Where Are We?

Although a component gains a default level of integration with the VS05 design-time environment with no work on your part, .NET gives you a rich supporting infrastructure that can be used to enhance a component's design-time experience in the Properties window.

In Chapter 12: Design-Time Integration: Designers and Smart Tags, we look at several design-time features that provide further integration with the Windows Forms Designer, including custom designers, smart tags, and context menus.