Behavior

A feature that defines the chip control’s operational characteristics, governing how it responds to user input, manages its selection state, and disposes itself when necessary.

Overview

The Behavior feature encompasses the core operational settings that dictate the chip control’s responsiveness and lifecycle management. Through properties such as EnableSelection, IsSelected, and AutoDisposeOnClose, developers can control whether the chip can be selected, monitor its selection state, and determine if it should automatically dispose itself when the close button is clicked. These settings allow the chip to function predictably in a variety of contexts—from toggling selection in multi-choice forms to self-managing resources in dynamic user interfaces.

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Key Points

Aspect	Details
Selection Behavior	EnableSelection: Determines if the chip can be selected by the user. IsSelected: Reflects the current selection state of the chip, triggering visual changes when toggled.
Lifecycle Management	AutoDisposeOnClose: When set to true, the chip automatically removes and disposes itself from its parent container upon clicking the close button, streamlining resource management in dynamic interfaces.
User Interaction	These properties work in conjunction with interactive features such as click events and visual feedback, ensuring that the chip responds appropriately to user actions while maintaining consistency in behavior.
Integration	Behavior settings ensure that chips behave in a predictable manner, whether they are used in isolated contexts or grouped together for radio-button-like functionality.

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Best Practices

Practice	Explanation
Align behavior with UI expectations	Configure EnableSelection and IsSelected to reflect the intended use case—whether a chip should toggle on click or remain static—to provide clear and consistent feedback to users.
Leverage AutoDisposeOnClose for dynamic lists	In interfaces where chips are added and removed frequently (such as tags or notifications), enabling AutoDisposeOnClose can simplify resource management and reduce the risk of memory leaks by automatically cleaning up dismissed chips.
Combine with group management	When using chips in groups, ensure that the selection behavior integrates with group management logic so that only one chip is selected at a time, mimicking radio-button behavior.
Test state transitions thoroughly	Verify that changes in selection (IsSelected) update both the visual state and any dependent application logic consistently, to avoid scenarios where the UI and data model become unsynchronized.

Code Example: Basic Behavior Setup

// Create a chip with selection enabled and auto-disposal on close.
var behaviorChip = new SiticoneGroupChip
{
    Text = "Behavior Chip",
    
    // Allow the chip to be selected by the user.
    EnableSelection = true,
    
    // Initially, the chip is not selected.
    IsSelected = false,
    
    // Enable auto-disposal so that the chip removes itself when closed.
    AutoDisposeOnClose = true,
    
    // Optionally, display the close button.
    ShowCloseButton = true
};

// Subscribe to the interactive events to handle behavior.
behaviorChip.ChipClicked += (sender, e) =>
{
    // Toggle the selection state on click.
    behaviorChip.IsSelected = !behaviorChip.IsSelected;
    Console.WriteLine($"Chip selection toggled. New state: {behaviorChip.IsSelected}");
};

behaviorChip.CloseClicked += (sender, e) =>
{
    // Additional cleanup logic can be implemented here.
    Console.WriteLine("Chip close button clicked. The chip will auto-dispose if enabled.");
};

// Add the chip to the form or container.
this.Controls.Add(behaviorChip);

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Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Explanation
Inconsistent selection state updates	Failing to properly synchronize the IsSelected property with the visual state can lead to UI discrepancies, where the chip appears selected without reflecting the true state.
Overlooking auto-disposal consequences	Enabling AutoDisposeOnClose without accounting for necessary cleanup in your application logic may result in unintended removals; ensure that any dependent logic is updated when the chip is disposed of.
Ignoring group behavior implications	When chips are part of a group, not enforcing mutual exclusivity (i.e., allowing multiple chips to be selected) can lead to confusion in the interface; make sure to implement proper group management if needed.
Mixing interactive and behavior properties	Avoid conflating interactive event handling with behavior settings—each should be managed distinctly to maintain clean, maintainable code and predictable control behavior.

Code Example: Avoiding Inconsistent Behavior

// Create two chips intended to behave as a radio button group.
var chipOption1 = new SiticoneGroupChip
{
    Text = "Option 1",
    EnableSelection = true,
    IsSelected = false,
    Group = "Options"  // Grouping ensures single selection.
};

var chipOption2 = new SiticoneGroupChip
{
    Text = "Option 2",
    EnableSelection = true,
    IsSelected = false,
    Group = "Options"
};

// Ensure event handlers correctly update the selection state.
chipOption1.SelectionChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine("Option 1 selection state changed.");
};

chipOption2.SelectionChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine("Option 2 selection state changed.");
};

// Add the chips to a container.
groupPanel.Controls.Add(chipOption1);
groupPanel.Controls.Add(chipOption2);

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Usage Scenarios

Scenario	Description
Toggleable Options	Use chips with EnableSelection and IsSelected to allow users to choose one or more options in forms, surveys, or preference settings, with immediate visual feedback on their choices.
Removable Tags or Notifications	Enable AutoDisposeOnClose to create self-managing chips that users can dismiss from lists or tag clouds, reducing manual cleanup in dynamic interfaces.
Grouped Selections	When chips are grouped, use selection behavior in conjunction with group management to ensure only one chip is active at a time, ideal for filter selections or mode switching.

Code Example: Toggleable Option Chip

// Create a chip that toggles its selection state on click.
var toggleChip = new SiticoneGroupChip
{
    Text = "Toggle Option",
    EnableSelection = true,
    IsSelected = false
};

toggleChip.ChipClicked += (sender, e) =>
{
    toggleChip.IsSelected = !toggleChip.IsSelected;
};

this.Controls.Add(toggleChip);

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Real Life Usage Scenarios

Real Life Scenario	Example
Email Client Labels	In an email application, chips can represent labels or categories that can be selected to filter emails. The AutoDisposeOnClose property allows users to remove labels they no longer need.
Mobile App Navigation	Chips used in mobile navigation menus can toggle selection to indicate the active view; grouping them can enforce single selection, ensuring clear navigation feedback.
E-commerce Product Filters	In online shopping interfaces, interactive chips can serve as filters for product listings, where selection changes update the displayed items and removed filters are auto-disposed to streamline the search experience.

Code Example: Email Label Chip

// Create a chip representing an email label with interactive selection and removal.
var emailLabelChip = new SiticoneGroupChip
{
    Text = "Important",
    EnableSelection = true,
    IsSelected = false,
    ShowCloseButton = true,
    AutoDisposeOnClose = true
};

emailLabelChip.ChipClicked += (sender, e) =>
{
    emailLabelChip.IsSelected = !emailLabelChip.IsSelected;
    Console.WriteLine("Email label selection toggled.");
};

emailLabelChip.CloseClicked += (sender, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine("Email label removed.");
};

emailPanel.Controls.Add(emailLabelChip);

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Troubleshooting Tips

Tip	Details
Synchronize visual and logical states	Ensure that the IsSelected property and any visual indicators (such as checkmarks or color changes) are updated together to avoid confusion between the UI and the underlying state.
Monitor event handling	Verify that event handlers for ChipClicked, CloseClicked, and SelectionChanged are not interfering with each other; use logging or breakpoints to ensure they execute as expected.
Test auto-disposal behavior	Confirm that AutoDisposeOnClose properly removes the chip from its parent container without leaving dangling references, especially in dynamic interfaces with frequent additions and removals.
Validate group behavior	When using chips in groups, check that only one chip is selected at a time by testing group dynamics, ensuring that multiple selections do not occur inadvertently.

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Review

Review Aspect	Comments
Functionality	The Behavior feature effectively manages the chip control’s selection and lifecycle aspects, ensuring that it responds predictably to user interactions and automatically cleans up when required.
Customization	With properties such as EnableSelection, IsSelected, and AutoDisposeOnClose, developers have fine-grained control over how the chip behaves, allowing for a wide range of interactive scenarios.
Integration	The behavior settings integrate seamlessly with other features of the chip control, including interactive events and group management, resulting in a robust and user-friendly component.

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Summary

The Behavior feature defines the core operational characteristics of the chip control, dictating how it handles selection, toggles states, and manages its own disposal. By configuring properties like EnableSelection, IsSelected, and AutoDisposeOnClose, developers can tailor the chip's behavior to meet various application requirements—from simple toggle buttons to self-cleaning tags—ensuring a consistent and responsive user experience.

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Additional Sections

Integration Checklist

Item	Check
Set EnableSelection appropriately	Ensure that EnableSelection is true if the chip is meant to be interactive and togglable.
Monitor IsSelected state	Confirm that any changes to IsSelected are accurately reflected in the chip’s visual state and application logic.
Configure AutoDisposeOnClose	Enable AutoDisposeOnClose for chips that are intended to be removable, and verify that they are disposed of correctly.
Validate event subscriptions	Check that ChipClicked, CloseClicked, and SelectionChanged events are properly wired to avoid conflicting behaviors.

FAQ

Question	Answer
What does EnableSelection do?	It allows the chip to be toggled between selected and unselected states; when enabled, clicking the chip can change its IsSelected property.
How does AutoDisposeOnClose affect the chip's lifecycle?	When AutoDisposeOnClose is true, clicking the close button automatically removes the chip from its parent container and disposes of it, freeing resources.
Can I update behavior properties at runtime?	Yes, properties like EnableSelection, IsSelected, and AutoDisposeOnClose can be changed dynamically, and the chip will update its behavior immediately.

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This extensive documentation for the Behavior feature provides detailed insights, best practices, code examples, and troubleshooting tips to help developers effectively integrate and customize the chip control's operational behavior in their .NET WinForms applications.