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.NET Forum / Windows Forms / Design Time / August 2004Hosting Windows Forms Designers
Hi, We are developing an application in which the user can design their own GUI. Basically we need to give the User similar functionality to that in the Windows Forms designer in VS.NET. So far (following the examples given on Tim Dawson's website - http://www.divil.co.uk/net/articles/designers/hosting.asp) we've got it up and running so the User can drag controls onto the design surface. My question is how can we 'save' the form the user has created/designed? - i.e. does the form need to be compliled before it can be displayed outside the designer? Many thanks, Wes The outcome of control visual design is class. In order to use that class in my application it should reside in a class library (compiled) or I need to have the source code, which I can then compile allong with my other source files. It depends on what you are doing. If create code generator you need to save the cs, vb or what ever file that user can compile. In this case you need to generate code for different languages because VS doesn't support mixing langiages in one project. If you create control generator you need to compile the form (control) so I can use your dll. In this case language doesn't matter, but the code used to compile the dll has to be CLS compliant. Not all languages support all posible features and types. For example VB.NET doesn't support operator overloads. So it's up to you.  SignatureHTH Stoitcho Goutsev (100) [C# MVP] > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Wes Hello, If you just want to reload the settings you could serialize the control types, and locations. then re-created them, Don't forget othe misc items like Zorder/ChildIndex,Parents, .... Or you must use the CodeDom, RootDesignerSerializer approach to generate code/assembly. I'm actually developing a runtime designer component (same functionality), also currently working on methods to allow serialization of controls and child/parent relations. Currently serialization is xml and allows loading the settings, but would also like to support CodeDom use and multiple languages. This one of the few items I'm still working on. My designer component has been big challenge, ran into a lot of design issues for the current designer systems in .NET. Anyone know if CodeDom supports non .NET languages also? I'm thinking it does since we now support so many languages in .NET..... Thanks, Schneider > The outcome of control visual design is class. In order to use that class in > my application it should reside in a class library (compiled) or I need to [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > > > Wes There is a nice code sample from Microsoft that shows how to save the controls of a designer as an XML/C#/VB file. See http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;813808 > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Wes Free MagazinesGet these publications absolutely FREE for up to 12 months. There are no hidden fees and no obligation. Simply choose a title, complete the application form and submit it. Read more ...
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