Storing a form in a dll

Storing a form in a dll

• a.i.

  Is there a way I could add a reference through code. So, when my form loads it can scan it's directory and if a dll exists then it will add an item to it's menustrip. It can then also add a reference.
  
  Or is that just too complicated to be feasible
  
  Thanks for the quick response.
  
  
  

• George.Saliba

  Start a new project as an ActiveX DLL and put the forms into it. Compile it, then create a new project and include the DLL you used as a reference. You can then create a new object to represent the DLL, and call the forms inside it by using the .Show() method.

  Hope you find this useful!

  
  
  

• Eric23

  Ok, I did the Add Reference... suggestion. Now I have another problem.
  
  I Use the following code to make the form open in a tab (this code is part of Form1.vb, not part of the dll).
  
  Private Function newTab() As Boolean
  Try
  TabControl1.SelectTab(newPage)
  Catch ex As Exception
  newForm.TopLevel = False
  newForm.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
  newForm.Visible = True
  newPage.Controls.Add(newForm)
  TabControl1.TabPages.Add(newPage)
  End Try
  End Function
  
  Private Sub menu_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
  Handles menu.Click
  newForm = New Class1.Class1 : newPage.Text = "Class1" : newTab()
  End Sub
  
  Now the form that opens has a button to close the tab and remove it from the Tab Control. I used the following code when the form was still part of my project.
  
  Form1.TabControl1.TabPages.Remove(Form1.TabControl1.SelectedTab)
  
  Now, since I cannot reference Form1 (since the form is now part of an external dll) I use the following.
  
  Me.Parent.Controls.Clear()
  
  This removes the form from the tab but the tab still remains. There is no way (that I can find) to remove the tab from the Tab Control (since I cannot reference Form1, I cannot reference TabControl1 on it).
  
  This is the only problem I am having right now. Thank you for any help you can provide.
  
  
  

• Michal Levy

  The only option I can choose it the Class Project. Is this what you meant I don't have a template for ActiveX DLL.
  
  Also, I used 'Add Existing Item..' and added my form Form2.vb to the project. Now I have 102 errors. Some errors are like:
  Type 'System.Windows.Forms.Form' is not defined.
  Type 'System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip' is not defined
  and so on for all of my controls.
  
  I obviously did something wrong. Any idea why it is doing this Thank you for your response.
  
  

• Vahid66

  Hmm that was too simple. Maybe that is why I never thought of that. I'll give it a try. Thanks.
  
  
  

• Superboy

  reference it by going to project menu and selecting "add reference" and then select your dll. You could also create a project level reference by including the dll project in your exe solution

  HTH

  
  
  

• Sreekanth Ammisetty

  Here's two similar ways of doing it:

  Capture the Click event of the button in the tab page, and handle the tab removal in it.

  Or a little bit more advanced, create a delegate variable for the form that's going to be hosted in the tab page, point it to a method for handling the tab removal.

  
  
  

• TomPepe

  Ok I got it to compile.
  
  Now I have another question. I want it to be a standalone dll. It will be stored in the same directory as my exe file. How would I reference it. I tried the normal methods but since in is not part of my solution it gives errors.
  
  Thanks.
  
  
  

• arvindbksc

  Thanks Ryan.
  
  And don't worry about it robinjam. Nobody is perfect.
  
  
  

• Matanel Sindilevich

  I find it easier to create a windows forms application to develop the forms. When the project is complete I open the project properties and change the project type to class library and rebuild the solution to create my dll.
  
  

• question mark

  Yea you chose the correct one, a Class Library project compiles a dll instead of an exe. If you are using Windows Forms then you need to add a reference to System.Windows.Forms.dll, which isn't added for you automatically(unlike Windows Application Project) when creating a Class Library Project.

  
  
  

• nathan koterba

  Sorry about that... I was thinking how to do it in Vb6 instead of VB.Net...
  
  

• joseadolfo

  Can you explain more on the second method you mentioned. I cannot do the first method because the button is in the form that is stored in the dll.
  
  
  

• Vonfranzken

  If someone was willing to look at my project then I could send it to them via email. It might be easier to figure out a solution. Thanks.
  
  
  
• Storing a form in a dll