Administrator Suffix Feature for KryptonForm

Overview

This feature adds the ability to display "(Administrator)" in the title bar of KryptonForm instances when the application is running with elevated privileges, similar to native Windows applications.

Features

  • Automatic Detection: Automatically detects if the application is running with administrator privileges
  • Global Configuration: Centralized control through KryptonManager affects all KryptonForm instances
  • Localization Ready: Uses KryptonManager.Strings.GeneralStrings.Administrator for the suffix text
  • Designer Support: Full Visual Studio designer support with proper serialization
  • Runtime Updates: Changes to the setting immediately update all open forms

Usage

Basic Usage

The feature is enabled by default. When your application runs with elevated privileges, all KryptonForm instances will automatically display "(Administrator)" in their title bars.

Programmatic Control

// Enable the administrator suffix feature
KryptonManager.UseAdministratorSuffix = true;

// Disable the administrator suffix feature
KryptonManager.UseAdministratorSuffix = false;

// Check current setting
bool isEnabled = KryptonManager.UseAdministratorSuffix;

Designer Configuration

In the Visual Studio designer, you can configure the setting through the KryptonManager component:

  1. Add a KryptonManager component to your form
  2. Set the ShowAdministratorSuffix property to true or false

Properties

KryptonManager.UseShowAdministratorSuffix (Static)

  • Type: bool
  • Default: true
  • Description: Global setting that controls whether all KryptonForm instances should display the administrator suffix
  • Usage: KryptonManager.UseAdministratorSuffix = true;

KryptonManager.ShowAdministratorSuffix (Instance)

  • Type: bool
  • Default: true
  • Description: Designer-friendly instance property that mirrors the static UseAdministratorSuffix setting
  • Usage: Set in Visual Studio designer or via kryptonManager.ShowAdministratorSuffix = true;

Implementation Details

Administrator Detection

The feature uses WindowsPrincipal and WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent() to check if the current process is running with WindowsBuiltInRole.Administrator.

Title Bar Integration

The administrator suffix is appended to the form's title text through the GetShortText() method, which is part of the IContentValues interface used by Krypton's title bar rendering.

Global Configuration

The setting is stored as a static field in KryptonManager, ensuring consistent behavior across all KryptonForm instances in the application.

// Set globally for all forms
KryptonManager.UseAdministratorSuffix = true;

Manual Testing Steps

  1. Run the application normally - no "(Administrator)" suffix should appear
  2. Run the application as Administrator - "(Administrator)" suffix should appear in the title bar
  3. Toggle the ShowAdministratorSuffix setting - the title bar should update immediately

Compatibility

  • Target Frameworks: All supported .NET frameworks (net472, net48, net481, net8.0-windows, net9.0-windows, net10.0-windows)
  • Windows Versions: Windows 7 and later
  • Krypton Toolkit: Compatible with all Krypton Toolkit components

Localization

The administrator suffix text is retrieved from KryptonManager.Strings.GeneralStrings.Administrator, making it fully localizable. The default English text is "(Administrator)".

Performance Considerations

  • Administrator detection is performed once per form instance
  • Title bar updates are triggered only when the setting changes
  • No performance impact during normal operation