BUG: ListView.ColumnHeaderCollection.Add method does not work with autosize width in Visual Basic .NET (317546)

RESOLUTION

To work around this issue, avoid using the -1 and -2 autosize parameters. Instead, pass a predefined column width to the Add() method.

The other available workaround is more involved. The following steps demonstrate how to implement the -1 setting by setting the column width after the column has been created, and how to implement the -2 setting by using GDI+ to measure the string size of the column header text and the sub-item text (in pixels).

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Use Microsoft Visual Basic .NET to start a new Windows application.
2. Add a ListView control and two Button controls on Form1. These controls will be named listView1, button1, and button2, respectively.
3. In the Form1_Load event, add the following code:

   ListView1.Bounds = New Rectangle(New Point(10, 10), New Size(250, 100))
   ListView1.View = View.Details
   ListView1.Items.Add("This is Item 1")
   ListView1.Items(0).SubItems.Add("This is subitem 1")
   ListView1.Items(0).SubItems.Add("This is subitem 2")
   ListView1.Items.Add("This is Item 2")
   ListView1.Items(1).SubItems.Add("This is subitem 3")
   ListView1.Items(1).SubItems.Add("This is subitem 4")
   ListView1.Columns.Add("Column 1", -1, HorizontalAlignment.Left)
   ListView1.Columns.Add("Column 2", -1, HorizontalAlignment.Left)
   ListView1.Columns.Add("Column 3", -1, HorizontalAlignment.Left)
   					

4. In the button1_Click event, add the following code:

   'To implement the -1 autosize setting, set the width of columns after the columns are created, as follows: 
   ListView1.Columns(0).Width = -1
   ListView1.Columns(1).Width = -1
   ListView1.Columns(2).Width = -1
   					

5. In the button2_Click event, add the following code:

   'Use GDI+ to implement the -2 autosize setting.
   Dim newGraphics As Graphics = Graphics.FromHwnd(ListView1.Handle)
   Dim s1 As String = "Column 1"
   Dim s2 As String = "Column 2"
   Dim s3 As String = "Column 3"
   Dim StringSize1 As SizeF = newGraphics.MeasureString(s1, ListView1.Font)
   Dim StringSize2 As SizeF = newGraphics.MeasureString(s2, ListView1.Font)
   Dim StringSize3 As SizeF = newGraphics.MeasureString(s3, ListView1.Font)
   ListView1.Clear()
   ListView1.View = View.Details
   ListView1.Items.Add("This is Item 1")
   ListView1.Items(0).SubItems.Add("This is subitem 1")
   ListView1.Items(0).SubItems.Add("This is subitem 2")
   ListView1.Items.Add("This is Item 2")
   ListView1.Items(1).SubItems.Add("This is subitem 3")
   ListView1.Items(1).SubItems.Add("This is subitem 4")
   ListView1.Columns.Add(s1, Convert.ToInt16(StringSize1.Width + 5), HorizontalAlignment.Left)
   ListView1.Columns.Add(s2, Convert.ToInt16(StringSize2.Width + 5), HorizontalAlignment.Left)
   ListView1.Columns.Add(s3, Convert.ToInt16(StringSize3.Width + 5), HorizontalAlignment.Left)
   					

6. Press F5 to run the code. Click button1, and then notice that the column width is adjusted according the size of the largest sub-item text in the column. Click button2, and then notice that the column width is adjusted according to the size of the column header text.