custom user control - design view properties?

Question

Hi there I have added a custom user control and the design view is not quite practical. I'm new to this but I do not understand why I can't see the controls that I add to it the same way I see controls on my main forms. What I see is a list type of design I don't see the real controls I see a more sequential layout of it. I can't do much with the mouse like re-adjust the borders and all do I really have to set all this through the code behind??? Thanks!

Emilie · Answer

So I have a work around until someone tells me that there's another way to do it... I basically have my class written that way: public partial class Function : TabPage//UserControl// When I want to design the control I switch it to: public partial class Function : UserControl//TabPage// That way I can run it without error and with a quick spin of wand I can also have control of the layout in the design view...

Emilie · Answer

Well I did create it as a user control. It extends TabPage... I have a designer view but the controls on there (so inside my user control) are tiny... I can't show you with a screenshot (too bad!) but I have two things on there a text box and a button. The text box is small and has written in it ab and the name of the text box is right next to it. Same thing with the button. So I guess it is a custom control but isn't there a way to see with the same formats the controls in there as in my main form? I am questioning now the whole direction that I took for my app. To simplify things let me summarize. I need to be able to dynamically display an area that always has the same controls in it. I wanted to use the cool TabControl control on my main form so I created a custom control that inherits TabPage. So each time I click on that option in the menu a new Tab appears with the appropriate controls on it. Is that a good move? How else could I have done this? Thanks! Emmi

Scott Lysle · Answer

It sounds like you have a custom control rather than a user control; if it were a user control (with a design surface) you would see the control both from the designer as well as after dropping it onto a form. Also if it is a custom control rather than a user control does it extend an existing control. For example: public class CaseCombo : ComboBox Declaring a custom control like this will make the control visible on the form at design time.