Visual Studio Design Time Tools

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Visual Studio Design Time Tools

• Rod Paddock
• Dash Point Software, Inc.

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About Box

• Rod Paddock
• rodpaddock_at_dashpoint.com
• President, Dash Point Software
• Editor, CoDe Magazine
• Microsoft VB.NET MVP
• VB.NET, C, SQL Server Architect/Developer

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Objectives

• What are Design Time Tools
• Why Design Time Tools Are Important
• Building An Extender Class
• Property Grids Exposed
• UITypeEditors Exposed

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What Are Design Time Tools?

• Custom Code Added to the Visual Studio IDE
• Can Include
• Custom Components
• Extender Classes
• Custom Property Editors
• Custom Property Sheets
• Etc

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Why Are Design Time Tools Important

• One Word--- PRODUCTIVITY!

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Extender Classes

• What is an Extender Class ?
• Adds New Properties To Existing Controls
• The Importance of Extenders
• Pseudo Replacement for Multiple Inheritance

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Implementing Extenders

• Inherits Component
• Implements IExtenderProvider
• CanExtend
• Returns True if Control Type Supports Extender
• ltProviderProperty(ltPropertyToAddgt",
  GetType(Control)), _
• Controls Stored in HashTable
• Add Properties To Control with GetltpropertyNamegt
  and SetltPropertyNamegt Notation

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Demonstrating Extender Code

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Property Grids

• What is a Property Grid
• Add One To Your Toolbox
• Add Tab
• Add Remove Controls
• Select PropertyGrid

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Using the Property Grid

• Add One To Your Form
• Apply the SelectedObject property
• Any Object
• Thats it
• Problems with PropertyGrid
• Shows all Properties
• Solution.

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Creating a Custom Property Grid

• Create 2 Classes
• Inherits PropertyGrid
• Inherits PropertyTab
• Override PropertyGrid.CreatePropertyTab
• Override PropertyTab.GetProperties
• Add Code to Create Filtered List of Supported
  Properties
• Add Custom Interface To Your Controls

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DEMO Custom Property Grid
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UITypeEditors

• What is a UI Type Editor
• Provides Custom Editor for Properties
• Examples
• Font Selector
• Color Selector
• Cool Abstraction
• Writing Code to Write Code

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Implementing UITypeEditor

• Imports System.Windows.Forms
• Imports System.Drawing.Design
• Inherits UITypeEditor
• Overrides
• GetEditStyle
• GetPaintValueSupported
• EditValue
• This is where your custom form goes
• Decorating Your Property
• ltEditor(GetType(MyEditor), GetType(UITypeEditor))

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UI Type Editor Demo
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On Minor Enhancement

• UI Type Editors Show Up in Custom Property Sheet
  When
• You add the following attribute
• Browsable(True)

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Wrap Up

• Questions?
• Answers?
• rodpaddock_at_dashpoint.com
• www.dashpoint.com
• www.officezealot.com/rod
• Thank you.