WinForm Text Control that displays current character/character limit

Question

I need a way to display, like you see in some web apps, the current characters/character limit for a Text Control(i.e. 3/500). I usually see this as a label residing directly above or below the Text Control.

How is this 'normally' accomplished? Should I override my Text Control somehow? Do I just manually add labels by every Text Control and 'bind' them to properties of the Text Control? Do I need to create a composite control that has the Text Control & Label Controls together to accomplish what I need?

Any direction or help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

int maxChars = 100;

Textbox onKeyUp:
remainingChars.Text = Convert.ToString(maxChars - textbox.Text.Length);

Stick it in a function:

getRemainingChars(TextBox tb, Label lbl, int max)
{
lbl.Text = Convert.ToString(max - tb.Text.Length) + "/" + Convert.ToString(max);
}

Hopefully thats of some help

Answer 2

Attach a handler to TextBox.TextChanged and refresh the label based on TextBox.Text.Length and the maximum size you want to allow. You can also enforce the limit in the same handler by calling TextBox.Text = TextBox.Text.Substring( 0, maxChars );.