How to: Add or Remove Images with the Windows Forms ImageList Component

The Windows Forms ImageList component is typically populated with images before it is associated with a control. However, you can add and remove images after associating the image list with a control.

Note
When you remove images, verify that the ImageIndex property of any associated controls is still valid.

To add images programmatically

• Use the Add method of the image list's Images property.

  In the following code example, the path set for the ___location of the image is the My Documents folder. This ___location is used because you can assume that most computers that are running the Windows operating system will include this folder. Choosing this ___location also lets users who have minimal system access levels more safely run the application. The following code example requires that you have a form with an ImageList control already added.

  Public Sub LoadImage()
     Dim myImage As System.Drawing.Image = _
       Image.FromFile _
     (System.Environment.GetFolderPath _
     (System.Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal) _
     & "\Image.gif")
     ImageList1.Images.Add(myImage)
  End Sub
  

  public void addImage()
  {
  // Be sure that you use an appropriate escape sequence (such as the 
  // @) when specifying the ___location of the file.
     System.Drawing.Image myImage = 
       Image.FromFile
     (System.Environment.GetFolderPath
     (System.Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal)
     + @"\Image.gif");
     imageList1.Images.Add(myImage);
  }
  

  public:
     void addImage()
     {
     // Replace the bold image in the following sample 
     // with your own icon.
     // Be sure that you use an appropriate escape sequence (such as 
     // \\) when specifying the ___location of the file.
        System::Drawing::Image ^ myImage = 
           Image::FromFile(String::Concat(
           System::Environment::GetFolderPath(
           System::Environment::SpecialFolder::Personal),
           "\\Image.gif"));
        imageList1->Images->Add(myImage);
     }
  

To add images with a key value.

• Use one of the Add methods of the image list's Images property that takes a key value.

  In the following code example, the path set for the ___location of the image is the My Documents folder. This ___location is used because you can assume that most computers that are running the Windows operating system will include this folder. Choosing this ___location also lets users who have minimal system access levels more safely run the application. The following code example requires that you have a form with an ImageList control already added.

  Public Sub LoadImage()
     Dim myImage As System.Drawing.Image = _
       Image.FromFile _
     (System.Environment.GetFolderPath _
     (System.Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal) _
     & "\Image.gif")
     ImageList1.Images.Add("myPhoto", myImage)
  End Sub
  

To remove all images programmatically

• Use the Remove method to remove a single image

  ,-or-

  Use the Clear method to clear all images in the image list.

  ' Removes the first image in the image list
  ImageList1.Images.Remove(myImage)
  ' Clears all images in the image list
  ImageList1.Images.Clear()
  

To remove images by key

• Use the RemoveByKey method to remove a single image by its key.

  ' Removes the image named "myPhoto" from the list.
  ImageList1.Images.RemoveByKey("myPhoto")
  

See Also

Reference

ImageList Component Overview (Windows Forms)

Other Resources

ImageList Component (Windows Forms)
Images, Bitmaps, and Metafiles