How to Add Custom ContextMenu for RadTextBox

Updated on Aug 27, 2026

Environment

Product Version	Product	Author
2022.1.222	RadTextBox for WinForms	Desislava Yordanova

Description

By default, RadTextBox offers the following context menu after right-clicking the controls:

This is actually the context menu for the hosted TextBox that Microsoft offers.

This article demonstrates a sample approach how to eliminate the default menu and assign your custom one.

Solution

In order to remove the default context menu, it is necessary to set the RadTextBox.TextBoxElement.TextBoxItem.HostedControl.ContextMenuStrip property to a new instance of ContextMenuStrip:

C#

   
this.radTextBox1.TextBoxElement.TextBoxItem.HostedControl.ContextMenuStrip = new ContextMenuStrip();

VB.NET

Me.RadTextBox1.TextBoxElement.TextBoxItem.HostedControl.ContextMenuStrip = New ContextMenuStrip()

However, if you want to achieve your custom items, it is necesary to create your own ContextMenuStrip

C#

public RadForm1()
{
    InitializeComponent();

    ContextMenuStrip menu = new ContextMenuStrip();
    ToolStripMenuItem copy = new ToolStripMenuItem("Copy", Properties.Resources.copy); 
    copy.Click += copy_Click;
    menu.Items.Add(copy);
    ToolStripMenuItem cut = new ToolStripMenuItem("Cut", Properties.Resources.cut);
    cut.Click += cut_Click;
    menu.Items.Add(cut);
    ToolStripMenuItem paste = new ToolStripMenuItem("Paste", Properties.Resources.paste); 
    paste.Click += paste_Click;
    menu.Items.Add(paste);
    this.radTextBox1.TextBoxElement.TextBoxItem.HostedControl.ContextMenuStrip = menu;
}

private void paste_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //TODO paste
}

private void cut_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //TODO cut
}

private void copy_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //TODO copy
}

VB.NET

Public Sub New()
    InitializeComponent()
    Dim menu As ContextMenuStrip = New ContextMenuStrip()
    Dim copy As ToolStripMenuItem = New ToolStripMenuItem("Copy", My.Resources.copy)
    AddHandler copy.Click, AddressOf copy_Click
    menu.Items.Add(copy)
    Dim cut As ToolStripMenuItem = New ToolStripMenuItem("Cut", My.Resources.cut)
    AddHandler cut.Click, AddressOf cut_Click
    menu.Items.Add(cut)
    Dim paste As ToolStripMenuItem = New ToolStripMenuItem("Paste", My.Resources.paste)
    AddHandler paste.Click, AddressOf paste_Click
    menu.Items.Add(paste)
    Me.radTextBox1.TextBoxElement.TextBoxItem.HostedControl.ContextMenuStrip = menu
End Sub

Private Sub paste_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    'TODO paste
End Sub

Private Sub cut_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    'TODO cut
End Sub

Private Sub copy_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    'TODO copy
End Sub