In my application I have a base control class - call it BaseControl - from
which I inherit to create multiple controls. I'm using a custom
ControlDesigner class because I need one or two special actions to be
available to the inherited controls at design-time.
But when I create a new control - call it MyControl - by inheriting
BaseControl, and open MyControl in the VS designer, I don't see any evidence
that my custom ControlDesigner class is being used at all; and a quick
MessageBox-in-constructor test verifies that one isn't even being created.
However, if I add BaseControl to the IDE toolbox and drag one onto a Form
without inheriting, all works fine and it uses the custom ControlDesigner,
verifying that it's implemented correctly.
Has anybody run across the same problem? I'm wondering if there's a simple
step I've overlooked that will get VS to use my custom ControlDesigner for
inherited classes; or do I need to go back to the drawing board and find a
way to do what I need to do without having to inherit BaseControl? (Or is
this a glitch? The Framework docs state plainly that all "design-time
attributes" of a Component class should be picked up by its inheritors.)
joeycalisay - 08 Apr 2005 02:30 GMT
are they all on the same assembly?

Signature
Joey Calisay
http://spaces.msn.com/members/joeycalisay/
> In my application I have a base control class - call it BaseControl - from
> which I inherit to create multiple controls. I'm using a custom
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> this a glitch? The Framework docs state plainly that all "design-time
> attributes" of a Component class should be picked up by its inheritors.)
Robin Sanner - 08 Apr 2005 21:16 GMT
I had the same problem in post "Repost for Microsoft: Designer not activated
when designing Inheri", here's the response I received:
Your custom designer will not be used when your custom usercontrol is being
designed. VS uses IRootDesigners when design view is being uses, and using
reflector I can only see FormDocumentDesigner (used by forms) and the
UserControlDocumentDesigner (used by usercontrols).

Signature
Joey Calisay
http://spaces.msn.com/members/joeycalisay/
> In my application I have a base control class - call it BaseControl - from
> which I inherit to create multiple controls. I'm using a custom
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> this a glitch? The Framework docs state plainly that all "design-time
> attributes" of a Component class should be picked up by its inheritors.)
Michael Powell - 30 May 2005 16:55 GMT
I just did a test, and derived classes use my designer without any problem.
My class is derived from ContainerControl, and my designer is derived from
ParentControlDesigner

Signature
~Mike Powell,
software designer for Ramuseco ltd
www.ramuseco.com
> In my application I have a base control class - call it BaseControl - from
> which I inherit to create multiple controls. I'm using a custom
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> this a glitch? The Framework docs state plainly that all "design-time
> attributes" of a Component class should be picked up by its inheritors.)