Creating a windows forms designer

[Howard Swope]

I am wondering what is the best approach to create a windows forms designer.
I want to create an application that has a layout grid that allows the user
to move and size Windows Forms based controls and eventually create controls
specific to my application. It is my understanding that there isn't anyway
to directly do this through the .Net base classes. There are however many
facilities to support a design time environment. I would like to be able to
utilitze the design time facilities already present where it makes sense in
my application.

I would think this would be a pretty common thing to implement in an
application especially since MS has many applications that do this type of
thing. Why a base class to implement a design surface / grid like this is
not included eludes me. Perhaps it exists, but the searches I have done
reveal that one must role their own.

It would be nice just to inherit from say the Panel class and set the
protected property of DesignMode to true and be on my way.

TIA

 

[Bob Powell [MVP]]

SharpDevelop is an alternative IDE that acts as a disigner host.

The code is open source and you can look in there for what you need to do.

http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/

--
Bob Powell [MVP]
C#, System.Drawing

September's edition of Well Formed is now available.
http://www.bobpowell.net/currentissue.htm

Answer those GDI+ questions with the GDI+ FAQ
http://www.bobpowell.net/gdiplus_faq.htm

 

[Dion Heskett]

Have a look at Tim Dawsons Hosting Windows Forms Designers .

http://www.divil.co.uk/net/articles/designers/hosting.asp

Hope this helps

Dion