Designer Services

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Designer Services can be divided into three major sections: component designers, Windows Forms Designers, and drawing designers. The component designers provide the core functionality of the .NET framework designer architecture, whereas the Windows Forms Designers extend the design-time support for Windows Forms. The list of classes, interfaces, delegates, and enumerations for these three designer sections is rather extensive. They are discussed in the following sections.

System.ComponentModel.Design Namespace

The System.ComponentModel.Design namespace contains the core .NET framework designer architecture classes and interfaces that can be used to define designers and custom editors for components at design-time. Tables 5.1 through 5.4 list the classes, interfaces, delegates, and enumerations, respectively, along with a brief description of each.

Table 5.1. Classes

Class	Description
ActiveDesignerEventArgs	EventArgs data for the ActiveDesigner event.
ArrayEditor	UITypeEditor allows for editing arrays at design-time.
ByteViewer	Displays the content of byte arrays in hexadecimal, ANSI, and Unicode formats.
CollectionEditor	UITypeEditor provides for basic collection editing.
CollectionEditor.CollectionForm	Modal dialog for editing the collection using a UITypeEditor.
CommandID	A unique command identifier consisting of a numeric command ID and a GUID menu group identifier.
ComponentChangedEventArgs	EventArgs data for the ComponentChanged event.
ComponentChangingEventArgs	EventArgs data for the ComponentChanging event.
ComponentDesigner	Base designer class that provides support for component designer services.
ComponentDesigner.ShadowPropertyCollection	A collection of shadowed properties that should override inherited default or assigned values. Example: The Visible property is shadowed during design-time.
ComponentEventArgs	EventArgs data for the ComponentAdded, ComponentAdding, ComponentChanged, ComponentChanging, ComponentRemoved, ComponentRemoving, and ComponentRename events.
ComponentRenameEventArgs	EventArgs data for the ComponentRename Event.
DesignerCollection	Collection of designer documents.
DesignerEventArgs	EventArgs data for the DesignerCreated and DesignerDisposed events.
DesignerTransaction	Provides a mechanism for undoing a series of changes during design-time.
DesignerTransactionCloseEventArgs	EventArgs data for the TransactionClosed and TransactionClosing events.
DesignerVerb	A custom verb that can be invoked by the designer.
DesignerVerbCollection	Collection of DesignerVerb objects.
DesigntimeLicenseContext	Context for supporting design-time license providers.
DesigntimeLicenseContextSerializer	Provides serialization services for license contexts.
InheritanceService	Allows for identifying inherited components.
LocalizationExtenderProvider	Design-time localization support for code generators.
MenuCommand	Menu or toolbar command item.
ServiceContainer	Implements the IServiceContainer interface.
StandardCommands	Defines the standard set of commands common to most applications.
StandardToolWindows	GUID identifiers to the set of tool windows available in the design environment.

Table 5.2. Interfaces

Interface	Description
IComponentChangeService	Interface to add and remove component event handlers and provides methods for raising ComponentChanged and ComponentChanging events.
IDesigner	The base designer interface for building custom component designers.
IDesignerEventService	Event notifications for the addition and removal of designers, selection changes, and provides the capability to add designers.
IDesignerFilter	Allows for Pre and Post filtering of events, properties, and attributes for a component.
IDesignerHost	Interface for mapping designer transactions and components.
IDesignerOptionService	Interface to access the designer options found on the Options submenu under the Tools menu.
IDictionaryService	Dictionary interface for a designer to store user-defined data.
IEventBindingService	Exposes events as PropertyDescriptor objects.
IExtenderListService	Provides enumeration of extender providers. A ToolTip component implements the IExtenderProvider interface.
IExtenderProviderService	Interface to add and remove extender providers at design-time.
IHelpService	Used to provide the IDE with context help information about the current task.
IInheritanceService	Used for identifying inherited components.
IMenuCommandService	Interface to add and remove commands and verbs to and from the VS .NET menu.
IReferenceService	Interface to names of and references to objects within a designer project.
IResourceService	Provides access to specific CultureInfo resources.
IRootDesigner	Support for view technologies.
ISelectionService	Used to select components at design-time.
IServiceContainer	Provides access to the various design-time services.
ITypeDescriptorFilterService	Used to filter TypeDescriptor items of a component. TypeDescriptor items include properties, attributes, and events.
ITypeResolutionService	Retrieves an assembly or type by name.

Table 5.3. Delegates

Delegate	Description
ActiveDesignerEventHandler	Handles the ActiveDesignerChanged event.
ComponentChangedEventHandler	Handles the ComponentChanged event.
ComponentChangingEventHandler	Handles the ComponentChanging event.
ComponentEventHandler	Handles the ComponentAdding, ComponentAdded, ComponentRemoved, and ComponentRemoving events.
ComponentRenameEventHandler	Handles the ComponentRename event.
DesignerEventHandler	Handles the DesignerCreated and DesignerDisposed events.
DesignerTransactionCloseEventHandler	Handles the TransactionClosed and TransactionClosing events.
ServiceCreatorCallback	A callback handler that can create an instance of a service on demand.

Table 5.4. Enumerations

Enumeration	Description
DisplayMode	Used by the ByteViewer to indicate the display type (Auto, Hex, ANSI, or Unicode).
HelpContextType	Identifiers used by the Help system.
HelpKeywordType	Identifies the type of a Help keyword.
SelectionTypes	Determines the type of selection mechanism a component supports.
ViewTechnology	Currently Passthrough and WindowsForms. Defines the view support that a designer host supports.

The granular design of the designer framework allows for fine-tuning of a component designer and supported services. The Windows Forms Designer builds on the ComponentModel design framework to extend the design-time support.

System.Windows.Forms.Design Namespace

Tables 5.5 through 5.7 list the classes, interfaces, and enumerations provided by the Windows Forms Designer framework.

Table 5.5. Classes

Class	Description
AnchorEditor	UITypeEditor for the Anchor layout property.
AxImporter	Imports ActiveX controls and generates a runtime callable wrapper.
AxImporter.Options	Options for the AxImporter.
AxParameterData	Design-time data for the ActiveX control.
AxWrapperGen	Generates the wrapper for ActiveX controls.
ComponentDocumentDesigner	Windows Forms Designer for designing components.
ComponentEditorForm	UI for a WindowsFormsComponentEditor.
ComponentEditorPage	An empty window that can be extended to add controls.
ComponentTray	UI for the component tray in the Forms Designer.
ControlDesigner	Base class for a designer for components that extend the Control base class.
DocumentDesigner	Extends the ScrollableControlDesigner and implements IRootDesigner. The Forms Designer is a DocumentDesigner.
EventsTab	A PropertyTab for event selection and linking. Used by the PropertyGrid.
FileNameEditor	UITypeEditor for filenames.
FolderNameEditor	UITypeEditor for folders.
MenuCommands	IDs and GUIDS that correspond to the host Command Bar menu layout.
ParentControlDesigner	Provides design-time support for selection UI handling of child controls and the capability to manipulate child controls.
PropertyTab	Base class for property tabs. Used by the PropertyGrid.
ScrollableControlDesigner	Inherits from ParentControlDesigner and provides support for scrollable controls.
WindowsFormsComponentEditor	Provides a base class for editors that use property pages similar to ActiveX control's property pages.

Table 5.6. Interfaces

Interface	Description
IMenuEditorService	Provides access to the menu editing service. This service is implemented by the host designer.
IUIService	Provides interaction with the UI of the development environment that is hosting the designer.
IWindowsFormsEditorService	Used by the PropertyGrid and designers to display custom UITypeEditors.

Table 5.7. Enumerations

Enumeration	Description
SelectionRules	Selection rule for a component as it relates to moving and sizing.

System.Drawing.Design Namespace

The last major area of designers includes the services provided under the System.Drawing.Desing namespace. As you might expect from the name, the designers and services provided deal with UI presentation and drawing logic. In addition, interaction with the Windows Forms ToolBox is provided within this namespace. Tables 5.8 through 5.11 show the classes, interfaces, delegates, and enumerations, respectively, that are provided by the System.Drawing.Design namespace.

Table 5.8. Classes

Class	Description
BitmapEditor	UITypeEditor for selecting bitmaps from the Property Grid.
CategoryNameCollection	Collection of CategoryAttributes used by the PropertyGrid.
FontEditor	Editor for a Font object.
ImageEditor	UITypeEditor for selecting images.
PaintValueEventArgs	EventArgs data for the PaintEvent.
PropertyValueUIItem	Invoke handler, tool tip, and the icon for a property displayed on the properties window.
ToolboxComponentsCreatedEventArgs	EventArgs data for the ComponentsCreated event when items are added to the toolbox.
ToolboxComponentsCreatingEventArgs	EventArgs data for the ComponentsCreating event of the toolbox.
ToolboxItem	Item contained within the toolbox.
ToolboxItemCollection	Collection of toolbox items.
UITypeEditor	Provides a UI for representing and editing of the values of objects (discussed in the properties section).

Table 5.9. Interfaces

Interface	Description
IPropertyValueUIService	Allows management of the properties list of the properties window.
IToolboxService	Allows interaction with the toolbox.
IToolboxUser	Allows testing of the toolbox for toolbox item support and selection of a toolbox item.

Table 5.10. Delegates

Delegate	Description
PropertyValueUIHandler	Handles the events from the IPropertyValueUIService.
PropertyValueUIItemInvokeHandler	Handles the InvokeHandler event of the PropertyValueUIItem.
ToolboxComponentsCreatedEventHandler	Handles the ComponentsCreated event.
ToolboxComponentsCreatingEventHandler	Handles the ComponentsCreating event.
ToolboxItemCreatorCallback	Handles the ToolboxComponentsCreatingEventHandler event.

Table 5.11. Enumerations

Enumeration	Description
UITypeEditorEditStyle	Indicates the value editing style for a UITypeEditor (DropDown, Modal, None).

At this point, you are likely feeling overwhelmed by the number of services available through the System.ComponentModel.Design namespace and the System.Windows.Forms.Design namespace. Fortunately, the use of all these services is rarely needed not even for complex custom controls. It's also important to remember that each service provided is extremely granular in scope and as such its use is easier to understand. One last note: a lot of the services are already provided free; that is, you don't have to do anything to make use of them.

Note that the IconButton we developed has not made any explicit reference to most of the available designer services, yet the control and its associated designer are fully functional. There are times, however, when it is necessary to use the services available. During the development of the OutlookBar control, many of the services will be used.