# Getting Started: Creating a .NET 8 Windows Forms Ribbon Application with Sidebar Support

> This article shows how to create a Windows Forms application with a Ribbon and a Sidebar using TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms. The Sidebar is a control that can be used to create a Microsoft Word-like sidebar with different panels and controls.

- **Author:** Bjoern Meyer
- **Published:** 2024-02-28
- **Modified:** 2026-07-17
- **Description:** This article shows how to create a Windows Forms application with a Ribbon and a Sidebar using TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms. The Sidebar is a control that can be used to create a Microsoft Word-like sidebar with different panels and controls.
- **3 min read** (522 words)
- **Tags:**
  - Windows Forms
  - .NET 8
  - Ribbon
- **Web URL:** https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2024/02/28/getting-started-creating-a-net-8-windows-forms-ribbon-application-with-sidebar-support/
- **LLMs URL:** https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2024/02/28/getting-started-creating-a-net-8-windows-forms-ribbon-application-with-sidebar-support/llms.txt
- **LLMs-Full URL:** https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2024/02/28/getting-started-creating-a-net-8-windows-forms-ribbon-application-with-sidebar-support/llms-full.txt

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This tutorial shows how to create a new .NET 8 Windows Forms application using the TX Text Control and supporting the Ribbon and Sidebar.

### Creating the Project

1. Start Visual Studio and create a new Windows Forms project. In the dialog, select *Windows Forms App* and click *Next*.
    
    ![Creating the Application](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/visualstudio1.webp "Creating the Application")
    
    Enter a name for the project and click *Next*.
2. Choose *.NET 8 (Long Term Support)* as the *Framework* and click *Create*.
    
    ![Creating the Application](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/visualstudio2.webp "Creating the Application")

### Adding the NuGet Package

1. Open the *Manage NuGet Packages* dialog by right-clicking the project in the *Solution Explorer* and selecting *Manage NuGet Packages...*.
2. Select *Text Control Offline Packages* as the *Package source* and click *Browse*.
3. Select **TXTextControl.TextControl.WinForms.SDK** and click *Install*.
    
    ![Adding the NuGet Package](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/nuget1.webp "Adding the NuGet Package")

### Adding TX Text Control

1. In the *Solution Explorer*, open the form *Form1* and find the **TX Text Control 32.0** tab in the *Toolbox*, select it and draw in onto the form.
    
    ![Adding TX Text Control](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/visualstudio3.webp "Adding TX Text Control")
2. Click on the "Smart Tag" in the upper right corner of TextControl. In the *Wizards* group, click on *Add a Ribbon*, *Add a Status Bar*, *Add a Ruler* and *Add a Vertical Ruler*. Finally, click on *Arrange Controls Automatically*. The controls are now connected and docked to fill the container:
    
    ![Adding TX Text Control](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/visualstudio4.webp "Adding TX Text Control")
3. On the form, select the ribbon control by clicking the blue *File* tab title in order to click on the "Smart Tag" in the upper right corner of the ribbon control. Click on *Add a RibbonFormattingTab*, *Add a RibbonInsertTab*, *Add a RibbonPageLayoutTab* and a *Add a RibbonViewTab*.
    
    ![Adding TX Text Control](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/visualstudio5.webp "Adding TX Text Control")

### Adding the Sidebar

1. Click on the "Smart Tag" in the upper right corner of TextControl again and choose *Add Right Sidebar*. Click on *Arrange Controls Automatically* again.
    
    ![Adding the Sidebar](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/visualstudio6.webp "Adding the Sidebar")
2. Click on the "Smart Tag" in the upper right corner of the sidebar control and choose *Styles* as the *ContentLayout*.
    
    ![Adding the Sidebar](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/visualstudio7.webp "Adding the Sidebar")

### Running the Application

Press F5 to compile and start the application.

![Adding the Sidebar](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2024/02/28/a/assets/textcontrol.webp "Adding the Sidebar")

The application starts and the TX Text Control is connected to the Ribbon and the fully functioning Sidebar.

### Sidebar Settings

The Sidebar comes with 10 out-of-the-box content layouts that can be added.

1. Goto
2. FieldNavigator
3. TrackedChanges
4. Styles
5. Find
6. Replace
7. ConditionalInstructions
8. DocumentSettings
9. Comments
10. About

In addition, you can also add custom content by passing a custom control to the ContentLayout property.

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## About Bjoern Meyer

As CEO, Bjoern is the visionary behind our strategic direction and business development, bridging the gap between our customers and engineering teams. His deep passion for coding and web technologies drives the creation of innovative products. If you're at a tech conference, be sure to stop by our booth - you'll most likely meet Bjoern in person. With an advanced graduate degree (Dipl. Inf.) in Computer Science, specializing in AI, from the University of Bremen, Bjoern brings significant expertise to his role. In his spare time, Bjoern enjoys running, paragliding, mountain biking, and playing the piano.

- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernmeyer/)
- [X](https://x.com/txbjoern)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/bjoerntx)

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- [Upgrading a .NET Framework Windows Forms App to a .NET 8 Windows Forms App with TX Text Control 32.0 SP2](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2024/01/16/upgrading-a-net-framework-windows-forms-app-to-a-net-6-windows-forms-app-with-tx-text-control-32-0-sp2/llms.txt)
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