Hi everyone. I have been trying but cant seem to find a solution.
I want to split my TextArea into pages showing a slight space between pages like it’s done in MS Word.
Can this be achieved?
Since I cant magnify the TextArea. Is it possible to add TextArea inside a canvas and magnify canvas which would magnify the TextArea?
Are you looking for vertical spacing (as in scrolling pages) or horizontal spacing (as in a side-by-side layout)? Does the textarea need to be editable, or are you just using it to display text?
There are probably multiple solutions, but you’ve likely exceeded the basic capabilities of the textarea control. Some possibilities would include rendering the text in a canvas (but not with a text area – use the DrawText method on the Graphics object provided in the Canvas’s Paint event to render your text), or using an HTMLViewer and rendering the text using HTML. Both of these solutions would allow you to magnify the text to some level of zoom.
Getting to a presentation layout shouldn’t be too hard, but if you want to make it editable as well, that’s going to be some more work. You’re basically building a custom word processor at that point.
Horizontal spacing that shows separate pages.
TextArea is editable. The app is for word processing.
Thanks.
The TextArea does not do side-by-side (columns) of text. The right way to do this is going to probably be a custom control based on a Canvas, but you’re going to have to build all the textediting functionality. There are some existing canvas-based editors that may provide a start.
The quick way is a couple textareas next to each other, or a scrolling view of textareas in containercontrols if you want to layout all of the pages. You will need to manage the flow of text across the controls because each is really a separate text element. Zooming could be handled with scaling of the textsize, but note that this will also affect flow. You’ll have to consider whether your text layout is page absolute (the text should appear in the same place on the page at any level of zoom) or reflowable; absolute placement with the textedit control is going to be very hard, so this is where you really should consider the custom canvas.
Thanks Matthew. So indeed I have to start from scratch after reaching so far.
I’ll look for the canvas-based editors and start again.
Free word processor exists.
Also, LibreOffice is free and works on all three major platforms.
Of course, you know why you want to create your own Word Processor.
Yes they do exist but none is tailored to my needs or the millions of individuals like myself. The idea of this app I am hoping to build will save each user hours per document. Other alternatives like MS Word, LibreOffice and OpenWriter are bloated with bells and whistles I do not need. The word processing functionality is only half of it, the other features none of the others do.
you could use FTC, soon open source (at least it was annouced so)
Thanks. Would this replace my TextArea?
yes it it a better word processor than the textarea which is a text editor with style.
but it’s been 6 months or so I don’t recall when they announced this open source direction.
don’t know if it will ever be.
Ok, thanks again
That is what you believe. I cannot talk much for actual MS Word or LibreOffice (WP) because I do not really use a Word Processor (last MS Word I ran was 30 years ago ?).
But, that “MS Word” is really full of (hidden) features…
And, even in today’s macOS, I discover every week something new that I do not suspect was already in the OS (add a prefix to one or many files in the Finder to cite my last discovery).
At your place (I am not), I would list what features I need and ask around me about a MS Word (or other) specialist if these features exists and where. Then, I would create a tutorial and train my users.
As I wrote above, I am not at your place and you know far better what you want / need.
This is just a clue (and yes, sometimes I follow my own clues 
)
Another possibility for that would be to use several textareas (for your example here, 2 would suffice).
You’d make a subclass so you don’t have to write code twice and add two instances on your window. Make them moving with their “top” property to have a space between them.
As I said, none of the word processors do what I am going to build. Only one app does it and it is not easy to use as it takes a while to learn which is why most stick to MS Word. My idea is unique and will be catering to a specific type of users.
It is not what I believe, it is a fact. I have taught students to use every single feature in Office365 and as a student, I know what is lacking. Every single word processing app are lacking these features I intend to deliver. When I do launch, I guarantee that you’ll say “Oh, I never thought about that.” 
kinda weird how no one at Microsoft never thought about it or decided to implement it.
Thanks Arnaud. I’ll purchase and use FTC since it has what I need.
I’m afraid it’s not for sale anymore. it was made using API1 and need a lot of work to get it to API2
then will become open source that’s what I understood about it.
there is no link to buy it in bkeeney pages.
Ok. I made contact and have a copy.