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.

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  
  

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("myPhoto", myImage);  
}  
  

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()  
  

// 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")  
  

// Removes the image named "myPhoto" from the list.  
imageList1.Images.RemoveByKey("myPhoto");  
  

See Also

ImageList Component
ImageList Component Overview
Images, Bitmaps, and Metafiles