Implementation Details: The Composite Control
A composite control is a collection of Windows Forms controls encapsulated in a common container derived from UserControl. This kind of control is thus referred to generically as a
user control. The contained controls are called
constituent controls. See Table 1.
Table 1. Composite Control Usage
Composite Control |
Manifestation |
Description |
Add User Control Dialog |
 |
Start with the User Control template. |
Generated Code |
public partial class UserControl1 : UserControl {
public UserControl1() {
InitializeComponent(); } } |
The composite control derives from UserControl. |
Designer Canvas |
 |
The designer opens with a blank canvas. |
Runnable in test container? |
Yes |
|
Implementation Details: The Extended User Control
An extended user control derives from a single, existing control that you have created (e.g., the ClockControl), as distinct from the extended system control, a control derived from a standard .NET control (e.g., GroupBox) shown next. Table 2 provides details on the extended user control.
Table 2. Extended User Control Usage
Extended User Control |
Manifestation |
Description |
Add User Control Dialog |
 |
Use the Inherited User Control template. Upon pressing Add, an additional dialog opens requiring you to select the base control. |
Generated Code |
public partial class UserControl1 : ControlLib.ClockControl {
public UserControl1() {
InitializeComponent(); } } |
The extended control derives from the base control you selected. |
Designer Canvas |
 |
The designer canvas renders the base control immediately. |
Runnable in test container? |
Yes |
|