Hi ilya_goberman,

Based on your description, I think you can use the DesignMode property of the control to achieve your goal. Below is my code:
if(!DesignMode)
{
// the code belowwill notexecute in design mode.
label.ContextMenu = new ContextMenu();
label.ContextMenu.Popup += new EventHandler(delegate
{
// popup menu created
});
}

Let me know if this helps,

Best regards,
Aland Li

Aland,
I have isolated the problem to a small test I can send to you in case you do not understand the problem. The workaround above is not acceptable. I have a lot of controls I need to recreate during the design time and cannot write custom code above for all of them (some of them are 3rd party controls). Also it does not work for the following reason: the control does not behave correctly in the User Control designer - if I click on it and focus is on the Form, the focus is not set to the User Control, which is incorrect.
Again the problem is related to creating child of a child of the User Control in the design time. I have wasted couple days on it I would rather spend on something else. Is there some way to "register" newly created control in the designer? Is there another way to get prompt expert support besides these forums?

Hi MethodMas,

Based on your description, you wanted to create a new user control by combining some third party controls and met lots of errors.

I cannot reproduce the problem because I don’t know what third party controls you used. I just used some labels to test and they work well. Could you provide me with the test program you mentioned above.

I’m sorry form the late replying. If I have misunderstood you, please feel free to tell me. Thanks.

Aland Li

Hi ilya_goberman,

Thanks for replying. You can move the core code to a small project and make sure the error can be reproduced in the project. Please send me a email with the project source as an attachment.

Aland Li

Hi ilya_goberman,

This my email: alala666888@hotmail.com or v-shunli@microsoft.com .

Aland Li

Hi ilya_goberman,

I haven’t received your email yet. Could you please send it to v-shunli@microsoft.com. Please rename the zip file, such as aa.zip.file. The attachment might be blocked if it is a zip file.

Aland Li

Hi ilya_goberman,

I received your email. I will work on it these days. Thanks.

Aland Li

Hi ilya_goberman,

The key problem is still related to design mode. When you design the main control, you need to send its design mode to the sub control, the sub control is not in design mode. This is the core code snippet:

1.In the set function of the property(DesignerProperty) of the main control(TestControl):
//Send design mode to free form control.

freeFormControl.SetupField(this, new Rectangle(10, 30 * i, 100, 16),DesignMode);

2.In the method(SetField) of the sub control(FreeFormControl):
//Check if the main control is in design mode. If so, don't add context menu.

if (!isDesign)

{

label.ContextMenu = new ContextMenu();

label.ContextMenu.Popup += new EventHandler(delegate

{

label.ContextMenu.MenuItems.Add(new MenuItem("test1"));

label.ContextMenu.MenuItems.Add(new MenuItem("test2"));

label.ContextMenu.MenuItems.Add(new MenuItem("test3"));

label.ContextMenu.MenuItems.Add(new MenuItem("test4"));

});

}

I would send you a email with the modified project as an attachment.

Aland Li

Hi ilya_goberman,

From my experience, you have to rebuild the project when you set the DesignerProperty property. It is because the visual studio designer has a cache to store the states of the control. If you do not rebuild, some data might not be refreshed.

I think you can develop your own control designer to control the design behavior of the control.

Regards,
Aland Li