Siticone Advanced Text Area

The SiticoneAdvancedTextArea is a sophisticated composite control that wraps a standard text input with powerful additional features. It includes a built-in statistics panel (Word/Character count), auto-sizing capabilities based on content, line highlighting, and a robust event system for granular change tracking (Insertions vs Deletions).

Statistics & Counters

The control features an integrated footer panel that automatically tracks text statistics in real-time. This eliminates the need to manually wire up `TextChanged` events to update external labels.

Property	Type	Description & Default Value
`ShowCharacterCount`	bool	True Toggles the visibility of the character counter in the footer panel.
`ShowWordCount`	bool	True Toggles the visibility of the word counter. Words are calculated using Regex `\b\w+\b`.
`MaxCharacterLimit`	int	0 (No Limit) Sets a hard limit on input length. If > 0, the counter displays as "Current/Max". Input exceeding this limit is automatically trimmed.

Visual Behavior

Properties controlling the dynamic visual aspects of the editor, including highlighting and sizing.

Property	Type	Description
`HighlightCurrentLine`	bool	False If enabled, draws a subtle background highlight behind the line where the caret is currently positioned.
`CurrentLineHighlightColor`	Color	ARGB(15, 0, 0, 255) The color used for the line highlight. Supports alpha transparency for overlay effects.
`AutoSizeToContent`	bool	False If true, the control automatically expands or shrinks its height to fit the text content + footer panel.
`ReadOnly`	bool	False Sets the control to read-only mode and applies the `ReadOnlyBackColor`.
`ReadOnlyBackColor`	Color	WhiteSmoke Distinct background color applied automatically when `ReadOnly` is set to true.

Advanced Events

Unlike standard TextBoxes, this control provides highly specific events that detail what changed and where.

TextModified Event

// Fired whenever text changes, but provides context on the TYPE of change.
// Useful for implementing Undo/Redo stacks or syntax highlighting logic.
advancedTextArea1.TextModified += (s, e) => 
{
                switch (e.ModificationType)
    {
                case TextModificationType.Insertion:
                Console.WriteLine($"Inserted '{e.ModifiedText}' at index {e.Position}");
                break;
                case TextModificationType.Deletion:
                Console.WriteLine($"Deleted '{e.ModifiedText}' at index {e.Position}");
                break;
    }
};

TextStatisticsChanged Event

// Fired when character, word, or line counts change.
// This is throttled (250ms) to prevent performance issues during rapid typing.
advancedTextArea1.TextStatisticsChanged += (s, e) => 
{
    lblStatus.Text = $"Lines: {e.LineCount} | Words: {e.WordCount}";
    
                if (e.CharacterLimitPercentage > 90)
    {
        lblStatus.ForeColor = Color.Red; // Warn user if near limit
    }
};

TextSelectionChanged Event

// Fired when the caret moves or selection expands.
// Provides Line and Column numbers automatically.
advancedTextArea1.TextSelectionChanged += (s, e) => 
{
                Console.WriteLine($"Ln {e.LineNumber}, Col {e.ColumnNumber}");
                Console.WriteLine($"Selection Length: {e.SelectionLength}");
};

CharacterLimit Events

// CharacterLimitApproaching: Fired when 80% of MaxCharacterLimit is used.
// CharacterLimitReached: Fired when the limit is hit.
advancedTextArea1.CharacterLimitReached += (s, e) => 
{
                MessageBox.Show("You have reached the maximum allowed characters.");
};

Public Methods

The control exposes standard editing commands programmatically.

Method	Description
`AppendText(string text)`	Appends text to the end of the content and scrolls to it.
`Clear()`	Clears all text content.
`Undo() / ClearUndo()`	Performs an undo operation or clears the undo buffer.
`Copy() / Cut() / Paste()`	Standard clipboard operations.
`Select(int start, int length)`	Selects a specific range of text.
`SelectAll()`	Selects the entire text content.
`GetLineFromCharIndex(int)`	Returns the line number (0-based) containing the specified character index.
`GetFirstCharIndexFromLine(int)`	Returns the index of the first character in the specified line.

Detailed Examples

Example 1: Auto-Expanding Tweet Editor

This example configures the control to behave like a social media input box: it expands as you type, enforces a character limit, and warns the user when they are running out of space.

C# - Social Media Input

private void InitializeTweetEditor()
{
                // 1. Configure Limits and Auto-Sizing
    tweetBox.MaxCharacterLimit = 280;
    tweetBox.AutoSizeToContent = true;
    tweetBox.Width = 400;
    tweetBox.MinimumSize = new Size(400, 100); // Start small
    
                // 2. Configure Statistics Display
    tweetBox.ShowWordCount = false; // Only show chars
    tweetBox.ShowCharacterCount = true;
    
                // 3. Handle "Approaching Limit" to change UI color
    tweetBox.CharacterLimitApproaching += (s, e) => 
    {
                // Change counter panel text color or background to warn user
                // (Note: You might need to access the controls or use a separate label)
                SystemSounds.Beep.Play();
    };
    
                // 4. Handle Text Modification for Hashtag highlighting (Conceptual)
    tweetBox.TextModified += (s, e) =>
    {
                if (e.ModificationType == TextModificationType.Insertion && 
            e.ModifiedText == "#")
        {
                // Logic to trigger hashtag autocomplete popup
                ShowHashtagAutocomplete();
        }
    };
}

Example 2: Code Editor Configuration

Sets up the control to look and behave like a simple code editor with line highlighting and monospaced fonts.

C# - Code Editor Setup

private void SetupCodeEditor()
{
                // 1. Visual Style
    editor.Font = new Font("Consolas", 10f);
    editor.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(30, 30, 30);
    editor.ForeColor = Color.Gainsboro;
    
                // 2. Enable Line Highlighting
    editor.HighlightCurrentLine = true;
    editor.CurrentLineHighlightColor = Color.FromArgb(20, 255, 255, 255); // Subtle transparent white
    
                // 3. Statistics
    editor.ShowCharacterCount = false;
    editor.ShowWordCount = false; // Hide default counters
    
                // 4. Track Cursor Position for Status Bar
    editor.TextSelectionChanged += (s, e) =>
    {
                // Update your main form's status strip
        lblCursorPos.Text = $"Ln {e.LineNumber}, Col {e.ColumnNumber}";
    };
    
                // 5. Track Line Changes
    editor.LineChanged += (s, e) =>
    {
                Console.WriteLine($"Moved from Line {e.PreviousLineNumber} to {e.CurrentLineNumber}");
    };
}