Hi,

I am currently developing a .NET 2.0 WinForms application in VS2005 that has to display a lot of tabular information to the user with least amount of screens/clicks as possible. The user should be able to show/hide/position/interact with the instance of each table (user control) on their workspace/panel at runtime.

I want my application to be able to toggle in and out of a 'Design Mode', where:
  • [Design Mode] - Drag their table(s) anywhere within the workspace area and use the mouse resize the table.
  • [Normal Mode] - The table(s) position's are locked and the table can be generally interacted with i.e. scrolled, edited etc.

I have been surfing the net to find a solution to the above problemfor example:
  • http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2341077&SiteID=1
    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/magazine/cc163634.aspx
    I ideally wanted to use the DesignSurface class during the 'Design Mode'. I have tried to read and follow this, but Whenever I add my user control to the design surface, I can move/resize, but I can't interface/use with the user control, or make the DesignSurface act as a normal panel i.e. disable 'DesignMode'. Obviously - for me - the "penny has not dropped" ~{:0s.
    The DesignSurface seems to only be useful to me if the object were static i.e. no child controls e.g. a Button.
    • Is there a better article on how to use the DesignSurface properly or what extends on this http://www.divil.co.uk/net/articles/designers/introduction.asp further? or am I on the wrong track with this solution?
  • http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2074813&SiteID=1
    I tried this example where the base class was a UserControl, and it didn't work.
  • I can't use MDI forms (or can I?), because this must be a user control that plugs into a parent application.
  • I have looked into Zone workspace within Smart Client applications, but this seems liek a steep learning curve for this stage into the project.
  • I am reluctant to implement all this logic myself - unless I have to - as I can see it being more complex than it first appears and time is not on my side.

This is quite urgent, so somebody please put me out of my agony and steer me onto the right path.

Regards,

Skyas