Copy all treeView parent and children to another treeView c# WinForms

Question

I am trying to copy the entire tree (exactly all nodes) of a treeview (completely) to another treeview using this code:

        TreeNodeCollection myTreeNodeCollection = treeView1.Nodes;

        TreeNode[] myTreeNodeArray = new TreeNode[treeView1.Nodes.Count];

        treeView1.Nodes.CopyTo(myTreeNodeArray, 0);

        treeView2.Nodes.AddRange(myTreeNodeArray);

But this does not allow me to do so, it asks to either delete the nodes in source treeview or use it Clone! How can I do that? I dont want my source treeview to lose anything in this process.

** UPDATE ** Ok guys I found a complicated code (for me!!) but how can I use this?

    public static T DeepTreeCopy<T>(T obj)
    {
        object result = null;
        using (var ms = new MemoryStream())
        {
            var formatter = new BinaryFormatter();
            formatter.Serialize(ms, obj);
            ms.Position = 0;
            result = (T)formatter.Deserialize(ms); ms.Close();
        }
        return (T)result;
    } 

Hyperactive

In the first code, one needs to remove the nodes from the TreeView1,Nodes collection before adding them to other collection: foreach (TreeNode node in treeView1.Nodes) { treeView1.Nodes.Remove(node); } This should be faster and cleaner than cloning. – Incisive

I think the Clone() answer by @jeffjohnson should be marked as the accepted answer. – Zulemazullo

Answer 1

try this

public void Copy(TreeView treeview1, TreeView treeview2)
{
    TreeNode newTn;
    foreach (TreeNode tn in treeview1.Nodes)
    {
        newTn = new TreeNode(tn.Text, tn.Value);
        CopyChilds(newTn, tn);
        treeview2.Nodes.Add(newTn);
    }
}

public void CopyChilds(TreeNode parent, TreeNode willCopied)
{
    TreeNode newTn;
    foreach (TreeNode tn in willCopied.ChildNodes)
    {
        newTn = new TreeNode(tn.Text, tn.Value);
        parent.ChildNodes.Add(newTn);
    }
} 

My regards

Severen

Thanks, it has same problem of (node should be deleted before copy or should be Cloned) – Hyperactive

you forgot calling CopyChild() method in itself ! – Franglais

You should can use the Clone method. It will clone the entire subtree. – Mauldon

Answer 2

Like MohD's answer, but with recursion to get all nodes. (Nodes of childnodes)

    public void CopyTreeNodes(TreeView treeview1, TreeView treeview2)
    {
        TreeNode newTn;
        foreach (TreeNode tn in treeview1.Nodes)
        {
            newTn = new TreeNode(tn.Text, tn.ImageIndex, tn.SelectedImageIndex);
            CopyChildren(newTn, tn);
            treeview2.Nodes.Add(newTn);
        }
    }
    public void CopyChildren(TreeNode parent, TreeNode original)
    {
        TreeNode newTn;
        foreach (TreeNode tn in original.Nodes)
        {
            newTn = new TreeNode(tn.Text, tn.ImageIndex, tn.SelectedImageIndex);
            parent.Nodes.Add(newTn);
            CopyChildren(newTn, tn);
        }
    } 

Dulcinea

Cloning will be a little bit complicated if you derive from the TreeNode (maybe not a greatest idea). – Incisive

Answer 3

Using the node.Clone() function works as well...

foreach (TreeNode node in treeViewSource.Nodes)
{
    treeViewTarget.Nodes.Add((TreeNode)node.Clone());
}

Adding a root node will help ensure the "PlusMinus" functionality is viewable.

TreeNode rootNode = new TreeNode("Root Node");
treeViewTarget.Nodes.Add(rootNode);
foreach (TreeNode node in treeViewSource.Nodes)
{
    rootNode.Nodes.Add((TreeNode)node.Clone());
}
rootNode.Expand();

Mlle

'Clone performs only a "shallow copy:" so any child nodes of the nodes being copied will not be copied to the new TreeView. – Ragamuffin

@BillW. I believe MSDN says it will clone the entire subtree. msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/… – Mauldon

I just tested it and it does indeed clone the entire subtree. – Superload

@surasb note that the "shallow copy" aspect comes into play when the Tag value of a TreeNode is a reference Type: MSDN article cited: "The Clone method performs a shallow copy of the node. If the value of the Tag property is a reference type, both the original and cloned copy will point to the same single instance of the Tag value." – Ragamuffin

Answer 4

Thank you guys for the Answers. Combining all answers this worked for me. Even if the treeview has multiple levels.

  public void CopyTreeNodes(TreeView treeview1, TreeView treeview2)
    {
        TreeNode newTn;
        foreach (TreeNode tn in treeview1.Nodes)
        {
            newTn = new TreeNode(tn.Text, tn.Value);
            CopyChildren(newTn, tn);
            treeview2.Nodes.Add(newTn);
        }
    }

 public void CopyChildren(TreeNode parent, TreeNode original)
    {
        TreeNode newTn;
        foreach (TreeNode tn in original.ChildNodes)
        {
            newTn = new TreeNode(tn.Text, tn.Value);
            parent.ChildNodes.Add(newTn);
            CopyChildren(newTn, tn);
        }
    }

Beauregard

Answer 5

You can use this at the desired level

     public void RootCopy(TreeView treeview1, TreeView treeview2)
    {
        TreeNode newNode;
        foreach (TreeNode tnode in treeview1.Nodes)
        {
            newNode = new TreeNode(tnode.Text);
            treeview2.Nodes.Add(newNode);
            if (tnode.Nodes.Count != 0)
            {
                int _1index = tnode.Index;
                ChildsCopyLevel2(_1index, treeview1, treeview2);
            }


        }

    }


    public void ChildsCopyLevel2(int index1, TreeView TV1, TreeView TV2)
    {
        foreach (TreeNode Tnode in TV1.Nodes[index1].Nodes)
        {
            string Childtext = Tnode.Text;
            TV2.Nodes[index1].Nodes.Add(Childtext);
            if (Tnode.Nodes.Count != 0)
            {// ChildsCopyLevel3(Tnode.Nodes.Count, TV1, TV2);
                int _2index = Tnode.Index;
                ChildsCopyLevel3(index1, _2index, TV1, TV2);
            }
        }

    }


    public void ChildsCopyLevel3(int index1, int index2, TreeView TV1, TreeView TV2)
    {
        foreach (TreeNode Tnode in TV1.Nodes[index1].Nodes[index2].Nodes)
        {
            string Childtext = Tnode.Text;
            TV2.Nodes[index1].Nodes[index2].Nodes.Add(Childtext);
        }
    }

Amund