In what order do .NET Windows forms events fire?

Question

I notice that there are a number of different events I can capture when I'm working with a Windows Form in .NET (or any other control, for that matter) - on opening, there's:

• Load
• Activated
• Shown
• VisibleChanged

And when closing, there's:

• Leave
• FormClosed
• FormClosing
• Disposed

Plus any others I've missed. I know I could put a messagebox in each event, and then run my application and write down the order, but I doubt I'll remember it.

Is there a reference online that lists the -order- in which these events occur, for Forms and other controls? I can't find it on MSDN, though maybe I've missed it somewhere.

Answer 1

This is one of the relevant pages on MSDN :

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/86faxx0d.aspx

Answer 2

This is also called the lifecycle of win-forms applications. Every .net technology has a document on these.

Winforms - http://blogs.msdn.com/jaredpar/archive/2007/01/08/windows-forms-event-lifecycle.aspx

Form Startup

1. OnHandleCreated
2. OnCreateControl
3. OnLoad
4. OnActivated
5. OnShown

Form Shutdown

1. OnClosing
2. OnClosed
3. OnDeactivate
4. OnHandleDestroyed

Answer 3

Showing a form:

1. Control.HandleCreated
2. Control.BindingContextChanged
3. Form.Load
4. Control.VisibleChanged
5. Control.GotFocus
6. Form.Activated
7. Form.Shown

Closing a form:

1. Form.Closing
2. Form.FormClosing
3. Form.Closed
4. Form.FormClosed
5. Form.Deactivate
6. Control.LostFocus
7. Control.HandleDestroyed
8. Component.Disposed