The container control provides multiple views of a container's contents, such as Icon, Name, Text, Tree, and Details views. The container control lets you change container views quickly and easily, display each view with a different font, or vertically split the Details view into two parts so that a user can widen one part to see more information.

Graphical user interface (GUI) support is part of the container control. GUI support allows:

• Direct manipulation
  
• Multiple selection types: single, extended, and multiple selections
  
• Multiple selection techniques: marquee, swipe, and first-letter selection
  
• Multiple selection mechanisms: mouse button 1, mouse button 2, and keyboard augmentation
  
• Multiple forms of emphasis: selected-state, unavailable-state, in-use, and target emphasis
  
• Scrolling when a container's work area is not large enough for all the container items to be visible
  
• Dynamic scrolling to provide visible feedback to show the movement of the container items relative to the position of the scroll box

The container control supports various data types, such as icons or bit maps for the Icon, Name, Tree, and Details views. In the Details view, this includes the ability to use icons or bit maps in column headings as well as in the columns themselves. The container control also supports text in the following situations:

• For container titles in all views 
  Beneath icons or bit maps in the Icon view
  
  To the right of icons or bit maps in the Name and Tree views
  
  For any column or column heading in the Details view
  
  For container items in the Text view
  
  For container items in the Details view, text in date, time, and number format

  The container control provides a variety of options for enhancing the performance of the container:

  • Direct editing of container control text 
    Blank text fields in all views
    
    Ownerdraw, which enables an application, rather than the container control, to draw the container items
    
    Automatic reposition mode which is used in the Icon view. The container control provides an automatic reposition mode that repositions the items as a result of inserting, removing, sorting, filtering items, or changing window or font size.
    
    Arrange message mode that arranges overlapping icons or bit maps so they no longer overlap
    
    Data caching to efficiently remove items from and insert items into a container as they scroll in and out of view
    
    Methods for sharing records among multiple containers
    
    Memory usage optimization

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