Implementing a DropDownList to Select a Value of a Property of a Custom UserControl

[gkinu]

Hi,
I am creating a usercontrol based on the TextBox (Visual C#). I want the control to have a property that lists names of all controls in its parent form via a dropdown list in the same way the contextmenu, datasource and imagelist properties of TextBox, DataGrid and ToolBar controls respectively behave. Since the names of the controls is unknown before hand, it is clearly not feasible to use user-defined enum. Any ideas?

[kenobewan]

If I understand your question correctly, one way would be to have a control array featured in the selectedindexchanged event. HTH.

[gkinu]

Thanks a lot. May be to make myself clearer.

1. I am creating a usercontrol that inherits from a TextBox.
2. One of the new properties is called 'ControlsInForm' which is basically a list of all controls in the form, just like the ImageList property of a ComboBox.
3. When i drop this usercontrol onto a from at design time, i expect a list of the names of all controls in the form to be displayed as a list in this property from where i can select one.

I hope this is better.

[kenobewan]

Is this a windows form? When you say drop at design time, the user can drag this and have all the form controls listed or the form controls are already listed once the form is displayed?

[gkinu]

Yes. It is a windows form. The new usercontrol should have a property that shows a dropdown list of names of other controls in the form just like the ImageList property of a ToolBar will contain dropdownlist of all ImageList controls in the form; from which you can select one.

[Floydan]

I'm not sure if this is usefull, but you can get all the controls of a windows form by just writing (if you are in the Class inheriting from Form) this.Controls <- this will return a ControlCollection.
You should be able to retreive the form object by looking at your usercontrols owner?

Yes. It is a windows form. The new usercontrol should have a property that shows a dropdown list of names of other controls in the form just like the ImageList property of a ToolBar will contain dropdownlist of all ImageList controls in the form; from which you can select one.