How do I create partial class to be nested under the main class file?

[Joseph Geretz]

When I create a Form, the VB IDE creates the following files in the
following hierarchy:

Form1.cs
Form1.Designer.cs
Form1.resx

Both Form1.cs and Form1.Designer.cs are partial implementations of a single
physical class definition. The VB IDE properly recognizes Form1.cs as a Form
(i.e. double-clicking opens the Form designer). It also recognizes
Form1.Designer.cs as additional code implementation. It properly nests this
class file under Form1.cs and double-clicking the file in the IDE opens to a
code window, rather than a Form design window. So far so good.

I'd like to extend the Form interface with a bunch of my own methods. So I
create a new class, Form1.Interface.cs, defined as follows:

partial class Form1
{
internal void DoThis()
{
}
internal void DoThat()
{
}

I'd like Form1.Interface.cs to behave just as Form1.Designer.cs does. That
is, I'd like this class to be nested beneath Form1.cs to make it obvious
that Form1.Interface.cs is a partial class addition to the partial class
defined in Form1.cs. I'd also like this class to open in the IDE just as
Form1.Designer.cs does; that is, double-clicking this module should open a
code window, not a Form design window.

But I can't get either of these to happen. My module Form1.Interface.cs is
treated by the IDE as though it is a Form. It doesn't appear nested under
Form1.cs and double-clicking it opens a Form design windows which is totally
inappropriate since this module is not intended to implement any visual form
elements at all!

(BTW, the compiler properly aggregates this into a single Form1 class
implementation. So there's no problem as far logical software construction
is concerned. However, it would be nice if I could get the IDE to recognize
the relationship between Form1.cs and Form1.Interface.cs and to properly
deal with this relationship (i.e. nesting and default open action) just as
it does with Form1.cs and Form1.Designer.cs.)

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for your help!

- Joseph Geretz -

 

[Joseph Geretz]

By editing the .csproj file I was able to achive the desired goal. I
changed:

<Compile Include="Form1.Interface.cs">
<SubType>Form</SubType>
</Compile>

to

<Compile Include="Form1.Interface.cs">
<DependentUpon>Form1.cs</DependentUpon>
</Compile>

which is equivalent to the definition which I found for Form1.Designer.cs.

<Compile Include="Form1.Designer.cs">
<DependentUpon>Form1.cs</DependentUpon>
</Compile>

Having done this, Form1.Interface.cs now behaves exactly like
Form1.Designer.cs.

However, this is going to be VERY cumbersome if we need to do this manually
for all such partial classes which we create. Isn't there any way to do this
via the IDE, without having to resort to manually editing the .csproj file
in NotePad?

Thanks!

- Joseph Geretz -

 

[Joseph Geretz]

However, this is going to be VERY cumbersome if we need to do this

manually for all such partial classes which we create. Isn't there any way
to do this via the IDE, without having to resort to manually editing the
.csproj file in NotePad?

I guess not :-(

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=66418&SiteID=1

Pity.

- Joe Geretz -