Group Management

A mechanism that allows the chip to be assigned to a group so that chips in the same group behave like radio buttons, ensuring only one chip is selected at a time.

Overview

The Group Management feature in the chip control enables developers to group multiple chip instances by setting the Group property. When chips share the same group identifier, they work together to enforce a single-selection behavior similar to radio buttons. The control also provides the GroupChanged event to notify applications when a chip’s group is modified, allowing dynamic responses to changes in grouping.

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Key Points

Aspect	Details
Property	Group: A string identifier that assigns the chip to a specific group.
Behavior	Chips sharing the same group behave like a radio button group, meaning selecting one chip will automatically deselect others in that group.
Event Notification	GroupChanged: An event that is fired whenever the chip's group property changes, providing a hook for additional application logic.
Integration	Useful for managing mutually exclusive selections in scenarios such as filtering options, settings toggles, or segmented controls.

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Best Practices

Practice	Explanation
Use meaningful group names	Assign descriptive group names (e.g., "PaymentMethods" or "ColorOptions") to maintain clarity when managing multiple chip groups in your application.
Handle the GroupChanged event	Subscribe to the GroupChanged event to trigger necessary UI updates or logic when chips change groups dynamically.
Enforce single selection manually	Although chips in the same group behave like radio buttons, consider additional application logic if your requirements demand custom selection behavior.

Code Example: Setting and Handling Group Management

// Creating two chips and assigning them to the same group.
var chip1 = new SiticoneGroupChip();
var chip2 = new SiticoneGroupChip();

// Set the Group property for both chips.
chip1.Group = "PaymentMethods";
chip2.Group = "PaymentMethods";

// Subscribe to the GroupChanged event.
chip1.GroupChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Chip 1 group changed to: {e.NewGroup}");
};

chip2.GroupChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Chip 2 group changed to: {e.NewGroup}");
};

// Dynamically change the group at runtime.
chip1.Group = "AlternativeMethods";

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Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Explanation
Inconsistent group naming	Using similar but non-identical group names (e.g., "GroupA" vs. "groupA") can lead to unexpected behavior since group matching is case-sensitive.
Not subscribing to events	Ignoring the GroupChanged event might result in missed opportunities to update related UI elements when the grouping changes.
Overcomplicating group logic	Over-engineering the grouping logic when simple radio-button behavior is sufficient can make the integration unnecessarily complex.

Code Example: Avoiding Pitfalls

// Ensure consistent naming for grouping.
const string paymentGroup = "PaymentMethods";

var chipA = new SiticoneGroupChip { Group = paymentGroup };
var chipB = new SiticoneGroupChip { Group = paymentGroup };

// Proper event subscription to update UI if needed.
chipA.GroupChanged += OnChipGroupChanged;
chipB.GroupChanged += OnChipGroupChanged;

void OnChipGroupChanged(object sender, GroupChangedEventArgs e)
{
    // Handle group change logic here.
    Console.WriteLine("Group changed to: " + e.NewGroup);
}

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Usage Scenarios

Scenario	Description
Payment Option Selection	Group chips representing different payment options so that the user can only select one method at a time.
Survey or Questionnaire Options	Use chips to present mutually exclusive answers, ensuring only one answer is selected per question.
Filter or Category Selection	When displaying categories (e.g., product filters), grouping chips ensures only one filter is active, simplifying the user interface.

Code Example: Payment Option Selection

// Create chip instances for different payment methods.
var chipCreditCard = new SiticoneGroupChip { Text = "Credit Card", Group = "PaymentMethods" };
var chipPayPal = new SiticoneGroupChip { Text = "PayPal", Group = "PaymentMethods" };
var chipApplePay = new SiticoneGroupChip { Text = "Apple Pay", Group = "PaymentMethods" };

// Add chips to a form panel.
panelPaymentOptions.Controls.Add(chipCreditCard);
panelPaymentOptions.Controls.Add(chipPayPal);
panelPaymentOptions.Controls.Add(chipApplePay);

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Real Life Usage Scenarios

Real Life Scenario	Example
Online Checkout Forms	Use grouped chips to allow the user to select a single payment method during the checkout process.
Mobile Application Settings	Implement grouped chips in settings menus where only one configuration option can be active at a time (e.g., notification sounds).
Dashboard Filters	Create filters for a dashboard where each chip represents a different data category, enforcing a single filter selection.

Code Example: Dashboard Filter Chips

// Create chips for dashboard filtering.
var chipAllData = new SiticoneGroupChip { Text = "All", Group = "DashboardFilters" };
var chipCategoryA = new SiticoneGroupChip { Text = "Category A", Group = "DashboardFilters" };
var chipCategoryB = new SiticoneGroupChip { Text = "Category B", Group = "DashboardFilters" };

// Add chips to a filter panel.
filterPanel.Controls.Add(chipAllData);
filterPanel.Controls.Add(chipCategoryA);
filterPanel.Controls.Add(chipCategoryB);

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Troubleshooting Tips

Tip	Details
Verify Group Property Consistency	Ensure that the Group property is set consistently across chips; check for typos or case differences.
Check Event Subscriptions	Make sure that event handlers for GroupChanged are correctly attached to catch group modification events.
Debug Selection Behavior	If multiple chips appear selected, review the logic handling the IsSelected property and group logic to confirm only one is active.

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Review

Review Aspect	Comments
Functionality	The Group Management feature is straightforward and leverages familiar radio-button behavior to manage chip selection across groups.
Ease of Integration	Integration is simple: set the Group property, subscribe to GroupChanged, and the control manages selection automatically.
Flexibility	Developers can easily switch groups at runtime and combine this feature with custom event handling for dynamic UI updates.

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Summary

The Group Management feature provides a powerful way to organize and manage multiple chip controls by assigning them to logical groups. With a single property (Group) and an event (GroupChanged), developers can implement mutually exclusive selection behavior with minimal effort. This feature is ideal for scenarios such as payment options, survey answers, and filter selections, making it a versatile tool for a wide range of applications.

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Additional Sections

Integration Checklist

Item	Check
Group property assigned	Ensure that each chip has a properly assigned and consistent group identifier.
Event handlers attached	Confirm that the GroupChanged event is subscribed to for dynamic updates.
Testing selection behavior	Test that selecting one chip in a group deselects any other chip in the same group.

FAQ

Question	Answer
What happens if no group is assigned?	The chip behaves as a standalone control without the mutual exclusion behavior of a group.
Can the group be changed at runtime?	Yes, the Group property can be updated dynamically and the control will raise the GroupChanged event accordingly.

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This extensive documentation for the Group Management feature should assist developers in understanding, integrating, and troubleshooting this functionality within their .NET WinForms applications.