Question

I have created a new Custom Control inheriting from Bar control of DevComponents.DotNetBar controls. Next, I have created a new dock tab in it and have added my other controls to it.

After I compile my Custom Control and add my created Custom Control in a new Windows Form, Dock Tab Controls are editable at design time.

I don’t want that anybody can edit these controls (Dock Tab Controls) in design time. How can I disable editing the controls at design time from the form (not the same as editing the control itself)?

public partial class barFloorsGrouping : Bar
{
    public barFloorsGrouping()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    [ReadOnly(true)]
    public new System.Windows.Forms.AccessibleRole AccessibleRole
    {
        get { return base.AccessibleRole; }
        private set { base.AccessibleRole = System.Windows.Forms.AccessibleRole.ToolBar; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool AlwaysDisplayDockTab
    {
        get { return base.AlwaysDisplayDockTab; }
        private set { base.AlwaysDisplayDockTab = true; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool AlwaysDisplayKeyAccelerators
    {
        get { return base.AlwaysDisplayKeyAccelerators; }
        private set { base.AlwaysDisplayKeyAccelerators = true; }
    }

    [ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool AntiAlias
    {
        get { return base.AntiAlias; }
        private set { base.AntiAlias = true; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool AutoCreateCaptionMenu
    {
        get { return base.AutoCreateCaptionMenu; }
    }

    [ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool AutoHide
    {
        get { return base.AutoHide; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool AutoHideTabTextAlwaysVisible
    {
        get { return base.AutoHideTabTextAlwaysVisible; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool AutoSyncBarCaption
    {
        get { return base.AutoSyncBarCaption; }
        private set { base.AutoSyncBarCaption = true; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new eBarType BarType
    {
        get { return base.BarType; }
        private set { base.BarType = eBarType.DockWindow; }
    }

    [ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool CanAutoHide
    {
        get { return base.CanAutoHide; }
    }

    [ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool CanDockTab
    {
        get { return base.CanDockTab; }
        private set { base.CanDockTab = false; }
    }

    [ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool CanUndock
    {
        get { return base.CanUndock; }
        private set { base.CanUndock = false; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool CloseSingleTab
    {
        get { return base.CloseSingleTab; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool DisplayMoreItemsOnMenu
    {
        get { return base.DisplayMoreItemsOnMenu; }
        private set { base.DisplayMoreItemsOnMenu = true; }
    }

    [ReadOnly(true)]
    public new DockStyle Dock
    {
        get { return base.Dock; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool DockTabCloseButtonVisible
    {
        get { return base.DockTabCloseButtonVisible; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool FadeEffect
    {
        get { return base.FadeEffect; }
        private set { base.FadeEffect = true; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new eGrabHandleStyle GrabHandleStyle
    {
        get { return base.GrabHandleStyle; }
        private set { base.GrabHandleStyle = eGrabHandleStyle.Caption; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new eLayoutType LayoutType
    {
        get { return base.LayoutType; }
        private set { base.LayoutType = eLayoutType.DockContainer; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool MenuBar
    {
        get { return base.MenuBar; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool TabNavigation
    {
        get { return base.TabNavigation; }
        private set { base.TabNavigation = true; }
    }

    [Browsable(false), ReadOnly(true)]
    public new bool WrapItemsDock
    {
        get { return base.WrapItemsDock; }
        private set { base.WrapItemsDock = true; }
    }

    protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs pe)
    {
        base.OnPaint(pe);
    }
}

Answer 1

You must extend the design mode behavior by using ParentControlDesigner Class. ParentControlDesigner Class provides a base class for designers of controls that can contain child controls.

So, for achieve to your Goal, you must implement design-time services for a component by DesignerAttribute as the following (Just add below code before the written class):

[Designer("System.Windows.Forms.Design.ParentControlDesigner, System.Design", typeof(IDesigner))]
public partial class barFloorsGrouping : Bar
{
...
}