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Form designer problem

I have a problem with a form that I have deigned and otherwise works fine. I have an application to which I have added a number of forms. When I double-click on any of the FormName.vb files in Solution Explorer, it displays the selected form in design mode except for my "problem" form. When I double-click on it the code form is displayed yet when I run the app and hit the button that opens the form it displays fine. I thought maybe the file had been corrupted so dleted the old form and rebuilt the form from scratch. It opened fine in design view until I ran the app once now the old behavior is back There has to be something simple that I am missing here.

Hillwaaa

Hi tmostad,

In the solution explorer, can you right-click and select View Designer, or is that option not available?

In the past, I have had this issue where something in the auto generated section of the form (the "Windows Form Designer generated code" section) was invalid / incorrect. My guess would be that your form has some setting that is set at run time which allows it to display fine when you ran it, but not from VS.

Also, does the class have "Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form"?

Anyone else have any ideas?

tmostad

ASKER

The "View Designer" menu option in not available but only for that form.

I looked in the "Windows Form Designer generated code" section and there are no apparent errors.

Lastly the "Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form" is there.

Hillwaaa

Hmm, in that case there is something that is causing VS to think that the form is not a form - can you post the code for that form?

tmostad

ASKER

There is exactly one line of code for one button (OK button) on the form:

Me.Close()

I could even manage to get it wrong I suppose but it works so I am still no closer to a solution but thanks for the ideas.

Hillwaaa

One other thing to try - does closing and opening the solution fix the problem? (File->close solution)

I managed to replicate the problem by commenting out the inherits windows form line and saving it. After uncommenting the line and re-saving it, the form in the solution explorer didn't become usable as a form until I closed the solution or rebuilt it (Build -> rebuild solution)

Let me know if either works.

tmostad

ASKER

I tried every permutation you suggest and a few more like trying to build with the inherits line commented out which then of course errored. I then uncommented the line and did a rebuild, no change.

tmostad

ASKER

BTW - I searched the web and found a similar problem description but for C#. They suggested editing the .csproj file to add a SubType form at the right location for the problematic form where "right" can be determined by looking at the definitions for other forms. I did this but there was no change.

tmostad

ASKER

Of course I meant I edited the .vbproj file...

appari

if possible can you upload the problem form to http://www.ee-stuff.com

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

dctuck

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tmostad

ASKER

I discovered that somehow the code form was completely blank. Based on the last comment I added back in:

Public Class frmName

End Class

and Designer started working again. Not sure what about my app or VS that causes this to be deleted at runtime but at least now I know how to get past this issue. Thanks.

tmostad

ASKER

One other thing, I just noticed that my user defined code somehow got appended to the DesignerGenerated code. I put it back where it belongs and all is now well. Weird.