C# Windows Forms Designer code generation

Question

2.50/5 (2 votes)

See more:

Hi guys!
I have a huge problem to face. I have a C# project (called FP.Forms) which is a 'forms' library for my application and the other project containing controls (called FP.Controls). First of them has the default namespace set to FP.Forms, the other one to FP.Controls
FP.Controls library is added as a reference in FP.Forms.

The big problem is code generation done by windows forms designer... The generated code does not compile. Here's where the problem exists:

this.MainPanel = new System.Windows.Forms.Panel();
this.gearboxMainPanel1 = new FP.Controls.NicePanel();

The C# compiler throws the following error: error CS0234: The type or namespace name 'Controls' does not exist in the namespace 'FP.Forms.FP' (are you missing an assembly reference?)

What I've found is the compiler somehow adds at compile time the default namespace of the project (which is FP.Forms) to the code... so the compiler "tries to compile" the following line:

this.gearboxMainPanel1 = new FP.Forms.FP.Controls.NicePanel()

If so... why the hell it does not throw error on the

C#

new System.Windows.Forms.Panel();

??

The problem can be walked around by adding global:: before each namespace, but since the whole code is generated, the walkaround will be erased after any change is done to the form using a windows forms designer.
Have you guys have any idea what is going on?
Thanx in advance!

Posted 18-May-11 12:27pm

morpheusss87

Add a Solution

1 solution

Add a Solution

Add your solution here

Treat my content as plain text, not as HTML

Preview 0

…

Existing Members

Sign in to your account

...or Join us

Download, Vote, Comment, Publish.

Your Email
Password
Forgot your password?

Your Email
This email is in use. Do you need your password?
Optional Password

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Please subscribe me to the CodeProject newsletters

When answering a question please:

Read the question carefully.
Understand that English isn't everyone's first language so be lenient of bad spelling and grammar.
If a question is poorly phrased then either ask for clarification, ignore it, or edit the question and fix the problem. Insults are not welcome.
Don't tell someone to read the manual. Chances are they have and don't get it. Provide an answer or move on to the next question.

Let's work to help developers, not make them feel stupid.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Answer 1 · 2011-05-18T13:47:00

Solution 1

First, the compilation of the project. The project does not consist of the source files along. Another important part is project file which provides the set of references assemblies.

Further issues depend on how you compile the code.

I would recommend you performing compilation from CodeDOM. Referenced assemblies are passed as an array of strings as a parameters to the constructor of CompilerParameters.
See this code sample on the compilation:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.codedom.compiler.codedomprovider.aspx[^].

So, this should clear your "compiler somehow adds at compile time". There is not "somehow", it's totally clear.

Now, how about compile-time error in one case not not showing error in another case? Simple.

This requires referencing of the assembly System.Windows.Forms:

C#

var something = new System.Windows.Forms.Panel();

Apparently, if there is no error, this assembly is references.
This is completely different:

C#

this.gearboxMainPanel1 = new FP.Forms.FP.Controls.NicePanel();

If requires some other assembly, the one you develop. You need to reference it, isn't that obvious?

Problem solved.

—SA

Posted 18-May-11 13:47pm

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 18-May-11 15:31pm

v3

Comments

HimanshuJoshi 18-May-11 19:49pm

Your formatting was screwed, I fixed it.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 18-May-11 21:30pm

Thank you very much. I fail to see the difference though... where?
--SA

HimanshuJoshi 18-May-11 21:38pm

If you see the first revision of your post; the text after "This requires referencing of the assembly" was all red.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 18-May-11 22:45pm

That's the thing I don't see it in that version, but thank you very much anyway.
--SA

morpheusss87 23-May-11 13:22pm

Didn't I state clearly in my question that FP.Controls is added as a reference in FP.Forms?
Unfortunately the problem is not solved by your answer.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 23-May-11 19:37pm

What do you mean as a reference in FP.Form? I don't know your assembly dependency. Are your sure this reference is added the the assembly which causes the error?
Look there is not such thing as miracle: if the code behaves as if the assembly is not added, it is not added -- simple as that.

The problem is not solved ***by you***. Please understand it well. If I had you project, the problem would never appear...
--SA

morpheusss87 23-May-11 19:56pm

there was not any problem with dependencies. I used classes from FP.Controls project in FP.Forms project and FP.Controls project was added as a reference in FP.Forms (Project/References->Add reference->Projects->FP.Controls)
The problem was with strange namespace behaviour of Visual Studio which I did not understand.
In my solution I had like 30 controls that were put into separate projects, and around 8 forms also in separate projects. It took ages to compile and load, so I put them into 2 projects: FP.Controls and FP.Forms, and this is the moment when my problems begun - forms designer started to generate code that did not compile. So please don't try to make a fool of me and tell me that I forgot to add assembly as a reference. If it was not added, how the hell would the designer generate any code? No. I did not delete the reference after I used the designer.
And yes, you are programming guru, much better than me. I'm very sorry to bother your mighty with asking such an obvious question.
Cheers for all!

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 23-May-11 22:54pm

Nobody want's to make a fool of you. We do not discuss physic problems here and do not touch personality. Who knew what's going on? Nobody saw your designer-generated code. What did you want at this level of information you provided?

You don't know what's going on it even now. There is no such thing as "strange namespace behavior of Visual Studio", because Visual Studio doesn't compile anything (surprise?). Name spaces also means nothing; you use fully-qualified names.

Please be at least adequate.
--SA