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Different behaviour design-time vs run-time

Could someone point me in the right direction, perchance..?

How can I have a control that behaves slightly differently in design mode cf run-time mode.

I'd like to:

a) Render it slightly differently
b) Have some contained controls 'active' at design time.

For example, the Infragistics 'Grid' control has a button visible in design mode that's not there at runtime. I can click that button within the IDE to open up a setup form.. How's that functionality achieved?

AlexFM

Use ISite.DesignMode property for this:

if ( Site.DesignMode )
{
// Control site is is designe mode
}
else
{
// run time
}

Notice that not all functions of control are called at design time. Functions which are called are paint handler and functions responsible for persistence.

andrewjb

ASKER

I take it that lets me render differently..

But how do I make, for example, a button on a control 'active' at design time? If I simply shove a button on a usercontrol it doesn't respond, does it?

AlexFM

You can only draw control at design time. It doesn't respond to mouse messages.

andrewjb

ASKER

That can't be true - the Infragistics component set have buttons that are active at design time :-)

AlexFM

I tested this one more time - it doesn't work by such way. I guess they have child control inside of Infragistics component - in this case it can handle mouse messages.

andrewjb

ASKER

I've now found out how to do it... You need to implement a ControlDesigner, which wraps around your actual control and interacts with the IDE at design time.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

GranMod

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