Dot Net Perls

Problem

Adjust our programs to use Segoe UI on Windows Vista and Tahoma on Windows XP. Using one font on both XP and Vista isn't ideal, and we want to switch between Tahoma and Segoe UI. Using Segoe UI on XP doesn't display Segoe--it displays a somewhat ugly sans serif font. We need a way to make the font look perfect on systems running Vista and XP.

C# Solution

The solution to the font inconsistency problem is to set the font in the form constructor dynamically. You will need to get the value of the MessageBoxFonts on the SystemFonts static class and apply it as the default font. The controls in the form will inherit this font, so you won't need to set each on individually.

// (This is your Form constructor.)
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    public Form1()
    {
        // Set form's font to MessageBoxFont. All controls in the form
        // will inherit it.
        this.Font = SystemFonts.MessageBoxFont;
        InitializeComponent();
    }
}

• Adds complexity
  Some font information in the Designer might be lost. For a control to inherit the MessageBoxFont set in the example, it shouldn't specify any font in the Designer.
• AutoScaleMode
  Remember to set the AutoScaleMode property to None. Otherwise, the window will change dimensions unpredictably because Vista uses a 9 point font size, and Windows XP uses an 8 point font size.
• Performance notes
  You should know the way that the runtime constructs Windows Forms. If you set a font after the layout is complete, then Windows will need to re-measure, re-flow, and re-layout the controls.
• Before InitializeComponent
  Set the font in your constructor before the call to InitializeComponent. This makes some windows are more than 10% faster to display. With the code before InitializeComponent, there is no performance loss.

Conclusion

Enhance the user experience for your programs on both Windows XP and Vista. Set Tahoma and Segoe in your forms. This will make the program look really classy on both operating systems. I highly recommend adding this simple line of code. It can really make a difference.

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