# Parent

## Introduction

The Parent property get or sets the calling GraphicalUiElement's parent. If Parent is set to a non-null value, then the newly-set Parent's Children gets modified too. Therefore, it is possible to either add a child to its Parent's Children or set its Parent directly. You do not need to do both.

## Code Example - Adding a Child by Setting Parent

The following code shows how to add a SpriteRuntime to a parent `ContainerInstance`. It assumes that `ContainerInstance` is a valid GraphicalUiElement:

```csharp
// Initialize
var sprite = new SpriteRuntime();
// This automatically adds sprite as a child of ContainerRuntime
sprite.Parent = ContainerInstance;
```

Later, the sprite could be removed by setting its Parent to null:

```csharp
// Initialize
// This removes the Sprite from its Parent (ContainerInstance)
sprite.Parent = null;
```

Gum Forms objects can be added to or removed from parents by setting Parent. For example, the following code could be used to show a button in a popup and remove it when it has been clicked:

```csharp
// Initialize
var button = new Button();
button.Text = "Click Me!";
button.Parent = FrameworkElement.ModalRoot;
button.Click += (_,_) => button.Parent = null;
```


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.flatredball.com/gum/code/gum-code-reference/graphicaluielement/parent.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
