new Size(800, 600);
// Apply Blue color scheme
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Blue;
// Optional: Use scheme background color
this.UseOffice2007SchemeBackColor = true;
}
}
}With Caption Customization
public partial class CustomForm : Office2007Form
{
public CustomForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Text = "Customized Office Form";
// Apply color scheme
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Silver;
// Customize caption
this.CaptionAlign = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
this.CaptionFont = new Font("Segoe UI", 12F, FontStyle.Bold);
this.CaptionForeColor = Color.DarkBlue;
this.CaptionBarHeight = 40;
}
}With Managed Color Scheme
public partial class ManagedColorForm : Office2007Form
{
public CustomForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Text = "Custom Color Theme";
// Apply managed scheme with custom color
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Managed;
Office2007Colors.ApplyManagedColors(this, Color.DarkMagenta);
this.UseOffice2007SchemeBackColor = true;
}
}Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Standard Office Theme Form
Most common use case - apply built-in Office theme:
public class MyForm : Office2007Form
{
public MyForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Text = "My Application";
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Blue; // or Silver, Black
this.UseOffice2007SchemeBackColor = true;
}
}Pattern 2: Custom Caption Appearance
Customize caption bar for branding:
public class BrandedForm : Office2007Form
{
public BrandedForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
// Apply theme
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Black;
// Brand the caption
this.CaptionAlign = HorizontalAlignment.Center;
this.CaptionFont = new Font("Arial", 14F, FontStyle.Bold);
this.CaptionForeColor = Color.Gold;
this.CaptionBarHeight = 45;
this.CaptionBarHeightMode =
Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Enums.CaptionBarHeightMode.SameAlwaysOnMaximize;
}
}Pattern 3: Custom Managed Color
Use your brand color:
public class CustomBrandForm : Office2007Form
{
public CustomBrandForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Text = "Brand Color Application";
// Use company brand color
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Managed;
Color brandColor = Color.FromArgb(0, 120, 215); // Custom blue
Office2007Colors.ApplyManagedColors(this, brandColor);
this.UseOffice2007SchemeBackColor = true;
}
}Pattern 4: Disable AeroTheme for Custom Schemes
When you need color schemes on Vista/7 with Aero:
public class NoAeroForm : Office2007Form
{
public NoAeroForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
// Disable Aero to allow color scheme
this.ApplyAeroTheme = false;
// Now apply your color scheme
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Silver;
}
}Pattern 5: Rounded Corners (Windows 11)
Modern rounded appearance on Windows 11:
public class ModernForm : Office2007Form
{
public ModernForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Text = "Modern Application";
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Blue;
// Enable rounded corners (Windows 11 only)
this.AllowRoundedCorners = true;
}
}Pattern 6: RTL Support
For right-to-left languages:
public class RtlForm : Office2007Form
{
public RtlForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Text = "تطبيق"; // Arabic text
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Blue;
// Enable RTL
this.RightToLeft = RightToLeft.Yes;
this.RightToLeftLayout = true;
}
}Key Properties
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
ColorScheme | Office2007Theme | Sets color scheme: Blue, Silver, Black, Managed |
CaptionAlign | HorizontalAlignment | Caption text alignment (Left, Center, Right) |
CaptionFont | Font | Caption bar font style |
CaptionForeColor | Color | Caption text color |
CaptionBarHeight | int | Height of caption bar in pixels |
CaptionBarHeightMode | CaptionBarHeightMode | Height behavior in maximized state |
UseOffice2007SchemeBackColor | bool | Match form background to color scheme |
ApplyAeroTheme | bool | Enable/disable Aero glass effect |
AllowRoundedCorners | bool | Rounded corners (Windows 11 only) |
RightToLeft | RightToLeft | RTL text direction |
RightToLeftLayout | bool | RTL layout mirroring |
DisableOffice2007Style | bool | Revert to standard form appearance |
HelpButton | bool | Show help button in caption bar |
Common Use Cases
- Enterprise Applications - Professional Office-style appearance for business software
- Data Entry Forms - Modern look for data collection interfaces
- Dashboard Applications - Themed parent forms for multi-panel dashboards
- Configuration Dialogs - Polished settings and preferences windows
- Branding Requirements - Custom managed colors matching company brand
- Multi-Language Apps - RTL support for international deployment
- Windows 11 Apps - Modern rounded corners for latest OS
Migration from Standard Form
Before (Standard Form)
public partial class MyForm : Form
{
public MyForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Text = "My Application";
}
}After (Office2007Form)
public partial class MyForm : Office2007Form
{
public MyForm()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Text = "My Application";
this.ColorScheme = Office2007Theme.Blue;
this.UseOffice2007SchemeBackColor = true;
}
}Required Changes:
- Change inheritance from
FormtoOffice2007Form - Add
using Syncfusion.Windows.Forms; - Add assembly reference to
Syncfusion.Shared.Base.dll - Set
ColorSchemeproperty (optional but recommended)
Troubleshooting Quick Reference
- Color scheme not applied: Check if
ApplyAeroThemeis enabled; set tofalseto use color schemes on Vista/7 - Caption bar height changes on maximize: Set
CaptionBarHeightMode = SameAlwaysOnMaximize - Rounded corners not showing: Only supported on Windows 11; check OS version
- Assembly not found: Ensure
Syncfusion.Shared.Base.dllis referenced and NuGet package installed - Theme not matching other controls: Ensure all Syncfusion controls use same color scheme