[vb.net] How to open child forms positioned within MDI parent in VB.NET?

How do we arrange child forms in a parent MDI window? I'm able to call and display a child form from a menu on the parent, but the child pops up outside the parent - I want it to actually be inside the parent. I've checked in C# and VB.Net solutions but they all say pretty much the same, i.e. try to access LayoutMDI, such as here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/x9fhk181.aspx

The problem is, where do I access this? When I'm in the code of my MDI parent, Me.LayoutMdi is not recognized. In which part of the application do I put the Me.LayoutMDI code?

Edit

The Me.LayoutMDI code worked in the parent after all. I'd been trying for a while but don't know where I was going wrong.

However, the child continues to pop up out of the parent. Here's an image of how that happens. The broader form in the back is the parent, and the one with the gridview and two buttons is the new child that popped up. I want it to pop up "Docked" within the parent.

Try the code below and.....

1 - change the name of the MENU as in my sample the menuitem was called 'Form7ToolStripMenuItem_Click'

2 - make SURE to paste it into an MDIFORM and not just a basic FORM

Then let me know if the CHILD form still shows OUTSIDE the parent form

Private Sub Form7ToolStripMenuItem_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Form7ToolStripMenuItem.Click

    Dim NewForm As System.Windows.Forms.Form
    NewForm = New System.Windows.Forms.Form
    'USE THE NEXT LINE - to add an existing CUSTOM form you already have
    'NewForm = Form7                         
    NewForm.Width = 400
    NewForm.Height = 250
    NewForm.MdiParent = Me
    NewForm.Text = "CAPTION"
    NewForm.Show()
    DockChildForm(NewForm, "left")          'dock left
    'DockChildForm(NewForm, "right")         'dock right
    'DockChildForm(NewForm, "top")           'dock top
    'DockChildForm(NewForm, "bottom")        'doc bottom
    'DockChildForm(NewForm, "full")          'fill the client area (maximise the child INSIDE the parent)
    'DockChildForm(NewForm, "Anything-Else") 'center the form

End Sub

Private Sub DockChildForm(ByRef Form2Dock As Form, ByVal Position As String)

    Dim XYpoint As Point
    Select Case Position
        Case "left"
            Form2Dock.Dock = DockStyle.Left
        Case "top"
            Form2Dock.Dock = DockStyle.Top
        Case "right"
            Form2Dock.Dock = DockStyle.Right
        Case "bottom"
            Form2Dock.Dock = DockStyle.Bottom
        Case "full"
            Form2Dock.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
        Case Else
            XYpoint = New Point
            XYpoint.X = ((Me.ClientSize.Width - Form2Dock.Width) / 2)
            XYpoint.Y = ((Me.ClientSize.Height - Form2Dock.Height) / 2)
            Form2Dock.Location = XYpoint
    End Select
End Sub

   Private Sub FileMenu_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) handles FileMenu.Click

    Form1.MdiParent = Me
    Form1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
    Form1.Show()
End Sub

Try Making the Child Form's StartPosition Property set to Center Parent. This you can select from the form Properties.

Try adding a button on mdi parent and add this code' to set your mdi child inside the mdi parent. change the yourchildformname to your MDI Child's form name and see if this works.

    Dim NewMDIChild As New yourchildformname()
    'Set the Parent Form of the Child window.
    NewMDIChild.MdiParent = Me
    'Display the new form.
    NewMDIChild.Show()

See this page for the solution! https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/7aw8zc76(v=vs.110).aspx

I was able to implement the Child form inside the parent.

In the Example below Form2 should change to the name of your child form. NewMDIChild.MdiParent=me is the main form since the control that opens (shows) the child form is the parent or Me.

NewMDIChild.Show() is your child form since you associated your child form with Dim NewMDIChild As New Form2()

Protected Sub MDIChildNew_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MenuItem2.Click
   Dim NewMDIChild As New Form2()
   'Set the Parent Form of the Child window.
   NewMDIChild.MdiParent = Me
   'Display the new form.
   NewMDIChild.Show()
End Sub

Simple and it works.

Dont set MDI Child property from MDIForm

In Chileform Load event give the below code

    Dim l As Single = (MDIForm1.ClientSize.Width - Me.Width) / 2
    Dim t As Single = ((MDIForm1.ClientSize.Height - Me.Height) / 2) - 30
    Me.SetBounds(l, t, Me.Width, Me.Height)
    Me.MdiParent = MDIForm1

end

try this code

If your form is "outside" the MDI parent, then you most likely didn't set the MdiParent property:

Dim f As New Form
f.MdiParent = Me
f.Show()

Me, in this example, is a form that has IsMdiContainer = True so that it can host child forms.

For re-arranging the child form layout, you just call the method from your MdiContainer form:

Me.LayoutMdi(MdiLayout.Cascade)

The MdiLayout enum also has tiling and arrange icons values.

You will want to set the MdiParent property of your new form to the name of the MDI parent form, as follows:

dim form as new yourform
form.show()
form.MdiParent = nameParent