Krypton Toolkit RTL Support Audit Summary - Version 100

Executive Summary

This audit provides a comprehensive assessment of Right-to-Left (RTL) support across the entire Krypton toolkit. The audit covers all major components including Toolkit, Ribbon, Navigator, Workspace, and Docking controls.

Audit Scope

The audit examined 85+ controls across 5 major components:

  • Krypton.Toolkit: 50+ controls
  • Krypton.Ribbon: 8 controls
  • Krypton.Navigator: 1 control
  • Krypton.Workspace: 4 controls
  • Krypton.Docking: 12 controls

Current RTL Support Status

✅ COMPLETE (5 Controls)

These controls have full RTL support with proper event handling and testing:

  1. KryptonForm - Window borders, title alignment, button positioning
  2. KryptonPanel - Child element order reversal, layout updates
  3. KryptonPropertyGrid - RightToLeftLayout property, internal grid updates
  4. KryptonDateTimePicker - Text rendering reversal, RightToLeftLayout property
  5. KryptonTreeView - RightToLeftLayout property exposed

⚠️ NEEDS TESTING (5 Controls)

These controls have RTL event handling but need visual testing:

  1. KryptonTrackBar - OnRightToLeftChanged implemented
  2. KryptonCheckBox - OnRightToLeftChanged implemented
  3. KryptonRadioButton - OnRightToLeftChanged implemented
  4. KryptonListView - RightToLeftLayout property but no event handling
  5. KryptonSplitContainer - RTL layout logic present but no event handling

❌ NEEDS IMPLEMENTATION (75+ Controls)

These controls have basic RTL support but lack proper event handling:

Toolkit Controls (50+)

  • Text Controls: KryptonTextBox, KryptonMaskedTextBox, KryptonRichTextBox
  • List Controls: KryptonComboBox, KryptonListBox, KryptonCheckedListBox
  • Numeric Controls: KryptonNumericUpDown, KryptonDomainUpDown
  • Progress Controls: KryptonProgressBar, KryptonScrollBar
  • Layout Controls: KryptonGroup, KryptonGroupBox, KryptonHeaderGroup
  • Label Controls: KryptonLabel, KryptonLinkLabel, KryptonWrapLabel
  • Button Controls: KryptonButton, KryptonColorButton, KryptonCommandLinkButton
  • DataGrid Controls: All KryptonDataGridView* controls
  • Other Controls: KryptonSeparator, KryptonBorderEdge, KryptonMonthCalendar, etc.

Ribbon Controls (8)

  • KryptonRibbon, KryptonRibbonTab, KryptonRibbonGroup, KryptonRibbonContext
  • KryptonRibbonQATButton, KryptonRibbonRecentDoc, KryptonGallery, KryptonGalleryRange
  • KryptonNavigator

Workspace Controls (4)

  • KryptonWorkspace, KryptonWorkspaceCell, KryptonWorkspaceSequence

Docking Controls (12)

  • KryptonDockspace, KryptonSpace, KryptonFloatingWindow, KryptonAutoHiddenPanel
  • KryptonAutoHiddenGroup, KryptonAutoHiddenSlidePanel, KryptonAutoHiddenProxyPage
  • KryptonDockableWorkspace, KryptonDockableNavigator, KryptonDockspaceSeparator
  • KryptonDockspaceSlide, KryptonFloatspace, KryptonStorePage

Key Findings

1. RTL Infrastructure

  • CommonHelper.GetRightToLeftLayout() - Central RTL detection method ✅
  • ViewLayoutDocker - RTL layout support with IgnoreRightToLeftLayout property ✅
  • ViewDrawDocker - RTL painting support ✅
  • ViewLayoutViewport - RTL viewport calculations ✅

2. Event Handling Patterns

  • OnRightToLeftChanged - Only 8 controls implement this properly
  • RightToLeftLayout property - Many controls expose this but don't handle changes
  • Layout updates - Most controls lack automatic layout refresh on RTL changes

3. Testing Status

  • 5 controls have been tested and verified working
  • 5 controls have event handling but need visual testing
  • 75+ controls need both implementation and testing

Recommendations

Phase 1: Critical Controls (High Priority)

  1. KryptonTextBox - Most commonly used input control
  2. KryptonComboBox - Dropdown selection control
  3. KryptonListBox - List selection control
  4. KryptonButton - Primary interaction control
  5. KryptonRibbon - Main ribbon interface

Phase 2: Layout Controls (Medium Priority)

  1. KryptonGroup/GroupBox - Container controls
  2. KryptonHeaderGroup - Header container
  3. KryptonNavigator - Navigation control
  4. KryptonWorkspace - Workspace layout

Phase 3: Specialized Controls (Lower Priority)

  1. DataGrid controls - Complex data display
  2. Docking controls - Advanced layout system
  3. Progress/Scroll controls - Visual feedback controls

Implementation Strategy

For Each Control:

  1. Add OnRightToLeftChanged event handler
  2. Propagate RTL settings to child controls
  3. Trigger layout updates when RTL changes
  4. Update painting logic for RTL mirroring
  5. Create test forms for visual verification

Example Implementation Pattern:

protected override void OnRightToLeftChanged(EventArgs e)
{
    base.OnRightToLeftChanged(e);
    
    // Update child controls
    if (_internalControl != null)
    {
        _internalControl.RightToLeft = this.RightToLeft;
        _internalControl.RightToLeftLayout = this.RightToLeftLayout;
    }
    
    // Trigger layout update
    PerformNeedPaint(true);
}

Testing Strategy

Test Form Requirements:

  1. RTL Toggle Button - Switch between LTR/RTL modes
  2. Visual Indicators - Show current RTL state
  3. Multiple Controls - Test various control combinations
  4. Layout Testing - Verify proper mirroring behavior
  5. Interaction Testing - Test mouse/keyboard interactions

Test Scenarios:

  1. Basic RTL - Controls mirror correctly
  2. Text Input - Text alignment and cursor positioning
  3. Layout Flow - Child control ordering
  4. Painting - Visual elements mirror properly
  5. Events - RTL changes trigger appropriate updates

Conclusion

While the Krypton toolkit has a solid RTL infrastructure in place, the majority of controls (75+) need proper RTL event handling implementation. The 5 controls with complete RTL support provide a good foundation and implementation pattern for extending RTL support to the remaining controls.

Priority: Focus on Phase 1 controls first, as these are the most commonly used and will provide the greatest user benefit for RTL language support.